vague gratuitous assertions this thesis is based in part on an improved understanding of the ancient languages what ancient languages the earliest accounts of the crucifixion of jesus are only in just one language greek what new discovery has appeared perhaps in about the meaning of anonymous editor says that three books published respectively in and provide support weasel words for the idea that jesus was crucified on a stake the form of the alleged support in not indicated is that because they really only state that and crux can but do not have to mean a simple stake that was known long before and also before when somebody claimed to have discovered it even if the writers of the and books had stated that jesus was crucified on a stake which seems extremely unlikely it is hard to imagine how they could possibly know better than the writer of the probably first century epistle of barnabas who described it as shaped like the letter t and second century irenaeus who described it as having five extremities two in length two in breadth and one in the middle on which last the person rests who is fixed by the nails i could comment also on the gratuitous assertions in the paragraph under the heading pre christian use of the cross symbol that the same editor added starting with the authoritative sounding it must be remembered that but what i have already said is enough for now