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Scaphism: the ancient Persian execution where insects ate you alive

Ellsworth Toohey
Jan 16, 2026
∙ Paid

The Scream, 1895, Edvard Munch

If you’re looking for the most horrifying execution method in history, scaphism is a strong contender. Used by the ancient Persians, it involved trapping the condemned between two boats, covering them in milk and honey, and leaving them to be slowly devoured by insects over days or weeks.

The procedure, as described by the G…

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