ANTIQUE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX OLD BELIEVERS \"GOLGOTHA\" SKULL CROSS + PSALM 51
![ANTIQUE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX OLD BELIEVERS \](img-large/g/pp4AAOSwxEpYxfKk/s-l1600/ANTIQUE-RUSSIAN-ORTHODOX-OLD-BELIEVERS-GOLGOTHA-SK.jpg "ANTIQUE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX OLD BELIEVERS \")
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ANTIQUE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX OLD BELIEVERS \"GOLGOTHA\" SKULL CROSS + PSALM 51 :
$69.00
Gorgeous, authentic antique Eastern Orthodox (Russian Empire or Poland or Ukraine), or Eastern/Greek Catholic cross. Handmade, cast from bronze or similar type of brass-like copper alloy. Covered with original, dark brown patina. Slightly bent, and worn out, likely due to devotional wearing by several generations of Christians. Could have been worn as a pectoral \"body\" cross by a layman, a deacon or a priest. Exact age unknown, could have been an artifact from late 18th to mid-19th century.
The obverse of the cross pendant bears aByzantine-like Suppedaneum cross. The Byzantine three-bar cross is used in the Eastern Orthodox and some Eastern Catholic churches. Such a cross has three horizontal crossbeams: the top one represents the \"INRI\" nameplate, and the bottom one, a footrest.
The top end of the vertical crossbarincorporates the two-word, abbreviated inscription meaning\"KING OF GLORY\" used in the Eastern Orthodox pectoral crosses as a nameplate in their top part.
The side ends of the central horizontal crossbar bear the Sacred Name of Jesus Christ inscribed as the Greek Christogram, as the \"IC\" on the left, and the \"XC\" on the right.
Parallel to the vertical crossbar, there are images of the two Instruments of the Passion (Arms of Christ, Arma Christi), the Holy Lance (spear) of a Roman soldier, and the Holy Sponge attached to the end of a cane. They are subjects to adoration along with the Cross, and are often depicted on the Byzantine-style \"Golgotha\" crosses worn as baptism, body crosses for the entire life of a faithful Christian. The spear and the cane are marked with Cyrillic abbreviations each just above them.
Just below the central horizontal crossbar, there is the \"NIKA\" (\"VICTORY\") inscription made in Cyrillic letters.The bottom square end bears a four-letter Cyrillic abbreviation starting with the \"M\" letter, a part of the Church Slavonic abbreviation \"MLRB\" meaning \"THE PLACE OF THE SKULL BECAME PARADISE\". These two ancient Orthodox inscriptions serve as symbolic reminders of the Christ\'s victory over devil, sin and death.
An image of the skull, or Adam\'s head, below the image of the Suppedaneum cross also refers to Golgotha (Calvary), the elevated site where Jesus was crucified, which the Bible says means \"the place of the skull\" in Hebrew. An ancient tradition of Catholic and Orthodox Churches held that it was also the burial place of Adam thus also symbolizing the ultimate victory of Christ over sin and death.
The reverse bears a fragment of the \"Repentant\" Psalm of David (Psalm 51, or 50 of the Russian Orthodox Bible) in Church Slavonic meaning \"HAVE MERCY ON ME, O GOD, ACCORDING TO THY LOVING KINDNESS...\". The Psalm often serves as a prayer request for God\'s cleansing and pardon, as \"a Psalm of David, when Nathan the Prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba\". The words of the fragment appear to be heavily abbreviated, but all letters are well preserved and identifiable.
Please examine all photographs carefully and do your own research if necessary. Please note that photographs are an important part of the item\'s description. The U.S. quarter coin, decorative stone and measuring meter are not for sale, and are photographed with the item in order to provide a size reference or artistic background.Please ask all questions before making a purchase.There are no guarantees with the listing because most items are original artifacts that are quite old. All items are sold \"as is\" with no returns because of a change of mind offered. Shipping and handling is free for the continental US. International buyers, please ask me for a shipping quote prior to buying.Please note that customs regulations differ from country to country, and it is a buyer\'s responsibility to ensure that any customs fees or other duties collected by the buyer\'s country are paid and satisfied in full.
ANTIQUE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX OLD BELIEVERS \"GOLGOTHA\" SKULL CROSS + PSALM 51 :
$69.00