"History and tradition in movie depictions of the Cross"

[patrick457]

Do we even know exactly what the form of the cross was? Or are people looking at the bible and making semi-educated geusses?

I was a Franciscan some time ago and the Tau cross looking like this T, was used by us often. Maybe that was the form St. Francis thought the true cross had?

When ancient sources (both Christian and non-Christian ones) do describe or depict Roman crosses they do depict or describe it as either a T or a †.

And using the T as a symbol of Jesus’ cross actually predates St. Francis, though he’s probably the most famous user of it. Some ancient authors did note the resemblance of crosses to the letter T. The early Christians also did so.

Men weep and bewail their lot and curse Cadmus over and over for putting Tau (T) into the alphabet, for they say that their tyrants, following his figure and imitating his build, have fashioned timbers in the same shape and crucify men upon them; and that it is from him that the sorry device gets its sorry name (stauros, cross). For all this do you not think that Tau deserves to die many times over? As for me, I hold that in all justice we can only punish Tau by making a T of (i.e. crucifying) him.

-Pseudo-Lucian (ca. 125-after 180), Trial in the Court of Vowels aka Consonants at Law