Geometric and Animal Decorated Bowl Sb 3153 Susa (4200-3800 BC) Richelieu room 7 showcase 2 (14) The cross in its various forms appears very early on in many cultures. Note here the presence of
the swastika, or equilateral cross
with arms bent at right angles.
Cross and Swastika : religious symbol before Christianity
The significance of this symbol is religious rather than political. For the archaeologist Childe, ‘The swastika and the cross, common on stamps and plaques, were religious or magical symbols as in Babylonia and Elam in the earliest prehistoric period’. A229
Oenochoe AM 778 Around 700 BC, Crete. Sully 1st floor Campana Gallery room 40 showcase 3
“The symbol of the cross was widely venerated in Europe long before our era. If, leaving Europe, we pass on into Asia, we find that not only have the two varieties of Svastika crosses for thousands of years played a prominent part as a religious symbol in Hindostan, Thibet, and China, but that other kinds of crosses also were in bygone ages venerated (chap XVI, p 74) […] The Svastika was the earliest form of cross to acquire importance as a symbol.” John Denham Parsons,
The Non-Christian Cross
considered as practically universal
It is the emblem of the seventh saint for followers of Jainism. Hitler, an altar boy at the time, would have seen it in the Benedictine abbey of Lambach in Austria A230. Swastikas appeared in the composition of mosaic designs in the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem. The right-facing swastika originally
represented the path of the sun before becoming, according to its Sanskrit meaning, a symbol ‘of good omen’.
Pendants Bj 2404 First half of the 7th Century BC. Denon Ground floor Etruria room 19 showcase 3
In Babylon, crosses symbolised the sun-god. We also find the same emblem without the circle surrounding it and with four equal arms intersecting at right angles. It was venerated as the ‘sun wheel’. The god Tammuz was represented with a headband covered in crosses. A231 The use of the cross as a religious symbol in the time before Christianity can be considered as practically universal.
It is found almost everywhere, in China, Africa and America. This symbol is even found in Scandinavia in cave engravings dating back to the Bronze Age. A232 The use of the cross as
a religious symbol in the time
before Christianity can be
considered as practically universal.
The religious influence of ancient Babylon therefore spread to numerous peoples and nations, much further and with more strength and persistence that its political power.
The Christian symbol of the crucifixion, it was worshipped in Mexico long before the Roman Catholics were to arrive. A233, A234
“It was used as the symbol of the god Tammuz (being in the shape of the mystic Tau, the initial of his name). By the middle of the 3rd Century, [...] pagans were received into the churches, and were permitted to retain their signs and symbols. Hence the Tau or T, in its most frequent form, with the cross piece lowered, was adopted to represent the cross of Christ.” Vine’s Dictionary
“The Semitic peoples associated the cross with Astarte, and for the Greeks, it was an attribute of Aphrodite and Artemis of Ephesus [...] The phallic symbols of Greece, Rome and Japan sometimes took the form of an upside-down Tau.” Funk & Wagnalls
In Ancient Israel, the infidel Jews mourned the death of the Babylonian god Tammuz, behaviour described as ‘detestable things’. (Ezekiel 8:13, 14). The cross was the symbol of this god, who has also been identified with Nimrod, the founder of Babel. The religious influence of ancient Babylon therefore spread to numerous peoples and nations, much further and with more strength and persistence that its political power.
Chancel Slab MND 312
Greek Crosses Sb 3181
The cross : an example of religious influence of Babylon
Throughout the centuries, approximately 400 sorts of cross have come to light. Some are shown here. The Ankh cross was the Egyptian symbol of life, representing eternity. Greek crosses have arms that are equal in length, intersecting in the middle. The Patriarchal cross has two arms (see Saint Bruno inv 8036), the Papal cross has three. The Chi Rho (XP) is identified with the monogram of Christ. The form of the ‘cross’, two right-angled arms in the shape of a mystic Tau, has its origins in Ancient Chaldea. A235
The Chi Rho and Funeral Mosaic MND 576
Goddess Maat and the Ankh cross E 185
The representation of the redemptive death of Christ does not feature in symbolic art of the first centuries. AR36, AR37
Influenced by the prohibition contained in the Old Testament, the first Christians refused to show the instrument of the Passion of the Lord. AR38, AR39
The representation of the redemptive death of Christ :
not feature in symbolic art of the first centuries
Altarpiece of Saint Denis MI 674 1415 Richelieu 2nd floor room 3
The majority of scholars agree when stating that the cross did not serve as a graphical reference before the time of Constantine. AR40 Thus there is nothing to confirm that the original terms designated the traditional cross, all the more so as this religious symbol was used by non-Christians long before Christ. AR34 The form of the ‘cross’, two right-angled arms in the shape of a mystic Tau, has its origins in Ancient Chaldea.
The religious influence of ancient Babylon therefore spread to numerous peoples and nations, much further and with more strength and persistence that its political power.