[BlackVeil]

This is interesting. I heard talk of this relic back in the 1979-1980 era. I heard a Eygptian archaologist who was in Rome say that he was very impressed by its significance. He had a lot of experience with looking at ancient texts and papyrus. Yet, he said, the religious authorities responsible for the relic did not seem to want it examined or put on display.

Later, the author David Sox, included mention of this relic in his book, Relics and Shrines.

[Destro]

My speculation was that the "Titulus Crucis" was placed in the tomb of Jesus when his body was interned and of course left there after the tomb went empty. The tomb was never used again. Hadrian built over the area thus preserving this relic.

And I should add - that is how I think Helena's excavators determined which was Jesus' actual tomb. The "Titulus Crucis" was found in the tomb.

What of the actual cross "timbers"? I think Carsten Thiede is correct in that those timbers found in Helena's excavation were probably the later construction's cross beams that looked like crucification crosses or to my thinking the crucification scaffolding that was knocked down and built over by Hadrian's builders. Being wooden crucification scaffolding, they probably were not the exact same wood beams used during Jesus' crucification - being replaced as a form of maintenance at the execution sight as the original crucification scaffold beams deteriorated through use and exposure to the elements.