The REAL Cross that Jesus died on?

[ibTina]

I just recently was visitng another Christian forum. One of the posters started a topic where he is doing a 'timeline'  starting with the birth of Jesus to present time.  Anyway, 2 of his entries brought my eyebrows up ...

614 The Persians under King Chosroes II invested Jerusalem on April 15. On May 5, the Persians force their way within the walls. With their churches and houses in flames around them, the Christians were indiscriminately massacred. Sixty thousand perished and thirty thousand more were sold into slavery. The Persians carry off the True Cross.

628 Emperor Heraclius wins back "Cross of Christ" from Persians. In Persia, Kavadh sued for peace with the Byzantines. He hands back Armenia, Byzantine Mesopotamia, Syria, Palestine and Egypt.

ummm am I reading this right? The REAL Cross that Jesus died on? I have never heard that before.

[David_james]

I don't understand the paragraphs

[Soldier4Christ]

This is like many of the other "artifacts" that supposedly had an association with Jesus Christ. It is said that Empress Helena, mother of Constantine, the first Christian Emperor of Rome, traveled to the Holy Land, founding churches and establishing relief agencies for the poor. During these travels she came across three hidden crosses. It says that through some miracle it was revealed to her which of the three crosses were supposedly the one that was used to crucify Jesus.

[Codger]

The Bible states plainly that jesus was crucified on a tree not a sawn or hewn post like is commonly believed. traditionally the tree was burned along with the body of the occursed. The Roman governor interfered with this process.

All three were crucified on the one tree - not three "latin Posts" like is commonly believed.

[Soldier4Christ]

The Bible states plainly that jesus was crucified on a tree not a sawn or hewn post like is commonly believed. traditionally the tree was burned along with the body of the occursed. The Roman governor interfered with this process.

All three were crucified on the one tree - not three "latin Posts" like is commonly believed.

I find your explanation to be quite ridiculous and contrary to the Bible. If all three were crucified on the same tree then why was Jesus carrying this supposed tree on his way to Golgotha? Jesus did not carry a tree for everyone to be crucified on. The Greek word that was translated to cross in English actually means a stake or post. It was not a smoothly formed four sided beam as is depicted in many paintings and drawings but rather a rough post and it had another rough post placed across it in the shape of a crude cross. This is evidenced in paintings that have been found through archaeology that were made at the time of these executions.

[Shammu]

The Bible states plainly that jesus was crucified on a tree not a sawn or hewn post like is commonly believed. traditionally the tree was burned along with the body of the occursed. The Roman governor interfered with this process.

All three were crucified on the one tree - not three "latin Posts" like is commonly believed.

I don't know what Bible you are reading but you are wrong Codger......

Matthew 27:32 As they were marching forth, they came upon a man of Cyrene named Simon; this man they forced to carry the cross of Jesus.

Mark 15:32 Let the Christ (the Messiah), the King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see [it] and trust in and rely on Him and adhere to Him! Those who were crucified with Him also reviled and reproached Him [speaking abusively, harshly, and insolently].

John 19:17 And they took Jesus and led [Him] away; so He went out, bearing His own cross, to the spot called The Place of the Skull--in Hebrew it is called Golgotha.

Just in this these verses you can see it was the cross, not a tree. I don't think a man can carry a tree.

[Soldier4Christ]

Amen, brother. The truth of the Holy Bible is indeed the truth and not any that others may dream up or receive from other sources.

[Soldier4Christ]

A little more amplification on this. According to archaeological evidence there were a number of different types of "crosses" used at the time of the crucifixion of Jesus. There was a rough hewn upright stake, there was a Capital T shaped cross also made of rough hewn wood, a lower case "t" shaped cross also made of rough hewn wood and then there were trees that were in a rough shaped "T". When trees were used they were small trees left in the ground as a permanent fixture for stability reasons. The uprights were also frequently left in the ground once placed there, also for stability reasons. Those destined for crucifixion would carry the cross beam to the location they were to be crucified. Occasionally they would carry the entire cross if they were going to a spot in which the hole for the upright was in rock instead of soft soil.

By the time that Christ was crucified Olive wood (the predominate tree of the area) was becoming scarce from all of the crucifixions that had taken place. This was a time of great violence with many people dying in this manner almost daily for many years prior to Christs crucifixion and for many years after. The bodies of those crucified were normally burned unless they were from a prominent family that had sufficient money to bury them else wise. Due to the scarcity of wood the crosses though would frequently be reused.

How do we know which cross Jesus was crucified on? To borrow from a child's song, "because the Bible tells us so". Using the verses that Brother Bob gave us and including the surrounding verses in those chapters we can make a very accurate description of that cross. The Bible tells us that Jesus started out on his trip toward Golgotha carrying that cross. It does not say just a part of the cross but the entire cross, therefore not just the cross post. It was not a tree because he carried it part way to his destination. They used nails on him not rope. Rope was used on trees and on prior used crosses because of trees natural shapes did not allow nails and on prior used crosses because of the weakness of the wood. Another reason we know it was not a single straight post is because the bones of Jesus would have had to be broken to nail His arms above His head to it.

It was more than likely a small case shaped "t" because they was a sign attached above His head which could not have easily been done on a capital shaped "T' type of cross.

When we have questions about anything in regards to God we only have need to turn to the Bible for our answers. They are there even though sometimes we may need to do some searching.