The Judeo–Christian God really has a thing for attaching people to wood.

embedding-shape 6 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Long time ago I did my confirmation (ex-protestant), but I seem to recall that wood is used a lot because it's a symbolism to man's mortality and frailty. Then after/with the crucifixion it also became a symbol of sacrifice and redemption in connection to mortality and frailty. But someone who remembers their studies better might offer a better explanation to why it's so popular.

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huhkerrf 5 hours ago | parent [-]

Trees are big in the Torah and Bible generally. The Bible Project did a whole series on trees in the Bible. You've got the Tree of Life, the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, the cross, the tree in the book of Jonah, the fig tree, the parable of the vine and the branches, etc..

It all makes sense for a religion steeped in a desert culture. Trees are (relatively) rare, and what they offer is incredibly important and life giving.

	▲	gherkinnn 2 hours ago \| parent \| next [-]
		In Norse mythology the first man Ask was carved out of a piece of ash tree and the first woman Embla out of a piece of elm. Ash is a good choice for tool handles and elm for constructing homes.
	▲	colechristensen 5 hours ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		Trees are big in all sorts of mythologies. Primates like trees.

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lo_zamoyski 4 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Humor aside, to appreciate these recurring themes, if you will, requires knowledge of, e.g., typology. Here, the cross with Christ nailed to it is transfigured into the new Tree of Life. Other important typologies are Christ as the new Adam, Mary as the new Eve, and Mary through her womb as the new Ark of the New Covenant. Noah's ark and the Ark of the Covenant are not called arks coincidentally, either. And the Church is often called the Barque of Peter.

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6 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

[deleted]

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znnajdla 7 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

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