SOLD Byzantine Jesus Christ Silver Cross Pendant. Please Explore Our Byzantine Category For Similar Items.

Item #4573
$750.00
Share on Facebook

 

  • Jesus Christ Engraved on Silver Cross
  • Date: 10th - 12th Century
  • Region: Byzantine Empire
  • Size: (1.8") 46mm X 32mm
  • Weight: 12.7 Grams
  • Intact Original Bail with (small) 2.2mm Opening for Necklace
  • Size Chart with mm to inches Conversions

Description:

This silver cross was hand forged during the Middle Ages in the cradle of Christianity, the Byzantine Empire. The ancient engraving shows Jesus Christ on the cross, with the Sun and Moon symbols above along with the legend ICXC “Jesus Christ.”
In AD 324, the first Christian Roman Emperor, Constantine the Great, transferred the Eastern Roman Empire capital to Byzantium, which became Constantinople, known as "New Rome." The Byzantine Empire became centered on the capital of Constantinople and was ruled by Emperors in direct succession to the ancient Roman Emperors. With the eventual decline of Rome, the Church of Constantinople became the richest and most influential center of the Christian world. The reign of Justinian the Great in 527-565 marked a blossoming of Byzantine culture with a building program that yielded such masterpieces as the cathedral church of the Holy Wisdom of God, Hagia Sophia. Justinian, who is considered a Saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church, created the authority of this Church, which firmly established Christianity throughout the Empire.
Over the centuries, the Byzantines, who still referred to themselves as Romans, fought to shield Europe from Muslim expansion, while preserving much of the literary works and scientific knowledge of ancient Greece and Rome. The Empire was one of the most powerful economic, cultural and military forces, existing for more than 1,000 years, until 1453. This one-of-a-kind cross was surely worn by a Byzantine citizen as a statement of faith during this amazing age of early Christendom.