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Roman Guard Unit

The Roman Army when they were sent to guard a person, did so with their lives. If the prisoner escaped, they would be put to death. To guard a prisoner they formed a custodian. In Greek it was spelled "Koustodia." Their primary concern was to guard the seal of the Emperor, which was attached to the tomb. This was accomplished by having sixteen guards. There were 4 that faced the North, 4 faced the South, 4 faced the East, and 4 faced the West.

Each guard had a space of 6 ft. to the front, 6 ft to the back, and 6 ft to each side. In this manner there was very little chance of anyone escaping or tampering with the seal. Have you ever wondered if this was the way that the guards stood at the tomb of Jesus Christ?

Koustodia can be found in Strongs Concordance, 2892