Appearing with a large crutch cross and surrounded by four smaller Greek crosses, one in each quadrant, the Cross of Jerusalem is one of the most well known symbols of Christianity. It became popular during the Crusades among Christian warriors and became the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Jerusalem in the second half of the 13th century. It has many documented uses before this, however, on the coinage of Henry II of England, and in the consecration of St. Brelade's church under the patronage of Robert of Normandy, where the crossed are carved into the church's alter stone.
Although usually associated with
Godfrey of Bouillon himself, the first ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, it would not be adopted by the kingdom for almost 200 years after Godfrey. Before its adoption, the emblem used as the Kingdom's official seal was an image of the city itself, featuring some of its most important sites surrounded by the city walls. After it's adoption, the cross began to appear on imagery even beyond Jerusalem, appearing on Cypriot coins and even getting a variant adopted by the Latin Emperor of Constantinople.
The Cross featured gold on silver, a violation of the heraldic Rule of Tincture regarding metal on metal appearances in heraldic coats of arms. However, it was justified by many at the time that the cross was so holy, it was beyond ordinary rules for heraldry. The gold and silver are also linked to Psalms 68:13, which describes a "dove adorned with silver, and its wings with gold."
Following the Crusades, the Cross became integrated in the heraldries and culture of other Christian nobleman. Venetian cartographers used the cross to mark the flag of Tblisi, the capital of modern day Georgia, who adopted the cross as its national flag in 2004. Venetian nobleman Carlo Maggi adopted the cross into his coat of arms after he was made a knight in Jerusalem by the order of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre. In more recent history, a banner with the cross was used to mark the beginning of the Greek Revolution of 1821, the beginning of the fight to free the Greeks from the yoke of Ottoman Turkish rule.
Today, the Cross remains in the coat of arms of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre and the Custodian of the Holy Land. Between the various branches of Christianity, it is known as a symbol of unity, particularly between the oldest Christian branches of Roman Catholicism and the Eastern Orthodox Churches. The use of the cross by Christian pilgrims to Israel serves as a symbol of their spiritual journey and as a reminder of Christian roots and the shared Christian history in the Holy Land.
- 3x2"
- Embroidered
- Hook Backing
- Release: 9/8/2024
