The Crucifix

​The crucifix is a depiction of the execution of Christ by the State. After the trial, when Christ was set to be executed, the Governor ordered a sign to be placed above him in Aramaic, Greek and Latin. The Greek read Ἰησοῦς ὁ Ναζωραῖος ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων and the Latin was IESVS·NAZARENVS·REX·IVDÆORVM. Most crucifixes simply abbreviate this to INRI for the Latin text. The sign read “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.”
 
Generally Christ is shown in a in a loin cloth but occasionally entirely nude and his right hand is in the gesture of blessing. The body is referred to as the corpus. Often a cross is processed into church and placed near the altar at the beginning of Mass. After the signing on the forehead by the priest during the Rite of Acceptance the Catechumens are presented with a cross as a memorializing that they have been marked by the cross and have received the sign of his love.
 
The Golden Legend written in about 1260 and was one of the most widely read books during the medieval period. The author was Giacomo da Varagine, Bishop of Genoa who was later beatified. It is said that the book was read second only to the Bible during this period. The work is a collection of reflections that go along with liturgical year and contain fantastical stories of the Saint’s lives that go along with the feast days. Most of the details and imagery found in the book are the influences for the religious symbolism in medieval art.
 
In the Golden Legend the story of the cross begins with the death of Adam.  As Adam lay dying his son Seth went to the gates of paradise seeking oil from the tree of mercy to anoint and heal his father. An angel did not bring back resin/oil but rather gave him a shoot from the tree and informed him when it grew and bore its fruit his father would be made whole. Sadly when Seth returned he found that his father had already died. Seth planted the shoot above his father’s grave.
 
By the time of King Solomon the shoot had grown into a mighty tree. The tree was cut down and intended to be used in his palace however the way it was cut caused it to be useless for that purpose. It was then used as part of a bridge which was being built at the Temple. The Queen of Sheba had a dream that a man would be hung from it and bring about the destruction of the kingdom. Solomon therefore removed the piece wood and buried it deep in the earth to prevent this and a pond formed above the spot. The pond then was said to have healing powers. At the time of the Lord’s passion the wood dislodged and floated to the surface. It was then used it to make the cross.
 
Christ was then hung at the intersection of the vertical and horizontal, the temporal and eternal. The affliction of Adam had been healed after a circuitous and unforeseen route. The Golden Legend wanted to make clear the connection between Calvary and Eden, the old Adam and the new.