by Mikalyn

Created on: June 01, 2009   Last Updated: June 03, 2009

The cross is one of the most influential and emotionally stirring symbols that the world has today. For Christians, it represents the event in which Jesus Christ sacrificed himself for all of humanity and their eternal life. This is what the Jeruselum cross stands for, it is the most common interpretation of the symbol.

It is true that the Knights Templar bore the red cross on their white cloaks, but that is not surprising when considering that the Knights Templar, was originally a Roman Catholic order; originating around the year 1130. Clement of Alexandria who died in the second century BC, originally called the cross "The Lords Sign" and from there the Christians took hold of it. By the beginning of the third century, Christians had taken to drawing the cross on their foreheads. At that time, they would have been wise to avoid being dubbed, a "worshiper of the cross."

The symbol of the cross dates back far further than Christianity or any of the major religions. In the Pyrenees mountains of Spain and Southern France, there is a cave drawing. One of early mans first symbols was a cross resembling a swastika, from which that symbol was probably derived. It is dated at over 27,000 years old. Kindling at the base of a fire appears cross-like and many believe that to be the meaning of the cave paintings.

From there the swastika has been seen throughout history from 5000 BC and on finding an ultimately sacred place with the Hindu religion, where it represents the evolution of the universe. It is no surprise that the cross is one of mans first symbols. The human body itself resembles a cross with legs together and arms out. That is remeniscent of the Ancient Egyptian symbol called the Ankh, which so closely resembles the Crux; in fact, it was called the crux ansata and it represents the whole of a person. Spirit, body, mind are the three points and the ring is what connects and awakens them into consciousness.

Though by todays standard, the cross is primarily and most commonly a Christian symbol. Religions to embrace it other than the Hindu swastika and Egyptian Ankh are: Paganism, Wicca and druidism, among other less common ones. These religions have the cross in common as a symbol which represents the cross of the Zodiac and they've used it much longer than the Christians have.

The cross of the Zodiac, is a cross inside a circle, representing the movement of the sun as it passes through the twelve constellations in the sky; its an ancient calendar, among

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