Wiki Article

The Jerusalem cross (also known as “five-fold cross”, or “cross-and-crosslets” and the “Crusader’s cross”) is a heraldic cross and Christian cross variant consisting of a large cross potent surrounded by four smaller Greek crosses, one in each quadrant, representing the Four Evangelists and the spread of the gospel to the four corners of the Earth (metaphor for the whole Earth). It was used as the coat of arms of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem after 1099. Use of the Jerusalem Cross by the Order of the Holy Sepulchre and affiliated organizations in Jerusalem continue to the present. Other modern usages include on the national flag of Georgia and the Episcopal Church Service Cross.

In recent years, images and terms associated with the Crusades in the Middle East have been appropriated by white supremacists, including the Jerusalem Cross. Matthew Taylor, senior scholar at the Institute for Islamic, Christian and Jewish Studies, said that the Jerusalem cross “doesn’t always necessarily connote an endorsement of the Crusades” but far-right and neo-Nazi groups use the symbol. While the Cross itself has been popular with right-wing extremist groups, it has also often been used in association with the term Deus Vult. Flags or banners bearing the Crusader cross and “Deus Vult” were flown during the 2017 “white supremacist” Unite the Right rally. The president and executive director of the Center for Peace Diplomacy said the cross used in combination with “Deus Vult” are “an invocation of the claim that crusader violence and its atrocities (including the massacre of civilians) was legitimate”. Podcaster Brad Onishi stated the Jerusalem cross and the Deus Vult are “symbols that are used by white Christian nationalists. Those who have adopted these Crusader images really see themselves as at war with those trying to take down American Christianity and Western civilization at large.”

In 2020, Democrat Tom Steyer made news when he showed up with the hand-drawn symbol on his hand during Democratic debates in 2020. He explained that he drew the cross on his hand for years as a reminder to stay honest. In 2024, Pete Hegseth said concerns over his Jerusalem cross tattoo caused the District of Columbia National Guard to pull him from a mission to guard the inauguration of President Joe Biden and helped spur him to resign from the military.