what kind of tree was the cross that jesus carried made out of?

Answer 1

the same tree that Johnny Appleseed planted which Paul Bunyan cut down with his big blue ox.

Answer 2

Long before the Christian era, crosses were used by the ancient Babylonians as symbols in their worship of the fertility god Tammuz. The use of the cross spread into Egypt, India, Syria, and China. Then, centuries later, the Israelites adulterated their worship of Jehovah with acts of veneration to the false god Tammuz. The Bible refers to this form of worship as a ‘detestable thing.’—Ezekiel 8:13, 14. The Gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John use the Greek word stau·ros′ when referring to the instrument of execution on which Jesus died. (Matthew 27:40; Mark 15:30; Luke 23:26) The word stau·ros′ refers to an upright pole, stake, or post. The book The Non-Christian Cross, by J. D. Parsons, explains: “There is not a single sentence in any of the numerous writings forming the New Testament, which, in the original Greek, bears even indirect evidence to the effect that the stauros used in the case of Jesus was other than an ordinary stauros; much less to the effect that it consisted, not of one piece of timber, but of two pieces nailed together in the form of a cross.” As recorded at Acts 5:30, the apostle Peter used the word xy′lon, meaning “tree,” as a synonym for stau·ros′, denoting, not a two-beamed cross, but an ordinary piece of upright timber or tree. 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. However, this view was based on tradition and a misuse of the Greek word stau·ros′. It is noteworthy that some ancient drawings depicting Roman executions feature a single wooden pole or tree.

Answer 3

The Bible does not tell us what type of wood the cross Jesus was crucified on was made of. Roman history does not go into specifics as to how the crosses were made or what type of wood they were made of. As a result, we cannot know for sure what type of tree was used to make the cross. There is a legend that it was made of dogwood. This is unlikely considering the typical size of a dogwood tree. The legend of the dogwood tree, author unknown, is as follows:

In Jesus' time, the dogwood grew
To a stately size and a lovely hue.

'Twas strong & firm it's branches interwoven
For the cross of Christ its timbers were chosen.

Seeing the distress at this use of their wood
Christ made a promise which still holds good:

"Never again shall the dogwood grow
Large enough to be used so

Slender & twisted, it shall be
With blossoms like the cross for all to see.

As blood stains the petals marked in brown
The blossom's center wears a thorny crown.

All who see it will remember me
Crucified on a cross from the dogwood tree.

Cherished and protected this tree shall be
A reminder to all of my agony."

Again, this is just a "legend." It is a nice poem, but there is no Biblical basis to it. The legend of the dogwood tree is very likely not accurate.

Recommended Resource: The Quest Study Bible.

Answer 4

Great Link ---http://ww2.netnitco.net/users/legend01/cross.htm

The New Testament recounts that Jesus died raised up on (Matthew 27:40-42; Mark 15:30-32), not just affixed to, what in Greek is called a σταυρός (stauros). The standard lexicographical work of the Greek language, gives "cross" as one meaning of this word, but indicates that the basic meaning is an "upright pale or stake" or a "pile" driven in to serve as a foundation.[1] Certain scholars have therefore understood the New Testament accounts as referring to a single upright wooden stake without a crossbeam.[2] Other scholars hold that the two-beamed cross may well have been used, as in traditional representations of the crucifixion of Jesus.[3]

Acts 5:30 and Act 10:39 speak of Jesus as hanged upon a ξύλον (xylon). This word means wood or timber, whether cut (to form a spoon, a club, a table, a gibbet) or a live tree,[4]and so says nothing of the form of the gibbet on which Jesus died.

Perhaps the best-known group subscribing to the upright pale thesis are Jehovah's Witnesses. This thesis enjoys limited support among Greek scholars and is not accepted by most Christians, who cite certain literary evidence that crucifixion on a cross was in fact used in the first century and earlier[5], and on archaeological evidence, especially the skeletal remains, discovered in 1968, of a victim of crucifixion of about the time of the siege of Jerusalem (70). The earliest surviving Christian theological work that speaks of the shape of the σταυρός describes it as having "five extremities, two in length, two in breadth, and one in the middle, on which [last] the person rests who is fixed by the nails",[6] a description incompatible with that of a stake.


[edit] History of use of the symbol

Answer 5

Legend and certain traditions say: "Dogwood".

We actually do not know for sure. There are other legends as well:

Aspen: The aspens of the world have been trembling ever since the moment Christ's blood was spilt as He was nailed to a cross made of aspen.

Cedar: An angel once blessed a cedar because it sheltered him from a storm. Since the angel prayed it would bear a fruit which would bless all people, God answered the prayer by allowing the cedar to be used as the Savior's cross.

Clematis or Mistletoe: These trees were condemned to become vines because they furnished the wood for the cross. Reminiscent of the snake's being condemned to crawl on its belly for tempting Eve.

Dogwood Tree: At the time of the crucifixion, the dogwood was a tree large enough to make a cross from. Because it felt such horror on this account, Christ promised the dogwood it would never again grow large enough to be put to such a use. As a memorial of Christ's passion, its blossoms now grow in the shape of a cross; its petals bear brown and red nail prints; and a crown of thorns graces the center of each of its flowers.

Holm Oak: While the rest of the forest rebelled, the holm oak agreed to become the wood of the cross and "die with Christ".

Pine: The same pine which concealed the Holy Family from Herod's soldiers was used to make the cross. Therefore, its cones when cut lengthwise represent the hands of the Christ Child while its branches grow in the shape of a cross.

Seth's Tree: From Eden Adam's son, Seth, begged 3 seeds from the angel who guards the gate to the Garden of Eden. He planted these seeds in Adam's mouth when he died.The tree which grew from these seeds had 3 branches - one each of cedar, cypress, and olive. Centuries later, King David wept over his sins beneath this tree. His son, Solomon, tried to destroy the tree and threw it into a swamp. The Queen of Sheba refused to use the tree for a bridge as walking over it would be the same as walking on the cross of Christ.

Weeping Willow: According to Charles M. Skinner, "bears a curse, inasmuch as it is one of the several trees on which Judas hanged himself, being planted by the devil in order to lure people to suicide by the peculiar restful swinging of its branches." Also believed to weep because its branches were used to scourge Christ.

Answer 6

I think Cherry. After the Crucifixion
God made the cherry tree into a thorny vine, so another cross could not be made.

Answer 7

Cedar was very common and plentiful in that area while some for comercial reasons pushed the Dogwood in as the wood used.

Answer 8

Maybe it was a fig tree getting revenge on Jesus for throwing a temper tantrum and killing it's relative for not having figs on it. Or maybe the entire story was just made up.

Answer 9

Eucalyptus.

Answer 10

Did he carry the entire cross or just the crosspiece?

_()_

Answer 11

I keep thinking ash or oak but I don't really know for sure. Ash b/c it sounds mystical. Oak b/c it's a really tough wood I've heard from wood working shows.