The Non-Christian Cross / An Enquiry into the Origin and History of the Symbol Eventually Adopted as That of Our Religion

The book investigates the origin and history of the cross as a symbol, questioning whether the instrument to which Jesus was affixed was cross-shaped and examining the Greek term stauros. It surveys pre-Christian uses of cross imagery as a sign of life and victory, compares Christian adoption to older initiatory rites including Sun-God and Persian practices, analyzes patristic testimony and numismatic and monogram evidence from Roman coins, and traces cross motifs across Europe, Asia, and Africa. The work weighs linguistic, archaeological, and iconographic sources to argue for complex, multi-cultural roots of the symbol.