The cross as a cult object in early byzantine churches. An example from Crete
Abstract
The use of crosses as cultic objects during the Early Christian period is neither adequately recorded in the sources or sufficiently explored by the archaeological evidence. A marble fragment of an inscribed cross from Crete is the departure point for a broader discussion and the revisiting of the information found in the historical sources. Both the inscription and size of the cross suggest that the latter was placed in a conspicuous part of the church. Similar inscribed crosses from Crete, along with their metallic counterparts and the extant source material corroborate the above-suggested use. They also underpin the hypothesis that they were also being revered as cultic objects within the Early Christian church context.
Article Details
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ΓΚΡΑΤΖΙΟΥ Ό. (1999). The cross as a cult object in early byzantine churches. An example from Crete. Deltion of the Christian Archaeological Society, 20, 71–80. https://doi.org/10.12681/dchae.1194
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