What type of wood was our Lord crucified upon

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I could just Google search this but often Google searches leave more questions unanswered (for me at least) when it comes to spiritual Christianity, and faith according to factual matters, so I prefer to enquire in a Catholic community like this, so …

Has there been any solid evidence of what actual type of wood was used for the particular Cross that our Lord was crucified on? Or do historians and scientists generally conclude that it was the same type that the Romans used for all the other crucifixions in the area?

I know there are relics of the Cross too so do these differ at all to the type of wood traditionally used according to Scholars?
Also what is the meaning of the Biblical passages which refer to our Lord being crucified upon a tree? Is this latter word just an ambiguous translation for a wooden post/stake/Cross coming from a particular tree? Much like the word Brother can mean Cousin as well as literal “Male Sibling” or " Close male Kinsman" e.t.c in the language of the day?
 
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“The prevailing idea was that the Cross was formed of three or more woods; either that the various parts were made, each from one of the three in that trinity springing from one root or, an idea not consistently followed, that the three woods were amalgamated, forming one trunk, out of which the upright beam was fashioned, thus containing in one beam the qualities of the three plants. And again, this peculiar growth was produced from three seeds containing three properties, although the fruit of one and the same tree.”…
 
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This book, commissioned by Pope Pius IX and published in 1870, has the reputation of being, still today, the fullest and most authoritative work on the subject, even after all these years.The question of what kind(s) of wood were used for the cross is discussed in Book 1, Chapter 2, beginning on p. 61 (link). The author reaches the conclusion that it can only have been pine (p. 63). The book is in French. As far as I’m aware, no one has ever published an English translation.

 
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SPONP4US said:
Also what is the meaning of the Biblical passages which refer to our Lord being crucified upon a tree?
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This may have to do with the shape of the cross. A forked cross shape (similar to a tree) is a possibility. In the Middle Ages, sometimes the forked cross was depicted.
 
@Elias, I sincerely hope I’m not infringing your copyright, but I have reposted that on the Cartoons thread:
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Life is too short. Post a Cartoon! (please) Casual Discussion
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There is a myth/legend that after the Fall, the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil spread via it’s roots to cover the entire plain, now a forest, outside of the Garden. When Noah needed wood to build the ark, he was shown this forest and from this forest, still linked by the roots to the original Tree that was the source of our fall, Noah built the ark that saved mankind. And as he built the Ark the tree kept growing, forming roots to bind the boards next to it into one solid mass.

After the Flood, the ark set down roots and again was the source of a forest. One day, a Roman surveying group came to the forest. As they had never seen this kind of wood before, they cut down one tree as a sample, and took it to the capitol of the region, a city called Jerusalem. They put the tree in storage while they went to arrange to have it transported to Rome.

That day there was an unexpected crucifixion, and the soldier in charge couldn’t find the right sized post to use for the cross. He remembered seeing the team come in with a cut tree that was just the right size to use for this crucifixion, of a young rabbi whom the Jewish leaders wanted killed. So he took the tree and used it to fashion this crucifix, upon which Jesus was killed.

So from the tree that was our downfall, until it became the source of our salvation.
 
Probably a softwood such as a pine because of the difficulty of soft nails of those days penetrating a hardwood; even today’s nails have a hard time going into Hardwood.
 
Probably the local species of pine. Hardwood would have probably been too valuable for crucifying criminals and the wood from more agriculturally focused trees would have been less readily available.

When I was younger, I read a fellow (forget his name) that argued that it would have been done with “whatever was lying around”. Demolished building, leftover construction material, so on. Harvesting trees specifically for crucifixion would have usually occurred just for larger campaigns of civil suppression where many where being crucified in a short period of time.
 
I went to Israel once. When there I was led to believe it was olive wood. Obviously, I really don’t know.
 
I don’t know if this is true or not but here goes;

In Jesus’ time, the Dogwood tree had grown to a great size, like that of an Oak tree! They used it to build the cross that Jesus was hung on. This made the Dogwood tree sad. Jesus, sensing this sadness, promised the Dogwood tree that it would never again grow large enough to build a cross. It’s branches would be narrow and crooked-not good for building at all. And now the Dogwood tree has many traits to remember this promise.
(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
The Dogwood flower has 4 petals, shaped like a cross:
The middle of the Dogwood flower, a crown of thorns:
At the edge of each petals, a nail dent:
The nail dents are stained with the color of Jesus’ blood:

 
The story I read was that the Dogwood tree was once a very large, strong and noble tree, and its wood, at least in part, was used to form the cross on which Jesus was crucified. As legend goes, after the crucifixion, the tree was changed into the Dogwoods we know today, totally unsuitable for ever being used for another crucifixion.

Anyone else aware of the Dogwood story?
 
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