A group of people did extensive research about the first believers, to make a television series and a book about the early Church. One of their comments was that they were completely surprised by the fact that among all the archaeological and other evidence from the first 300 years of the Common Era, there was no trace of a cross to be found with the early believers. Their explanation was: "They probably wanted to forget about the cross, because to remember it was to painful."
Other sources, among them the Encyclopaedia Britannica, state that before the 4th century no cross symbols were used by the Christians. They give various reasons but they are opinions and not facts. A fact is that only after 350CE cross symbols became popular in Christian arts and funerary monuments.
However, there might be a complete different reason, then the ones mentioned for not using cross symbols by Christians or their predecessors the Messianic Jews and their adherents from the nations..
The cross was not of any significance to them.
How could that be?
Let us have a closer look at the original Greek of the Gospels and Apostolic writings. We find here the word Staurus, which means Stake, but it is translated as Cross in most of our Bibles.
Was Yeshua executed on a Cross or a Stake?
Heaving observed all these things, I decided for myself to do some research in this matter, using historical writings other then Church related ones and also Archaeologic rapports. I found that from the early beginnings stakes, that is a pole with a tapered end, were used to impale people, always naked for humiliation. Conquered enemies and criminals were alive or dead impaled, mostly directly under the rib cage. It was also a widespread custom to nail the naked body of an conquered enemy to the gate of a city to show the victory over them. Criminals were often killed by various means and their naked bodies were then nailed to a pole or a tree as a warning.
Hanging with a noose was never done before the third century as far as I could establish. What is translated as hanging in our Bibles, refers to impaling or nailing to a woden structure.
In the beginning of the Common Era, people convicted of a crime which carried a death sentence, were flogged and while still alive, naked nailed to a stake as a warning to others. Some remnants of stakes like this have been found. They had a little piece of wood nailed to the bottom. On this the feet rested while they were kept in place by a nail driven somewhere through the ankles. An execution stake remnant was found with this piece of wood in place and a nail just above it. It appears that the hands were put on top of each other and with one nail fastened above the head. This could have been done at the back of the stake. Nailing them that way, would not have caused them to tear the hands as nailing sideways on a cross beam would have done.
There is no archaeological or other conclusive evidence that crosses were used for execution before the third century. We only have traditional church writings.
So where did the cross come from?
There are 6 basic cross symbols.
Let us see where they came from and how they were used.
Crux commisa, or St Anthony's cross.
This is the Greek letter Tau. It was known and used from the time of Nimrod. However it became used as a magic symbol by the Babylonians and others who revered the God Tammuz or Tammusi because it was associated with him. Magicians and priests used it to ward of evil spirits in the name and power of Tammuz. Daniel might have witnessed it in Babylon and Israel miss used the Temple for Tammuz worship as shown in Ezekiel 8:14. Tammuz was also connected to Sun worship, compare Ezek.8:16 Later this cross was also associated with other sun-gods and has always been and still is, used as a magic symbol to ward of evil. People were crossing themselves far before the time of Yeshua.
Crux immisa, or latin cross.
I believe this cross is from a later era. The first Christian paintings of Jesus on a cross, were using the crux commisa, the Tau. However, there was no place for the sign above his head. Therefore later paintings used an extension on the Tau to place the sign on and that is how the crux immisa evolved.
crux decussata, or St. Andrews cross.
This is the Roman numeral 10. It is associated with Mitrash and Sun worship. The people in the olden days observed the Tracks of the Sun around the Earth over a year's period and discovered that those tracks resembled a crux decussata. Especially in the third and fourth century this symbol was used by the Roman upper class and army officers and was connected to the sun worship. This was most likely the cross from Emperor Constantine's dream. He made it into a sign both acceptable to His Mithras and to His Christian soldiers by adding the Greek character Rho to it, making it the first letters of Christou. Now Christou was not strange to the Mithras and other pagans either, because all religions had a Christou, which was someone sanctioned by the gods.
crux quadrata or Greek cross.
This became used as a variation of the crux decussata. The crux quadrata is often used as a symbol with a Sun-Halo around it and this points to its use in sun worship. The Halo around people in Christian paintings and drawings, is a Sun-Halo and is one of the Pagan symbols adapted by the Church.
crux gammata or swastica.
Another variant of the crux quadrata, used as a pagan symbol before the Christian Era. Tombs found with this sign are not tombs of Christians who camouflaged the cross, as has been suggested. These signs have been found on graves far before the Christian Era.
crux ansata or ankh.
This was the old Egyptian hieroglyphic symbol for live. This cross is extensively adopted by the Coptic Christians but is now also more commonly used by Christians and non-Christians alike as a charm.
Should a true believer have a Cross symbol?
First read the story in Exodus 32, preferably in the Hebrew. We find that Israel made a golden calf as a representation of Yahuweh. They could not see Yahuweh and they wanted an Elohiem they could see. They therefore worshipped Yahuweh through the golden calve. This angered Yahuweh so much that He would have destroyed all of them, had not Moshe intervened. Now only 3000 were killed by the Levites.
Now many people claim they do not worship objects, but the being represented by the object is whom they worship.
Now when we look at Exodus 32, we learn that this is an abomination to Yahuweh.
Exodus 20:4.
Not to make to you image and all representation that which in heavens from above and that which on Earth from under neath and that which in waters under neath by the Earth. You shall not bow down to them and not be enticed to serve them because I Yahuweh your Elohiem Ell jealous.
Now notice how in most Churches of the various denominations, people bow their head to objects. Be it the altar an image or a cross symbol, yes even for a Church official.
Yes it is common in pagan religions, but should believers in Yahuweh do this?
"Yes but is done to honor the being that is represented by the object," people say.
Read what I so just explained from Scripture.
Like I have shown in the beginning, it is most unlikely the Yeshua was executed on a Cross, since evidence and the Greek text point to a stake.
Now if Yeshua was executed on a cross is there anything in Scripture that allows us, or tells us to make an cross image? No! on the contrary, we are strictly forbidden to make one and especially forbidden to revere it.
When you really want to please and worship our Creator Yahuweh and His Messiah Yeshua, then there is no place in your house, Church or around your neck for a cross or any other religious paraphernalia.
The cross symbols are superstitious objects used by pagan religions from the time of Nimrod. They have been taken over by the Church in the 4th century from pagan worship, together with all the religious rites and worship modes of the Pagan religions of the time. This is also evident by the pagan Sun-Halo used to mark holy beings on Christian illustrations. This adoptation, was done to show their pagan peers that they accepted them and that they also, should accept the Church. To make Christianity even more acceptable to the world of their days, they also disassociated themselves from the Jewish roots and the Jewish rites, from which they originated.
To show that a cross symbol is plain evil, let us look at the cross the Pope is carrying around as his staff. On it is an image supposed to be the Messiah. This is clearly against Yahuweh's commandment. Now Deuteronomy 4:2, states clearly that we are not to add or take away of the word of Yahuweh's commandments.
Nowhere in His word is this command retracted or are people given Authority to alter it!
Nevertheless, the Church has taken upon itself, to give the Pope this authority, so he carries an image around that people kiss and worship.
That this image is a pure deception can be concluded from the following.
The original Greek text of the Gospels clearly state a STAKE and not a CROSS.
The image on the cross wears a cloth draped around its lower body. However, People were nailed to a stake or impaled on it completely naked.
So we cannot carry around an image of a naked man which shows without a shadow of a doubt that he is Jewish.
That is right! You can not carry around an image representing the Messiah, naked or other wise.
So when you walk into your Church building and you see an empty cross on the wall, it is not a sign for a Messiah who overcame the cross like the clergymen, who wear crosses, like to assure you.
It is plain and simply a pagan symbol of superstition used to ward of evil spirits and nothing can change that.
Do you need a cross on your grave to prevent evil spirits to take your dead body? Oh it's not for that purpose! For which purpose is it then? Just answer that question for yourself and then test your answer against the Word of Yahuweh.
When you can not find a clear positive affirmation in Yahuweh's commandments then you are on feeble ground.
Do we need any religious paraphernalia to honor and worship Yahuweh and His Messiah? Again when you can not find a positive affirmation in Scripture, You are most likely to offend Yahuweh. Remember the religious paraphernalia named in Scripture were purely for Temple worship service only. They are even forbidden for other uses, read Leviticus 10.
Remember people are not convinced that you are a true follower of Yahuweh and His Messiah, by the insignia you wear. They have to be convinced by your behaviour and your
deeds.
So the most important question to you is:
"Are you one hundred percent sure that Yahuweh is not offended by your religious paraphernalia?"
