THE CROSS, a pagan symbol

 

THE CROSS, a pagan symbol

Please take the time to learn more about it. 

Christ was not crucified on a traditional cross, but on an upright stake or tree.  The cross has pre-Christian pagan roots. The explanation is based on historical records, biblical language, Roman practices, and archaeological insights.

1. Biblical Language Shows it was a Stake (Upright Pole)

Key Greek Word: Stauros (σταυρός)

• The New Testament was written in Greek, and the word used for the instrument of Christ’s death is σταυρός (stauros).
• Meaning of stauros in early Greek:
• Originally meant an upright stake or pole.
• It wasn’t until later Roman periods that it could refer to a cross-shaped device (T-shaped or †-shaped).

Lexical Sources:

• Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words:
  "Stauros denotes an upright pole or stake. To it the Romans nailed those who were thus to be executed… The shape of the two-beamed cross had its origin in ancient pagan religions."
  
• The Companion Bible (Appendix 162, by E.W. Bullinger):
  “The word stauros means an upright stake, and not a cross. There is nothing in the Greek of the New Testament even to imply two pieces of timber.”
  

Scripture Example:

• Acts 5:30 –
  “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you slew and hanged on a tree (xulon).”
  
• The Greek word xulon (ξύλον) means timber, wood, or a tree, not a cross.

2. Pagan Origin of the Cross Symbol

The cross symbol predates Christianity and is found in many pagan religions.

Examples:

• Tammuz (Babylonian deity): Worshippers used the T-shaped cross (Tau) to honor him.
• Egypt: The Ankh (☥), a cross with a loop, symbolized life and was associated with sun worship and deities like Osiris.
• Rome and Greece: Crosses and similar shapes were used in mystery religions and fertility cults.

Church Historian Evidence:

• The Catholic Encyclopedia:
  “The cross was used as a religious symbol long before the Christian era and among non-Christian peoples.”
  
• John Denham Parsons, The Non-Christian Cross (1896):
  “The evidence is thus complete, that the cross was originally no Christian emblem, but a pagan symbol of life and fertility.”

3. Why the Cross Was Adopted Later

• After Christianity began spreading into the Roman Empire, it became more syncretic, blending with local pagan customs.
• The Emperor Constantine in the 4th century adopted the cross as a military and religious symbol after his claimed vision ("In this sign, conquer").
• Cross veneration developed gradually and officially became part of Christian symbolism centuries after Christ’s death.

Conclusion

The evidence strongly supports that:

• Christ was crucified on a simple upright stake or tree, not a two-beamed cross.
• The Greek stauros and xulon used in Scripture describe a pole or tree, not a cross.
• The Romans commonly used upright stakes for crucifixion.
• The cross was a pagan symbol adopted into Christianity long after Christ’s death.