In the secular history book by Jophesus (sp) who had absolutely nothing to win or lose by identifying a torture stake or a cross, records a few paragraphs of the jew by the name of jesus who was crucified on a cross as it was the thing the romans did.
The stakes were left in the ground because this was the favored death penalty of the time, OR they would use the trees that grew outside the city walls. A crossbeam, or [other] stake would be attached and the prisoner was hung from it, or in Jesus' case nailed to it.
The "impaler" was a different form of torture. Stakes in the ground that were sharpened at the end and the prisoner was pushed onto it thru the gut and slowly bled to death, That is what is meant by impaled.
And you are right, the mode isn't what is important it is the reason. The Jewish hierarchy & the roman magistrates humiliated him. In their eyes (the farassies) Jesus was a threat, he was being ex-communicated in the ultimate way. How dare he come and question their teachings, their money making ways. How dare he stand up and say that "I and the Father are one" They knew he wasn't stating that "they think alike" but was indeed in need of a good stoning for blasphemy.
He was taking away their control.
Thomas said to Him, Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me."John 14:5-6
So next time the WT tries to tell you that "they" are the "truth" & you need their faithful & discreet slave labor camp to be under the umbrella (without even the chance of getting to the Father anyway because they say you are not included in the sons of God analogy) Choose the cross as Jesus did (figuratively)
This is what the early christians did.
The WT will put you out literally on the torture stake just as Jesus was put out and mother will be against daughter, husband against wife.....
Mr. Bowen, the Pandelos, Ms Anderson et al are bearing their cross right now. and who is trying to humiliate them?