Invs.cat retweeté
In truth, the Taxila cross has nothing to do with Christianity.
The cross didn't become a prominent symbol of Christianity until the 4th century AD (earlier Christians used other symbols, such as the chi-rho).
Moreover, the "Greek cross" or "plus sign" is a common geometric motif. The cross itself is a common motif.
The Brahmi letter ka or "𑀓" also has a cross-shape and the same is true of the Roman lower-case letter "t."
However, 20th century archeologists and clergymen were desperate for any physical evidence of Christianity in the subcontinent prior to the 7th century AD.
Therefore, they projected this 3.8 cm (1.5 inches) stone plus-sign as archeological "evidence" for Christianity in the subcontinent.
It didn't matter to them that it was found in 1935 by a farmer tilling a field outside the city walls and therefore unstratified (i.e. it could be 2,000 years old, or it could have dropped out of a someone's pocket in the 1700s).
I didn't matter to them that Sirkap was mostly abandoned by the Kushans around 80 AD, too early for cross iconography.
It seemed to fit their desired narrative, so they accordingly portrayed it as clinching evidence for 1st century Christianity and proof of the Gondophares-Thomas legend. @SamDalrymple123
Jamal Jafri@JAJafri
"This cross was found in 1935 at Taxila, and it may just be the oldest evidence of Christianity in the subcontinent" Taxila, in modern-day Pakistan, an ancient city with a long history, a major centre of civilization and trade from the 6thC BC until its destruction in the 5thC AD
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