Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.The eight points probably symbolize the Beatitudes listed by Saint Matthew: The eight pointed cross has Byzantine origins. It was also the symbol of the Knights Hospitaller of Jerusalem, upon whose clothes it stood out in white, recalling the Pureness of the Beatitudes. The eight pointed cross, also known as the Maltese Cross, or saint John’s cross, was the symbol of the maritime Republic of Amalfi at least since the XI century. The cross is the new tree of life thanks to Jesus’ sacrifice, who stated his identity: ‘ I am the life‘ (John 14,6 6,53).Īlso the Tree of Life Cross Eight pointed Cross Besides those legends, its symbolism is clear.
#Hermetic cross meaning full
The tree of life cross beams resemble the roots of a tree, full of leaves, flowers and fruits. Another legend says that when Adam died, his son Set put a twig from the Tree of Life in his mouth, given to him by the Archangel Michael. The connection between the cross and the tree of life is also fascinating.Ī legend says that the tree used to make Jesus’ cross was born from one of the three seeds (cedar, cypress and pine) placed into Adam’s mouth when he died. It owes its popularity and diffusion mainly to Saint Francis, who chose it as his symbol of devotion and as a seal, strong in his spiritual belief that the salvation of every man lied in Christ’s cross. Since it is the last letter of the Jewish alphabet, another reason is that it contained a prophecy about the End of Time, just like the Greek letter Omega. Its shapes recalls a cross indeed, but with no upper beam. The Tau is the last letter of the ancient Jewish alphabet, which represented the fulfillment of the whole word revealed by God. It has two perpendicular beams, the horizontal one being shorter than the vertical one. It is the most typical, the one that represents Jesus’ crucifixion for Christians. Let’s take a look at the various types of crosses and crucifixes that became popular during the centuries, as symbolic-decorative elements and with particular symbolic meanings. The habit of placing a cross over the altar in churches actually began during the Medieval age. They began being used in an important way only from the IV century. Yet, the cross and the crucifix took a bit more time to spread and be recognized. A symbol of absolute love then, and of extreme sacrifice. Paradoxically, even though it came from such a brutal and terrible act, the cross is reborn, and has been passed on with a positive value, since Jesus’ passion and death coincide with the fulfillment of his mission of salvation for all men. In fact, it recalls Jesus’ death, crucified by order of Pontius Pilate, Roman Procurator of Judea, who sentenced him to death. Getting to Christianism, as we revealed earlier, the cross is the main symbol of the religion.
A choice for many, a duty and a need for a Christian. However, in the sphere of symbols, we remind that in Roman numbers, number 10 is an X, an element that resembles a cross very much.ġ0 crucifixes for your home: check them out on Holyart For the Romans, it was an instrument used to inflict tortures, crucifixion indeed. The word ‘Cross’ comes from the Latin word Crux. Islam on the contrary, never recognized the cross as a religious symbol, because it denies Jesus’ death on the cross and states that he was replaced by a lookalike. Even in ancient Egypt, a symbol recalled a cross, the ankh, the symbol of life. It represented a cross enclosed in a circle. The so-called Celtic cross was the symbol of the god Odin for the Northmen. Since the Stone Age, and until the pre-Christian era, there were many pictures shaped as crosses. Such a shape is so easily replicable that we understand why it is one of the most ancient symbols of humankind.Ĭhristianism was not the first religion to use crosses as objects of devotion. What shape is a cross? The geometric shape of a cross is rather simple: two lines crossing themselves at a straight angle, splitting themselves in half in some cases, or the longer line is divided so that it has a longer and a shorter beam. This is of course true, but the symbolism of the cross is older than that. What is a cross? Most of the people we know would answer such question by saying that it is the Christian symbol par excellence since it recalls crucified Christ, who sacrificed himself for the salvation of humankind. 3 Tau cross, also known as Saint Anthony the Abbot cross or Crux Commissa.
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