Do you have any sources on the claim that it wasn’t a cross and was changed later for pagans? The scripture references “coming down” from the cross which to me would imply the one we typically think of.
"I see crosses there, not just of one kind but made differently by different [fabricators]; some individuals suspended their victims with heads inverted toward the ground; some drove a stake (stipes) through their excretory organs/genitals; others stretched out their [victims’] arms on a patibulum [cross bar]; I see racks, I see lashes … "
Sounds like Seneca, a figure from exactly this time period confirms the type of cross we think of.
Do you have any sources on the claim that it wasn’t a cross and was changed later for pagans?
No they do not.
There are writings from around ~200 talking about how the letter T and Tau look like the execution cross. Around the same time where the word “σταυρός”(cross) appears in New Testament versions.
The change to the modern/lower case version did start to happen around the time of conversions and suppression of pagans began. But as far as I am aware there is no evidence that was the reason. Specially since it didn’t really take off for a couple of hundred years, and became big with the crusades.
Do you have any sources on the claim that it wasn’t a cross and was changed later for pagans? The scripture references “coming down” from the cross which to me would imply the one we typically think of.
Also from https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impalement,
"I see crosses there, not just of one kind but made differently by different [fabricators]; some individuals suspended their victims with heads inverted toward the ground; some drove a stake (stipes) through their excretory organs/genitals; others stretched out their [victims’] arms on a patibulum [cross bar]; I see racks, I see lashes … "
Sounds like Seneca, a figure from exactly this time period confirms the type of cross we think of.
No they do not.
There are writings from around ~200 talking about how the letter T and Tau look like the execution cross. Around the same time where the word “σταυρός”(cross) appears in New Testament versions.
The change to the modern/lower case version did start to happen around the time of conversions and suppression of pagans began. But as far as I am aware there is no evidence that was the reason. Specially since it didn’t really take off for a couple of hundred years, and became big with the crusades.
Another good piece of evidence I just thought of is the oldest known depiction of Jesus: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexamenos_graffito
It seems the claim might originate with Jehovah’s Witnesses in modern times.