- Thick Mahogany with Embedded olive wood Russian Orthodox or three-bar Eastern Cross / Crucifix - Also known as the Patriarchal Cross - 20cm or 8 inches
- Comes with a certificate of origin and authenticity and also a special Lord's Prayer Gift card
- Made in Bethlehem, the Holy Land
Through the Cross came our Salvation. We are constantly reminded that Christ
died for us, and that He rose from the dead. The Patriarchal cross is a
variant of the Christian cross, the universal religious symbol of
Christianity. Similar to the familiar Latin cross, the Patriarchal cross
possesses a smaller crossbar placed above the main one, so that both crossbars
are near the top. Sometimes the patriarchal cross has a short, slanted
crosspiece near its foot (as in this Cross). This slanted, lower crosspiece
often appears in Byzantine Greek and Eastern European iconography, as well as
Eastern Orthodox churches. The slanted bottom bar is the footrest. There is
some question of whether it was actually on the Cross of Christ, but it is
acknowledged to be a necessary attribute of the Cross, worthy of veneration
and prophetically alluded to in the words [Let us] worship the footstool of
His feet... (Ps. 98:5). In prayers for the Ninth Hour, the Church likens the
Cross to a type of balance of righteousness: "Between two thieves Thy Cross
did prove to be a balance of righteousness: wherefore one of them was dragged
down to Hades by the weight of his blasphemy whereas the other was lightened
of his transgressions unto the comprehension of theology. O Christ God, glory
to Thee."
