For Bible Students: Is a Cross a xylon?

Question

I'm told that Jesus died on a xylon, a Greek word used in the Bible. Please give a SHORT reason for your answer.

Answer 1

"Xylon" (also spelled "xulon") is used 19 times in the NT, within 17 verses. "Xulon" differs from "stauros" (English "cross"), although BOTH words refer to what Jesus was crucified upon.

While "stauros" implies an upright pole or stake that is quite large, "xulon" implies a plank or rod of wood that is smaller and easily carried. Xulon is sometimes translated "stave" as in Matt. 26:47, or "tree" as in Acts 5:30, 10:39 and 13:29. "Stauros" is mentioned at such places as John 19:17, Matthew 10:38 and Luke 23:26, which also are translated as the English word "cross."

In this context, I believe the "stauros" was the vertical piece and the "xulon" was the cross member. Keep in mind, there is some evidence the "cross" wasn't a cross at all: many crucifixions in Judea by the Romans were performed on a "Y" shaped implement, with one arm on each branch.

Peace.

Answer 2

In Greek xylon literally means "wood" it is used in the bible as a staff, a rod, a club, timber or a tree.

By saying Christ died on a xylon, meant he died on a piece of wood or a timber.

Ezra 6:11 in the Greek Septuagint Version used xylon to denote a single piece of wood for execution.

The idea of cross came 400 years later.

Answer 3

Yes, it can be, if the cross is made of wood. The basic meaning of xylon is 'wood'.

W E Vines Expository Dictionary defines xylon as "a timber beam, a tree, wood, a piece of wood, anything made of wood." It is used in the Bible of different things, all of them made of wood.
(Stocks, clubs, stakes, etc.) It is often translated tree, for obvious reasons, and can refer to either a living tree or dead wood.

In regard to Jesus torture stake, however, it is most likely that he died nailed to a piece of wood (crossbar) which he carried and then was attached to a stake or living tree at the place of execution. The crossbar, the stake, and the tree could all be referred to as xylons since they were all of wood. The other possibility is that he was nailed directly to a stake without a crossbar.

If you're asking because you're trying to determine if Jesus died on a stake or a cross, I can tell you that I've done a lot of research on it, and there's just no way to be sure. It was definitely a stake, and it may or may not have had a crossbar.

Answer 4

The Greek word translated as "cross" or "crucifix" in the New Testament was the word "stauros". Different denominations of Christianity have interpreted "stuaros" differently. Most denominations accept the belief that Jesus was crucified on a cross, shaped similarly to the lower-case letter 't', without the curve at the bottom. The New World Translation, which is the Bible used by Jehovah's Witnesses, translates "stauros" as stake, more specifically, torture stake. However, I don't know New Testament Greek well enough to comment properly on the word "xylon", and whether or not it means cross.

Answer 5

Well, i think the key thing that needs to be mentioned in the words of wester are, " These WRITERS were not inspired by as the BIBLE writers were, but their (non-bible writers) their comments are of interest, for they REFLECT the religious THINKING of their time on this crucial issue." So, why would anyone accept REFLECTIONS of religious THINKING from NON-BIBLE INSPIRED WRITERS over BIBLE (GOD) inspired writers?
The Bible was written by GOD THROUGH CHOSEN INDIVIDUALS.
How do we know? Well, the Bible i "is inspired of God" (2 TIMOTHY 3:16.) how? The bible itself says, "Men spoke from God as they were borne along by the Holy Spirit". Nowhere does it say, these individuals were NON-BIBLE writers REFLECTING THEIR RELIGIOUS THOUGHTS during their times. So, back to the crucifixion of Christ. Bible originally written in GREEK and HEBREW. The Greek word generally translated "cross" is STAUROS '. It means "an upright pale or stake. Here are sum God inspired scriptures from the God inspired book that substantiates this word. You can look in OLD KING JAMES or THE New Testament.
1 PETER 2:24, ACTS 5:30, ACTS 10:39, GALATIANS 3:13. And, if you really feel inspired, look in old GREEK bible, maybe find a translator and inquire what STAUROS, XYLON mean.

Anonymous reader

Answer 6

Is it made of wood? If so, then it's a xylon.

Ezra 6:11 in the Septuagint is a xylon because it was wood. So are clubs, benches, stocks and wooden crosses.

I apologize in advance for not making this answer short, but in view of the misleading comment that TeeM made regarding the cross and "400 years later", I feel it's important to relay to you the following information.

Please do not be deceived into believing that it was 400 years (or 300 years, or even 200 years) after Jesus' death that the cross was adopted by Christians and then called the instrument of his death. This is a religious lie that has been promoted for decades by the Jehovah's Witnesses .

Although the Watchtower has pridefully refused to admit this teaching is in error, their lies and contradictions can be seen from their own literature. Here are some WT quotes, all of which are verifiable:

Awake, April 2006:

"It was not until about 300 years after Jesus' death that some professed Christians promoted the idea that Jesus was put to death on a two-beamed cross."

So according to Watchtower teaching, we could not find any mention of Jesus dying on a cross prior to the 4th century. Since Jesus died approx 33 CE, 300 years would bring us up to the time of Constantine in the 4th century (approx 333 CE), according to the Watchtower.

And yet the truth is that Christians had been believing Jesus died on the cross, for hundreds of years before that time. And the Watchtower knows that.


*** w57 3/15 p. 166 Did Christ Die on a Cross? ***

Nor does the fact that the Epistle of Barnabas and the Gospel of Nicodemus state that Jesus died on a cross prove anything.... Obviously both were written after the cross had been adopted as a symbol of Christendom.

*** g76 11/22 pp. 27-28 Does Christianity Have a Visible Symbol? ***

Justin Martyr (114-167 C.E.) ...” This indicates that Justin himself believed that Jesus died on a cross.
However, Justin was not inspired by God, as were the Bible writers. He was born more than eighty years after Jesus’ death, and was not an eyewitness of that event. It is believed that in describing the “cross” Justin followed an earlier writing known as the “Letter of Barnabas.”

So here the WT admits that the Christian martyr, Justin, who was born in 114 CE, about 80 years after Jesus died, believed it was a cross. Not only that, but an even earlier Christian writer, called Barnabas, had written about it. When was that?

According to the 1957 WT, quoted above, it wasn't until after the cross was established in Christendom as the instrument of Jesus' death. So when does the WT say that the Letter of Barnabas was written?

*** g87 4/8 p. 15 Abortion—And “the Source of Life” ***

Early Christian Thinking
Following the death of Jesus Christ’s apostles in the first century, many men expounded on their teachings. These writers were not inspired as the Bible writers were, but their comments are of interest, for they reflect the religious thinking of their time on this crucial issue. Here are some excerpts.

The Letter of Barnabas, chapter 19:5 (c.100-132 C.E.)

So according to the WT's own writings, the belief that Jesus died on a cross was established no later than 132, or a century after Jesus died. Yet they persist in misleading people into believing that it was an idea that never occurred to early Christians until about 300 years later when they decided to say it was a cross, supposedly in order to make some pagans happy.

Answer 7

God rejects worship given to him through images. When some Israelites tried to worship him using a statue of a calf, God said that they had committed “a terrible sin.”—Exodus 32:7-9

The Bible has the answer that shows all these words have no validity.

Answer 8

No he died on a stauros, a greek word used in the Bible. God Bless!!

Answer 9

As mentioned by others xy'lon is referred to as a tree or an upright piece of wood. If you look into the origin of using a cross in worship, you will find that the cross was never used by the first century Christian congregation nor by his own apostles. This taking on of the cross in worship began much later during the time of Emperor Constantine and it was taken from pagan worship as the church's were trying to integrate pagan worshippers into Christianity. The Bible clearly condemns the use of images in worship. God had long disapproved of worship using “the form of any symbol” and Christians were to “flee from idolatry- Deut 4:15-19 1 Cor 10:14. Thank you for questioning, clearly shows you are researching the truth. Jesus tells us to keep asking at it will be given you, keep searching and you will find. Matt 7:7,8. Do not accept what the church tells you, research yourself, many practices in "Christian" churches came from pagan origins.

Answer 10

What Is Xylon