Christ crucified. Painting by Giotto.

The True Cross is the name for physical remnants which, by a Christian tradition, are believed to be from the actual cross upon which Jesus was crucified. Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) ^[1]

According to early writers, the Empress Helena (c. Saint Helena (Flavia Iulia Helena Augusta also known as Saint Helen, Helena Augusta or Helena of Constantinople (c 250–c. 330 AD), mother of Constantine, the first Christian Emperor of Rome, at a date after 312 AD when Christianity was legalised throughout the Empire, travelled to the Holy Land, founding churches and establishing relief agencies for the poor. Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus (27 February ca. 272 &ndash 22 May 337 commonly known as Constantine I, Constantine the Great, or Saint Constantine A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth The Roman Emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period (starting at about 27 BC Events By Place Roman Empire October 28 — Battle of Milvian Bridge: Constantine I defeats Maxentius and The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial The Holy Land ( Arabic: الأرض المقدسة al-Arḍ ul-Muqaddasah;Ancient Aramaic: ארעא קדישא Ar'a Qaddisha; Hebrew: ארץ_הקודש It was at this time that she discovered the hiding place of three crosses used at the crucifixion of Jesus and the two thieves - Dismas and Gestas - who were executed with him. The crucifixion of Jesus is an event recorded in all four Gospels (;;) which takes place after his arrest and trial and includes his scourging Saint Dismas (sometimes spelled Dysmas or only Dimas, or even Dumas) also known as the Good Thief or the Penitent Thief Gestas, also spelled Gesmas, is the Apocryphal name (first appearing in the Gospel of Nicodemus) given to one of the two thieves who was crucified alongside Through a miracle it was revealed which of the three was the True Cross. A miracle is an event believed to be caused by interposition of Divine intervention by a Supernatural being in the Universe by which the ordinary operation

Many churches possess fragmentary remains which are by tradition alleged to be those of the True Cross. Their authenticity is not accepted universally by those of the Christian faith and the accuracy of the reports surrounding the discovery of the True Cross is questioned by many Christians. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings The acceptance and belief of that part of the tradition that pertains to the Early Christian Church is generally restricted to the Catholic and Orthodox Churches. Early Christianity is commonly defined as the Christianity of the three centuries between the Crucifixion of Jesus ( c Families of churches Eastern Christians have a shared tradition but they became divided ( Schism) during the early centuries of Christianity in disputes about The Medieval legends of its provenance differ between Catholic and Orthodox tradition.

Provenance of the True Cross

"The Golden Legend"

The Queen of Sheba worships the wood from which the Cross will be made (fresco by Piero della Francesca in San Francesco, Arezzo). The Queen of Sheba (ንግሥተ ሳባ, 'מלכת שבא, ملكة سبأ) was the woman who ruled the ancient kingdom of Sheba and is referred to in Habeshan Fresco (plural either frescos or frescoes) is any of several related Painting types done on Plaster on walls or Piero della Francesca (c 1412 &ndash October 12, 1492) was an Italian artist of the Early Renaissance.

In the Latin-speaking traditions of Western Europe, the story of the pre-Christian origins of the True Cross was well-established by the 13th century when, in 1260, it was recorded, by Jacopo de Voragine, Bishop of Genoa, in the Golden Legend. Blessed Jacobus de Varagine or Voragine (Giacomo da Varazze Jacopo da Varazze (c The Golden Legend (Legenda Aurea by Jacopo da Varagine is a collection of fanciful hagiographies or lives of the Saints that became a late medieval ^[2]

The Legend states that the wood of the True Cross came from a seed of the Tree of Life which grew in the Garden of Eden. See also Tree of life for other cultural interpretations of the term and Tree of life (disambiguation for other meanings of the term Not to be confused with Eden Gardens.The Garden of Eden ( Hebrew "pleasure" גַּן עֵדֶן Arabic: جنات عدن, When Adam lay dying, he begged his son Seth to go to the Archangel Michael and beg for a seed from the Tree of Life. See also Adam and Eve Adam ( Hebrew: אָדָם was according to a literal interpretation of Genesis, the first man created by This article is about the Biblical Seth For the Egyptian god Seth see Set (mythology; for other meanings see Seth (disambiguation. Michael (מִיכָאֵל Micha'el or Mîkhā'ēl; Μιχαήλ Mikhaíl; Michael or Míchaël; ميخائيل Mikhā'īl) is an As he died, the seed was placed in Adam's mouth and was buried with him. The seed grew into a tree and emerged from his mouth.

After many centuries the tree was cut down and the wood used to build a bridge over which the Queen of Sheba passed, on her journey to meet King Solomon. The Queen of Sheba (ንግሥተ ሳባ, 'מלכת שבא, ملكة سبأ) was the woman who ruled the ancient kingdom of Sheba and is referred to in Habeshan King Solomon ( Ge'ez: ስለሞን Arabic: ar سليمان, Sulayman, all from the Triliteral root S-L-M, "peace" So struck was she by the portent contained in the timber of the bridge that she fell on her knees and worshipped it. On her visit to Solomon she told him that a piece of wood from the bridge would bring about the replacement of God's Covenant with the Jewish people, by a new order. Solomon, fearing the eventual destruction of his people, had the timber buried. But after fourteen generations, the wood taken from the bridge became the Cross used at the Crucifixion of Jesus. Crucifixion (from Latin crucifixio, noun of process crucifixio, from perfect passive participle crucifixus, fixed to a cross from Voragine then goes on to describe its finding by Helena, mother of the Emperor Constantine. ^[3]

Acceptance of this tradition

In the late Middle Ages and Early Renaissance, there was a wide general acceptance of the origin of the True Cross and its history preceding the Crucifixion, as recorded by Voragine. The Renaissance (from French Renaissance, meaning "rebirth" Italian: Rinascimento, from re- "again" and nascere Crucifixion (from Latin crucifixio, noun of process crucifixio, from perfect passive participle crucifixus, fixed to a cross from This general acceptance is confirmed by the numerous artworks that depict this subject, culminating in one of the most famous fresco cycles of the Renaissance, the Legend of the True Cross by Piero della Francesca, painted on the walls of the chancel of the Church of San Francesco in Arezzo between 1452 and 1466, in which he reproduces faithfully the traditional episodes of the story as recorded in The Golden Legend. The History of the True Cross or The Legend of the True Cross is a sequence of Frescoes painted by Piero della Francesca in the Piero della Francesca (c 1412 &ndash October 12, 1492) was an Italian artist of the Early Renaissance.

Eastern Christianity

The Golden Legend and many of its sources developed after the East-West Schism of 1054, and thus is unknown in the Greek- or Syriac-speaking worlds. The East-West Schism, or the Great Schism, divided medieval Christendom into Eastern (Greek and Western (Latin branches which later became known as the The above pre-Crucifixion history, therefore, is not to be found in Eastern Christianity. Families of churches Eastern Christians have a shared tradition but they became divided ( Schism) during the early centuries of Christianity in disputes about

According to the Sacred Tradition of the Eastern Orthodox Church the True Cross was made from three different types of wood: cedar, pine and cypress. Sacred Tradition or Holy Tradition is a technical theological term used in some Christian traditions primarily in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world Cedar ( Cedrus) is a genus of Coniferous Trees in the Plant family Pinaceae. This article is about the tree For other uses of the term "pine" see Pine (disambiguation. Cypress is the name applied to many Plants in the conifer family Cupressaceae (cypress family ^[4] This is an allusion to Isaiah 60:13: "The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box [cypress] together to beautify the place of my sanctuary, and I will make the place of my feet glorious. Lebanon (ˈlɛbənɒn Arabic: ar لبنان Lubnān) officially the Republic of Lebanon or Lebanese Republic (ar الجمهورية اللبنانية " The link between this verse and the Crucifixion lies in the words, "the place of my feet", which is interpreted as referring to the suppendaneum (foot rest) on which Jesus' feet were nailed (see Orthodox cross). The Patriarchal cross is a variant of the Christian cross, the universal Religious symbol of Christianity.

There is a tradition that the three trees from which the True Cross was constructed grew together in one spot. A traditional Orthodox icon depicts Lot, the nephew of Abraham, watering the trees. An icon (from Greek εἰκών eikōn, "image" is a religious work of art most commonly a painting from Eastern Christianity. According to the Bible and the Quran, Lot ( Arabic: لوط, Lūṭ |; "Hidden covered" was the Nephew Abraham ( Ashkenazi   Avrohom or Avruhom; ابراهيم, {{Unicode|Ibrāhīm}}; Ge'ez: ^[4] According to tradition, these trees were used to construct the Temple in Jerusalem ("to beautify the place of my sanctuary"). Etymology The Hebrew name given in Scripture for the building is Beit HaMikdash or "The Holy House" and only the Temple in Jerusalem is referred to by this name Later, during Herod's reconstruction of the Temple, the wood from these trees was removed from the Temple and discarded, eventually being used to construct the cross on which Jesus was crucified ("and I will make the place of my feet glorious"). Herod (הוֹרְדוֹס Horodos, Greek: Herōdes) also known as Herod I or Herod the Great (73 BC – 4 BC in Jericho Herod's Temple in Jerusalem was a massive expansion of the Temple Mount and construction of a completely new and much larger Jewish Temple by King

Finding the True Cross

The finding of the True Cross, Agnolo Gaddi, Florence, 1380. Agnolo Gaddi (born c 1350 active 1369-1396 died 1396 was an Italian painter

According to Eusebius

Eusebius of Caesarea, in his Life of Constantine^[5], describes how the site of the Holy Sepulchre, originally a site of veneration for the Christian community in Jerusalem, had been covered with earth and a temple of Venus had been built on top — although Eusebius does not say as much, this would probably have been done as part of Hadrian's reconstruction of Jerusalem as Aelia Capitolina in 135, following the destruction during the Jewish Revolt of 70 and Bar Kokhba's revolt of 132–135. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Sanctum Sepulchrum also called the Church of the Resurrection, ( Greek: Ναός της Αναστάσεως Naos tis Anastaseos Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the A temple (from the Latin word Templum) is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities such as prayer and sacrifice or analogous rites The VENUS ( V ictoria E xperimental N etwork U nder the S ea project is a cabled sea floor observatory operated by the University Publius Aelius Hadrianus (January 24 76 &ndash July 10 138 as emperor Imperator Caesar Divi Traiani filius Traianus Hadrianus Augustus, and Divus Hadrianus after Aelia Capitolina ( Latin in full Colonia Aelia Capitolina) was a city built by the emperor Hadrian in the year 131, and occupied Year 70 was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian calendar. Background After the failed Great Jewish Revolt in the year 70 the Roman authorities took measures to suppress the rebellious province Following his conversion to Christianity, Emperor Constantine ordered in about 325–326 that the site be uncovered and instructed Saint Macarius, Bishop of Jerusalem, to build a church on the site. Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus (27 February ca. 272 &ndash 22 May 337 commonly known as Constantine I, Constantine the Great, or Saint Constantine Events By Place Roman Empire Gladiatorial combat is outlawed in the Roman Empire Events By Place Roman Empire Constantine I founds Constantinople and incorporates Byzantium into the new city Saint Macarius of Jerusalem was Bishop of Jerusalem from 312 to shortly before 335 according to Sozomen. In this Life, Eusebius does not mention the finding of the True Cross.

According to Socrates Scholasticus

Socrates Scholasticus (born c. Socrates of Constantinople was a Greek Christian church historian a contemporary of Sozomen and Theodoret, who used his work he was born at Constantinople 380), in his Ecclesiastical History, gives a full description of the discovery [6] that was repeated later by Sozomen and by Theodoret. Events By Place Roman Empire January / February – Emperor Theodosius I is baptized. Salminius Hermias Sozomenus (Σωζομενός (c 400 - c 450 was a Historian of the Christian church Theodoret (c 393 &ndash c 457 was an influential author theologian and Christian Bishop of Cyrrhus Syria (423-457 In it he describes how Saint Helena, Constantine's aged mother, had the temple destroyed and the Sepulchre uncovered, whereupon three crosses and the titulus from Jesus's crucifixion were uncovered as well. Saint Helena (Flavia Iulia Helena Augusta also known as Saint Helen, Helena Augusta or Helena of Constantinople (c See also Titulus (Roman Catholic for Roman churches called tituli or Titulus (disambiguation for more meanings In Socrates's version of the story, Macarius had the three crosses placed in turn on a deathly ill woman. This woman recovered at the touch of the third cross, which was taken as a sign that this was the cross of Christ, the new Christian symbol. Socrates also reports that, having also found the nails with which Christ had been fastened to the cross, Helena sent these to Constantinople, where they were incorporated into the emperor's helmet and the bridle of his horse. Relics that are claimed to be the Holy Nails with which Christ was Crucified are objects of veneration among some Christians In Christian

According to Sozomen

Sozomen (died c. 450), in his Ecclesiastical History [7], gives essentially the same version as Socrates. He also adds that it was said (by whom he does not say) that the location of the Sepulchre was "disclosed by a Hebrew who dwelt in the East, and who derived his information from some documents which had come to him by paternal inheritance" (although Sozomen himself disputes this account) and that a dead person was also revived by the touch of the Cross. Later popular versions of this story state that the Jew who assisted Helena was named Jude or Judas, but later converted to Christianity and took the name Kyriakos.

According to Theodoret

The proving of the True Cross, Jean Colombe in the Très Riches Heures. The Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry or simply the Très Riches Heures ( The Very Rich Hours of the Duke of Berry) is a very richly decorated

Theodoret (died c. Theodoret (c 393 &ndash c 457 was an influential author theologian and Christian Bishop of Cyrrhus Syria (423-457 457) in his Ecclesiastical History Chapter xvii gives what had become the standard version of the finding of the True Cross:

When the empress beheld the place where the Saviour suffered, she immediately ordered the idolatrous temple, which had been there erected, to be destroyed, and the very earth on which it stood to be removed. When the tomb, which had been so long concealed, was discovered, three crosses were seen buried near the Lord's sepulchre. All held it as certain that one of these crosses was that of our Lord Jesus Christ, and that the other two were those of the thieves who were crucified with Him. Yet they could not discern to which of the three the Body of the Lord had been brought nigh, and which had received the outpouring of His precious Blood. But the wise and holy Macarius, the president of the city, resolved this question in the following manner. He caused a lady of rank, who had been long suffering from disease, to be touched by each of the crosses, with earnest prayer, and thus discerned the virtue residing in that of the Saviour. For the instant this cross was brought near the lady, it expelled the sore disease, and made her whole.

With the Cross were also found the Holy Nails, which Helena took with her back to Constantinople. Relics that are claimed to be the Holy Nails with which Christ was Crucified are objects of veneration among some Christians In Christian According to Theodoret, "She had part of the cross of our Saviour conveyed to the palace. The rest was enclosed in a covering of silver, and committed to the care of the bishop of the city, whom she exhorted to preserve it carefully, in order that it might be transmitted uninjured to posterity. "

Another popular ancient version from the Syriac tradition replaced Helena with a fictitious first-century empress named Protonike. See Syriac (disambiguation for other uses Syriac (syr ܠܫܢܐ ܣܘܪܝܝܐ leššānā Suryāyā) is an Eastern Aramaic language

Historians consider these versions to be apocryphal in varying degrees. It is certain, however, that the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre was completed by 335 and that alleged relics of the Cross were being venerated there by the 340s, as they are mentioned in the Catecheses of Cyril of Jerusalem (see below). The Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Sanctum Sepulchrum also called the Church of the Resurrection, ( Greek: Ναός της Αναστάσεως Naos tis Anastaseos Events By Place Roman Empire 19 September — Dalmatius is raised to the rank of Caesar. Events By Place Roman Empire Constantinople, capital of Emperor Constantius II, becomes the largest city of the world taking Saint Cyril of Jerusalem (Κύριλλος Α΄ Ἱεροσολύμων was a distinguished theologian of the early Church (ca

Conservation of the relics

The silver reliquary that was left at the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre in care of the bishop of Jerusalem was exhibited periodically to the faithful. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Sanctum Sepulchrum also called the Church of the Resurrection, ( Greek: Ναός της Αναστάσεως Naos tis Anastaseos In the 380s a nun named Egeria who was travelling on pilgrimage described the veneration of the True Cross at Jerusalem in a long letter, the Itinerario Egeriae that she sent back to her community of women:

Reliquary of the True Cross at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem. Events By Place Roman Empire January / February – Emperor Theodosius I is baptized. In Religion and Spirituality, a pilgrimage is a long journey or Search of great Moral significance A reliquary (also referred to as a Shrine or by the French term Chasse) is a container for Relics These may be the physical The Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Sanctum Sepulchrum also called the Church of the Resurrection, ( Greek: Ναός της Αναστάσεως Naos tis Anastaseos Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the

Then a chair is placed for the bishop in Golgotha behind the [liturgical] Cross, which is now standing; the bishop duly takes his seat in the chair, and a table covered with a linen cloth is placed before him; the deacons stand round the table, and a silver-gilt casket is brought in which is the holy wood of the Cross. "Golgotha" redirects here For other uses see Golgotha (disambiguation. The casket is opened and [the wood] is taken out, and both the wood of the Cross and the title are placed upon the table. INRI is an Acronym of the Latin phrase IESVS·NAZARENVS·REX·IVDÆORVM (Jesus Nazarenus rex Judæorum which translates to English Now, when it has been put upon the table, the bishop, as he sits, holds the extremities of the sacred wood firmly in his hands, while the deacons who stand around guard it. It is guarded thus because the custom is that the people, both faithful and catechumens, come one by one and, bowing down at the table, kiss the sacred wood and pass through. And because, I know not when, some one is said to have bitten off and stolen a portion of the sacred wood, it is thus guarded by the deacons who stand around, lest any one approaching should venture to do so again. And as all the people pass by one by one, all bowing themselves, they touch the Cross and the title, first with their foreheads and then with their eyes; then they kiss the Cross and pass through, but none lays his hand upon it to touch it. When they have kissed the Cross and have passed through, a deacon stands holding the ring of Solomon and the horn from which the kings were anointed; they kiss the horn also and gaze at the ring…

Before long, but perhaps not until after the visit of Egeria, it was possible also to venerate the crown of thorns, the pillar at which Christ was scourged, and the lance that pierced his side. In Christianity the Crown of Thorns, one of the instruments of the Passion, was the woven chaplet of thorn branches worn by Jesus before his Crucifixion The Holy Lance (also known as the Spear of Destiny, Holy Spear, Lance of Longinus, Spear of Longinus or Spear of Christ) is the name

An enamelled silver reliquary of the True Cross from Constantinople, c. 800.

In 614 the Sassanid Emperor Khosrau II ("Chosroes") removed the part of the cross as a trophy, when he captured Jerusalem. Events By Place Europe The Palace of Diocletian is damaged by the Avars who sack nearby Salona. The Sassanid Empire or Sassanian Dynasty or Sassanian Dynasty (ساسانیان) is the name used for the third Iranian dynasty and the second Persian empire Shah is an Iranian term for a Monarch (leader that has been adopted in many other languages Khosrau II or Khosrow II ( Chosroes II or Xosrov II in classical sources sometimes called The Siege of Jerusalem in 614 AD was part of the final phase of the Roman-Persian Wars, as the Persian shah Khosrau II and his general Shahrbaraz conquered the Byzantine Thirteen years later, in 628, the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius defeated Khosrau and regained the relic of Shahrbaraz. Events By Place Europe Pippin of Landen becomes Mayor of the Palace in Austrasia. "Basilissa" redirects here For the saint of this name see Julian and Basilissa. Heraclius, or Herakleios (Flavius Heraclius Augustus;) (c 575 - February 11, 641) was a Byzantine Emperor, who ruled the East Shahrbaraz (or Shahrwaraz) (died June 9, 630) was a general with the rank of Eran Spahbod ( Commander of the Army of Iran) under He placed the cross in Constantinople at first, and took it back to Jerusalem in March 21, 630 ^[6]. Around 1009, Christians in Jerusalem hid the part of the cross and it remained hidden until it was rediscovered during the First Crusade, on August 5, 1099, by Arnulf Malecorne, the first Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, conveniently at a moment when a morale boost was needed. The First Crusade was launched in 1095 by Pope Urban II with the dual goals of conquering the sacred city of Jerusalem and the Holy Land and freeing Events 642 - Battle of Maserfield - Penda of Mercia defeats and kills Oswald of Bernicia. Arnulf Malecorne of Chocques (or of Rohes) (died 1118 was a leader among the Clergy during the First Crusade, and was Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem is the title given to the Latin Rite Catholic Archbishop of Jerusalem The relic that Arnulf discovered was a small fragment of wood embedded in a golden cross, and it became the most sacred relic of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem, with none of the controversy that had followed their discovery of the Holy Lance in Antioch. This article is about the Christian kingdom For the history of the city see History of Jerusalem The Kingdom of Jerusalem was a Christian The Holy Lance (also known as the Spear of Destiny, Holy Spear, Lance of Longinus, Spear of Longinus or Spear of Christ) is the name Antioch on the Orontes (Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Δάφνῃ Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου or Ἀντιόχεια ἡ Μεγάλη Antiochia ad Orontem also It was housed in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre under the protection of the Latin Patriarch, who marched with it ahead of the army before every battle. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Sanctum Sepulchrum also called the Church of the Resurrection, ( Greek: Ναός της Αναστάσεως Naos tis Anastaseos It was captured by Saladin during the Battle of Hattin in 1187 and subsequently disappeared. Salahadin Ayyubi ( Arabic:صلاح الدين يوسف بن أيوب Kurdish: سه‌لاحه‌دین ئه‌یوبی Selah'edînê Eyubî; c The Battle of Hattin (also known as " The Horns of Hattin " because of a nearby extinct Volcano of the same name took place on Saturday July

Other fragments of the Cross were further broken up, and the pieces were widely distributed; in 348, in one of his Catecheses, Cyril of Jerusalem remarked that the "whole earth is full of the relics of the Cross of Christ," ^[7] and in another, "The holy wood of the Cross bears witness, seen among us to this day, and from this place now almost filling the whole world, by means of those who in faith take portions from it. Events By Place Asia In Persia, women are enrolled in the army to perform auxiliary services " ^[8] Egeria's account testifies how highly these relics of the crucifixion were prized. Saint John Chrysostom relates that fragments of the True Cross were kept in golden reliquaries, "which men reverently wear upon their persons. This article refers to the Christian saint For other uses of the name see Chrysostomos. " Even two Latin inscriptions around 350 from today's Algeria testifies the keeping and admiration of small particles of the cross. ^[9]Around the year 455, Juvenal Patriarch of Jerusalem sent to Pope Leo I a fragment of the "precious wood", according to the Letters of Pope Leo. Events By Place Western Roman Empire March 16 — Valentinian III is murdered by former soldiers of Aëtius, in revenge Saint Juvenal ( Greek: Άγιος Ιουβενάλιος (d 458 was a Bishop of Jerusalem from about 422 The Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem is the head Bishop of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, ranking fourth of nine Patriarchs in Pope Saint Leo I or Pope Saint Leo the Great was Pope from September 29, 440 to November 10, 461. A portion of the cross was taken to Rome in the seventh century by Pope Sergius I, who was of Byzantine origin. Pope "In the small part is power of the whole cross", so an inscription in the Felix Basilica of Nola, built by bishop Paulinus at the beginning of 5th century. Epigraphy (ἐπιγραφολογία from Greek ἐπιγραφή — "inscription" is the study of inscriptions or epigraphs engraved The Latin word basilica (derived from Greek, Basiliké Stoà, Royal Stoa) was originally used to describe a Roman Nola is a city of Campania, Italy, in the Province of Naples, situated in the plain between Mount Vesuvius and the Apennines. The cross particle was inserted in the altar. ^[10]

The Old English poem Dream of the Rood mentions the finding of the cross and the beginning of the tradition of the veneration of its relics. The Dream of the Rood is one of the earliest Christian Poems in the corpus of Anglo-Saxon literature and an intriguing example of the genre of The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle also talks of King Alfred receiving a fragment of the cross from Pope Marinus (see: Annal Alfred the Great, year 883) ^[11]. However, although it is possible, the poem need not be referring to this specific relic or have this incident as the reason for its composition.

Dispersal of relics of the True Cross

One of the largest fragments of the True Cross is at Santo Toribio de Liébana in Spain. Santo Toribio de Liébana is a Monastery located in the district of Liébana, near Potes in Cantabria, Spain. (photo F. J. Díez Martín).

An inscription of 359, found at Tixter, in the neighbourhood of Sétif in Mauretania, was said to mention, in an enumeration of relics, a fragment of the True Cross, according to an entry in Roman Miscellanies, X, 441. Events By Place Roman Empire Battle of Amida: Shapur II of Persia conquers Amida from the Romans. In Antiquity Mauretania was originally an independent Berber kingdom on the Mediterranean coast of North Africa (named after the

But most of the very small relics of the True Cross in Europe came from Constantinople. The city was captured and sacked by the Fourth Crusade in 1204: "After the conquest of the city Constantinople inestimable wealth was found, incomparably precious jewels and also a part of the cross of the Lord, which Helena transfers from Jerusalem and was decorated with gold and precious jewels. The Fourth Crusade (1202&ndash1204 was originally designed to conquer Muslim Jerusalem by means of an invasion through Egypt. There it attained highest admiration. It was carved up by the present bishops and was divided with other very precious relics among the knights; later, after their return to the homeland, it was donated to churches and monasteries. "^{[12] [13][14]} A knight Robert de Clari wrote: "Within this chapel were found many precious relics; for therein were found two pieces of the True Cross, as thick as a man's leg and a fathom in length. Robert de Clari (Robert de Cléry was a knight from Picardy. He participated in the Fourth Crusade with his lord Count Peter of Amiens, and his brother " ^[15]

By the end of the Middle Ages so many churches claimed to possess a piece of the True Cross, that John Calvin is famously said to have remarked that there was enough wood in them to fill a ship:

"There is no abbey so poor as not to have a specimen. John Calvin (or Jean Calvin) (10 July 1509 – 27 May 1564 was a French Protestant theologian during the Protestant Reformation and Wood is hard fibrous lignified structural tissue produced as secondary Xylem in the stems of Woody plants notably trees but also shrubs A ship /ʃɪp/ is a large vessel that floats on water Ships are generally distinguished from Boats based on size In some places there are large fragments, as at the Holy Chapel in Paris, at Poictiers, and at Rome, where a good-sized crucifix is said to have been made of it. In brief, if all the pieces that could be found were collected together, they would make a big ship-load. Yet the Gospel testifies that a single man was able to carry it. "

— Calvin, Traité Des Reliques.

Conflicting with this is the finding of Rohault de Fleury, who, in his Mémoire sur les instruments de la Passion 1870 made a study of the relics in reference to the criticisms of Calvin and Erasmus. Charles Rohault de Fleury ( 23 July[[ 801]] - 11 August[[ 875]] was a French architect Year 1870 ( MDCCCLXX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common He drew up a catalogue of all known relics of the True Cross showing that, in spite of what various authors have claimed, the fragments of the Cross brought together again would not reach one-third that of a cross which has been supposed to have been three or four meters in height, with transverse branch of two meters wide, proportions not at all abnormal. He calculated: supposing the Cross to have been of pine-wood (based on his microscopic analysis of the fragments) and giving it a weight of about seventy-five kilograms, we find the original volume of the cross to be . 178 cubic meters. The total known volume of known relics of the True Cross, according to his catalogue, amounts to approximately . 004 cubic meters (more specifically 3,942,000 cubic milimeters), leaving a volume of . 174 cubic meters lost, destroyed, or otherwise unaccounted for.

A "Kreuzpartikel" or fragment of True Cross in the Schatzkammer of Vienna. Schatzkammer in German translates as Treasury (Chamber/Vault.

Four cross particles - of ten particles with documentary proofs by Byzantine emperors - from European churches, i. e. Santa Croce in Rome, Notre Dame, Paris, Pisa Cathedral and Florence Cathedral, were microscopically examined. Santa Croce in Gerusalemme is a Basilica in Rome. It is one of the Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome. NotreDameFlyingButtressjpg|right|thumb|250px|Notre Dame de Paris Flying Buttress]] Notre Dame de Paris is a Gothic Cathedral on the eastern half of the The Piazza del Duomo ("Cathedral Square" is a wide walled area at the heart of the city of Pisa, Tuscany The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore is the Cathedral church ( Duomo) of Florence, Italy. "The pieces came all together from olive. " (William Ziehr, Das Kreuz, Stuttgart 1997, p. 63) [8], in German.

Gerasimos Smyrnakis^[16] notes that the largest surviving portion, of 870,760 cubic milimeters, is preserved in the Monastery of Koutloumousiou on Mount Athos, 537,587 cubic milimetres in Rome, 516,090 in Brussels, 445,582 in Venice, 436,450 in Ghent and 237,731 in Paris. Koutloumousiou monastery (Μονή Κουτλουμουσίου is an Eastern Orthodox Monastery at the monastic state of Mount Athos in Greece Mount Athos (Όρος Άθως is a mountain on the Peninsula of the same name in Macedonia, of northern Greece, called in Greek Άγιον Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 Brussels (Bruxelles pronounced; Brussel pronounced) officially the Brussels Capital-Region, is Venice ( Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venesia or Venexia) is a city in Northern Italy, the capital of the Ghent (ˈɡɛnt Gent ʝɛnt in Dutch, Gand in French, and formerly Gaunt in English) is a City and a Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city

Santo Toribio de Liébana in Spain is also said to hold the largest of these pieces and is one of the most visited Roman Catholic pilgrimage sites. Santo Toribio de Liébana is a Monastery located in the district of Liébana, near Potes in Cantabria, Spain. In Religion and Spirituality, a pilgrimage is a long journey or Search of great Moral significance It is possible that many of the extant pieces of the True Cross are forgeries, created by traveling merchants in the Middle Ages, during which period a thriving trade in manufactured relics existed. Forgery is the process of making adapting or imitating objects statistics or documents (see False document) with the intent to deceive.

The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church also claims to have the right wing of the true cross buried in the monastery of Gishen Mariam. The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (in transliterated Amharic: Yäityop'ya ortodoks täwahedo bétäkrestyan) is an Oriental

Veneration of the Cross

St John Chrysostom wrote homilies on the three crosses:

Kings removing their diadems take up the cross, the symbol of their Saviour's death; on the purple, the cross; in their prayers, the cross; on their armour, the cross; on the holy table, the cross; throughout the universe, the cross. This article refers to the Christian saint For other uses of the name see Chrysostomos. The cross shines brighter than the sun.

A relic of the True Cross being carried in procession through the Piazza San Marco, Venice. Gentile Bellini 15th century. Gentile Bellini (c 1429 &ndash February 23, 1507) was an Italian painter

The Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church and a number of Protestant denominations (most notably those with Anglican origins), celebrate the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross on September 14, the anniversary of the dedication of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Anglicanism is a tradition of Christian faith Churches in this tradition either have historical connections to the Church of England or have similar beliefs In the Christian Liturgical calendar, there are several different feasts known as Feasts of the Cross, all of which commemorate the cross used in the Events 81 - Domitian becomes Emperor of the Roman Empire upon the death of his brother Titus. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Sanctum Sepulchrum also called the Church of the Resurrection, ( Greek: Ναός της Αναστάσεως Naos tis Anastaseos In later centuries, these celebrations also included commemoration of the rescue of the True Cross from the Persians in 628. layout and formatting it should ensure no clashes with the top of the infobox Events By Place Europe Pippin of Landen becomes Mayor of the Palace in Austrasia. In the Gallician usage, beginning about the seventh century, the Feast of the Cross was celebrated on May 3. Gallician is a village in the commune of Vauvert in the département of Gard in the region of Languedoc-Roussillon in southern France Events 1491 - Kongo monarch Nkuwu Nzinga is baptised by Portuguese missionaries adopting the baptismal name of João According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, when the Gallician and Roman practices were combined, the September date, for which the Vatican adopted the official name "Triumph of the Cross" in 1963, was used to commemorate the rescue from the Persians and the May date was kept as the "Invention of the True Cross" to commemorate the finding. The Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to today as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language Encyclopedia published by The Encyclopedia Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[17] The September date is often referred to in the West as Holy Cross Day; the May date was dropped from the liturgical calendar of the Roman Catholic Church by the Second Vatican Council in 1970. In the Christian Liturgical calendar, there are several different feasts known as Feasts of the Cross, all of which commemorate the cross used in the The liturgical year, also known as the Christian year, consists of the cycle of liturgical seasons in Christian churches which determines when The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, or Vatican II, was the twentieth century Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church. Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. (See also Roodmas. Roodmas (from Old English 'rood' rod cross and 'mas' mass is an archaic English word meaning "Mass of the Cross" ) The Orthodox still commemorate both events on September 14, one of the Twelve Great Feasts of the liturgical year, and the Procession of the Venerable Wood of the Cross on 1 August, the day on which the relics of the True Cross would be carried through the streets of Constantinople to bless the city [9]. The feast of the Resurrection of Jesus, called Pascha (Easter is the greatest of the feasts of the Eastern Orthodox Church. The liturgical year, also known as the Christian year, consists of the cycle of liturgical seasons in Christian churches which determines when Events 30 BC - Octavian (later known as Augustus enters Alexandria, Egypt, bringing it under the control of the Roman

In addition to celebrations on fixed days, there are certain days of the variable cycle when the Cross is celebrated. In Christianity, a moveable feast or movable feast is a holy day &mdash a Feast day or a Fast day &mdash whose date is not fixed to a The Roman Catholic Church has a formal 'Adoration of the Cross' (the term is inaccurate, but sanctioned by long use [10]) during the services for Good Friday, while Eastern Orthodox churches everywhere, a replica of the cross is brought out in procession during Matins of Great and Holy Friday for the people to venerate. Good Friday, also called Holy Friday or Great Friday, is the Friday preceding Easter Sunday ("Pascha" Matins (also known as Orthros or Oútrenya in Eastern Churches) is the early morning or night Prayer service in the Roman Catholic Good Friday, also called Holy Friday or Great Friday, is the Friday preceding Easter Sunday ("Pascha" The Orthodox also celebrate an additional Veneration of the Cross on the third Sunday of Great Lent. Great Lent, or the Great Fast, is the most important Fasting season in the Church year in Eastern Christianity, which prepares Christians

Photo Gallery

Reliquary of the True Cross at Notre-Dame Cathedral, Paris. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city

Base of reliquary of the True Cross and nail of the crucifixion. Notre-Dame Cathedral, Paris,

Reliquary of the True Cross and a nail of the crucifixion. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city Notre-Dame Cathedral, Paris. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city

See also

The three crosses are discovered. An injured young man is healed by the True Cross. 15th century frescoes at the Church of San Francesco, Arezzo by Piero della Francesca. Piero della Francesca (c 1412 &ndash October 12, 1492) was an Italian artist of the Early Renaissance.

• Crucifixion
• Battle of Hattin
• Relic
• Christian cross
• Île de la Cité
• Jesus
• Stavelot Triptych
• Meskel
• Titulus Crucis
• Santa Croce in Gerusalemme

Bibliography

• Alan V. Crucifixion (from Latin crucifixio, noun of process crucifixio, from perfect passive participle crucifixus, fixed to a cross from The Battle of Hattin (also known as " The Horns of Hattin " because of a nearby extinct Volcano of the same name took place on Saturday July A relic is an object or a personal item of religious significance carefully preserved with an air of Veneration as a tangible memorial The Christian cross is the best-known Religious symbol of Christianity. The Île de la Cité is one of two natural Islands in the Seine within the city of Paris (the other being Île Saint-Louis, the Île des Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) The Stavelot Triptych is a medieval reliquary intended to protect honor and display pieces of the True Cross. Meskel ( Ge'ez: መሰቀል) in the Ethiopian Orthodox and Eritrean Orthodox Churches is an annual Religious holiday commemorating Titulus Crucis (Latin for "Title of the Cross" also known as ogium is a relic kept in the church of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme in Rome Santa Croce in Gerusalemme is a Basilica in Rome. It is one of the Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome. Murray, "Mighty against the enemies of Christ: the relic of the True Cross in the armies of the Kingdom of Jerusalem" in The Crusades and their sources: essays presented to B. Hamilton ed. J. France, W. G. Zajac (Aldershot, 1998) pp. 217-238.
• A. Frolow, La relique de la Vraie Croix: recherches sur le développement d'un culte. Paris, 1961.
• Jean-Luc Deuffic (ed. ), Reliques et sainteté dans l'espace médiéval, Pecia 8/11, 2005 [11]

Notes

External links

• Jan Willem Drijvers, "Helena Augusta": the three legends that circulated about the finding of the Cross, the Helena legend, the Protonike legend and the Judas Kyriakos legend, with references to the contemporary sources
• Catholic Encyclopedia: "True Cross," a Catholic view
• OCA Synaxarion: Exaltation of the Cross, traditional Orthodox view
• Fernand Cabrol, "The true Cross": a Catholic view
• The Holy Cross in Jerusalem