What do we know about the True Cross?
The term “True Cross” designates the wooden cross on which Jesus was crucified, according to Christian tradition. According to late antique hagiography and patristic sources, the cross lineage traces to Jerusalem, where, around 326 CE, Saint Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine, is said to have located the relics associated with the crucifixion and identified the site of Golgotha.
Historical focus on a pivotal event: In 614 CE, during the Persian conquest of Jerusalem led by King Khosrow II of the Sasanian Empire, the Persians captured the city and took the True Cross relics to their capital, Ctesiphon.
How did Khosrow purportedly utilize the Cross? Contemporary or later Persian chronologies and later Islamic and Western medieval sources report that Khosrow II placed the captured True Cross within his cosmological throne, the Takht-e Taqdīs (also rendered Takht-e Taghdis).
Terminology and transmission:
- Eastern traditions commonly refer to the place as Takht-e Taqdīs. Western sources have described analogous sites with various appellations, including the so‑called Silver Tower (a label found in some medieval and modern European texts).
- Variant transliterations of the Persian name encompass Tagh, Takht-e Taghdis, and related forms, reflecting transliteration conventions rather than distinct entities.
Brief excerpts from early texts
The Golden Legend
For the year of our Lord six hundred and fifteen, our Lord suffered his people much to be tormented by the cruelty of the paynims. And Cosdroe, king of the Persians, subdued to his empire all the realms of the world; and he came into Jerusalem and was afeard and adrad of the sepulchre of our Lord, and returned, but he bare with him the part of the Holy Cross that S. Helena had left there. And then he would be worshipped of all the people as a god, and did do
make a tower of gold and of silver, wherein precious stones shone, and made therein the images of the sun and of the moon and of the stars, and made that by subtle conduits water to be hid, and to come down in manner of rain. And in the last stage he made horses to draw chariots round about, Like as they had moved the tower, and made it to seem as it had thundered. And thus this cursed man abode in this temple, and delivered his realm to his son, and did do set the cross of our Lord by him, and commanded that he should be called god, of all the people. And as it is read in libro de mitrali officio: The said Cosdroe, resident in his throne as a father, set the tree of the cross on his right side instead of the sun, and a cock on the left side instead of the Holy Ghost, and commanded that he should be called father.
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Reversio Sanctae Crucis:
a
silver tower, in which he had constructed a golden dome set with glimmering gems, where he had placed a
chariot of the sun and the likeness of moon and stars and had installed hidden pipes for running water, so that he would seem to pour out rain from above like a god. And while
horses pulled in circles in a cave below the earth, causing the structure of the tower to turn as if he were moving it,
a roar as of thunder was imitated as well as art permitted.
Sermo de exaltatione sanctae crucis:
Now that tower … was vastly tall and was built of
silver bricks right from its foundations.
The top was of gold with precious stones and gems. In that tower there was a kind of man-made heaven, and on his festival day this was the custom: that tyrant sat with his magistrates and prefects and made horses run down through the tower from above, so that it would
seem like thunder, and through hidden pipes in the heaven he made water to be poured and diffused as if it were raining.
Source Source
Shahnameh
This is the most detailed one. The Farsi text is difficult to read and understand . This is probably due to the fact that the poet had difficulty with reading and understanding the original
text.
Source. Here is a more organized version of poem;
The Throne's First Origin
You know about that throne called Takdis, which Khusrau Parwiz set up in the hippodrome. Its origin actually began under Zahhak, that hateful unbeliever. This happened because when the hero Faridun came and took the style of kingship from the Arabs, there was a man living on Mount Damawand who was favored by the Shah. His name was Jahn, son of Barzin. He was a powerful person in the kingdom, and he became famous for making a throne for that Shah, covering it with gems. Shah Faridun was very happy with him when that grand throne was finished. He gave him thirty thousand drachms, a golden crown, and a pair of earrings. He also had a patent (a royal grant) written for him, giving him the lands of Sari and Amul. These coastal lands that were given to him were like Paradise.
The Throne's Early Heirs
When Faridun gave Iran to Iraj, the youngest of his famous sons, he also gave him three things. These were: this exact throne; the ox-head mace, to be his memorial in the world; and third, a jewel that the just Shah called “The Seven Founts.” When Iraj passed away, these things were left behind, and Manuchihr enjoyed them. Every king who wore the crown added something to that throne. When it came to the fortunate Kai Khosrow, he added a lot to its height.
Jamasp's Astronomical Addition
The throne passed in sequence to Luhrasp and then to Gushtasp. When Gushtasp saw it, he cried, “The work of mighty men must not be hidden.” He spoke to Jamasp, a man of worship, and said: “What can you add to this achievement? Look it over everywhere and see what addition to it will win us praise after we die.” Jamasp looked at the throne and saw in it a key to open the door of wisdom. He inscribed the heavenly host (stars and angels) on it, which hold the secrets of the future. By the Shah's order, he also portrayed the forms of the planets, from Saturn down to the moon.
The Throne's Destruction and Failed Copy
In this way, the throne reached the time of Sikandar (Alexander). Each Shah who looked at it added something—gold, silver, ivory, and ebony. This continued until Sikandar, through ignorance, broke it up all at once. However, the nobles managed to hide and pass down many pieces. Things stayed this way until Ardashir began his reign. By then, even the throne's name had been forgotten. He couldn't find any traces of it, so he made a new one. It was not as he wanted, and he didn't get much joy from it. He died and left it, and so did the kings who came after him.
Khosrow Parwiz's Plan to Rebuild
When Khosrow Parwiz sat on the throne and all the chiefs were loyal to him, they talked about that other royal throne and its history. The Shah said: “My chiefs! I ask a favor of my loyal subjects so that I can remake that famous throne to keep my name remembered. I need the plan that was drawn by Jamasp—the one favored by the sky. It was the plan that Shah Gushtasp adopted, with help from Jamasp’s advice and skill.”
The Reconstruction
An archimagus (chief priest) reproduced the plan, which made the exalted Khosrow Parwiz happy. Once he had the plan, he hurried to joyfully reconstruct the throne. He brought out the throne Ardashir had made and gathered all the craftsmen of Iran. So, in the days of that victorious Shah, they rebuilt that splendid throne. The artisans came from Rum (Rome/Byzantium), Chin (China), Makran, Baghdad, and from Iran itself. There were sixty-one score (1,220) craftsmen focused on building it. Each of them had thirty workers under him, men from Rum, Pars, and Baghdad. The Shah commanded them all to work hard to get the throne completed in two years. When it was finally set up, high fortune shone.
Dimensions and Materials
Its height was five score (100) royal cubits, if you add another three score and ten (70) [total 170 cubits]. The breadth was six score (120) cubits, because it was less broad than it was high. A different carpet was laid down every morning for the entire month. Seven score thousand (140,000)
plaques of gold, which had patterns made of turquoise, were set on the throne. Every
nail and clamp was solid silver, and each one weighed sixty-six miskals.
The Throne and the Seasons
When the Sun (Sol) showed its lamp in the sign of Aries (spring), the desert was behind the throne, and it faced toward the garden. But when the Sun raged in Leo (summer), during the month of Tir—the time for fruit and festivals—the throne's back was turned toward the sun. It stood facing the garden and the fruits to catch their scents. In Winter, during the days of wind and rain, no one felt the weather while seated there. The top was completely and royally enclosed with beaver skins and sables.
Glowing and Astronomical Model
There were also a thousand balls of gold and silver that glowed like burning logs in the fire. Each one weighed five and twenty score (500) miskals and was coral-colored from the heat. One half of these balls was in the fire, and the other half was turned toward the noble warriors. The host of heaven, the planets, the Zodiac, the bright moon in whatever sign it was in, and all the celestial bodies, whether fixed or wandering, were visible to the astronomer. He could see what portion of the dark night had passed and how much the sky had moved across the earth.
The Invaluable Jewels
Among these tables (panels), some were made of gold, and they contained such a wealth of jewels!
Not even an expert could count them all. The cheapest of them cost around three score and ten (70) dinars. For some, seven hundred dinars would not be enough to buy them. So, you must just take an average. There were many rubies there whose value no one could even estimate. They lit up the night like the planet Venus in the sky.
The Three Rows of Seats
On the throne's steps, there were three rows of seats, all enriched with gems. Between one row and the next, there were four steps made of gold inlaid with jewels. One row had ornaments shaped like rams' heads, so it was named after them. The next row up was known as the “Lapis-lazuli” row, because it was higher than the wind or dust-clouds. The third row was made entirely of turquoise, and everyone who saw it burned with longing for it. Rural chiefs and lower-ranking officials sat on the "Rams' Heads" row. The cavaliers—men who were unafraid on the day of battle—sat on the "Lapis-lazuli" circle. The turquoise seat was for the minister who was in charge of governing the realm. Whoever sat there had to be wise and loyal.
The Royal Carpet of Gold
A
fabric made of cloth of gold was spread out. It was two score and seventeen (57) cubits long. Its fringe was all strung with jewels held by
golden threads. A map of heaven was inscribed on it, where Saturn, Mars, the Sun (Sol), Jupiter, and Venus, along with Mercury and the shining Moon (Luna), showed the fortunes of the Shah. The Seven Climes (regions of the world) also appeared on it, as well as the peers (nobles) of Pars (Persia) and Rum (Rome). The seven and forty (47) Shahs, their faces, thrones, and crowns, were shown—those of the kings of kings, all woven from gold. The fabric was one of a kind.
The Carpet's Presentation
A man from Chin (China), who was unmatched in this kind of work, had spent seven years weaving it. One New Year, on the day of Urmuzd in the month of Farwardin, he came before the monarch of Iran. He brought that royal carpet to the Shah, and the nobles let him pass. He laid it down on New Year’s Day. The Shah’s joy was complete. That carpet provided an opportunity for celebration. They called for wine and music.
Academic view
Ernst Herzfeld meticulously examines historical descriptions of the unique and complex throne-like mechanical device associated with the Sasanian King Khosrow II. The core of the analysis revolves around the descriptions of a remarkable celestial-themed object, mentioned in Persian sources like Firdausi's Shahname and Byzantine accounts from chroniclers like Kedrenos: a structure that included a moving celestial sphere displaying the zodiac, planets, and mechanisms to simulate rain and thunder. Herzfeld argues that this object was not a conventional throne but rather a sophisticated astronomical clockwork—an ancient automaton—whose fantastical features, often conflated with a royal seat, are historically verifiable through both Eastern and Western traditions, including later medieval legends , possibly powered by animals.
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The device referred to as the Taqdis is considered an Astrological Automaton or mechanical clock, despite its frequent misidentification as a throne. This classification is based on compelling evidence derived from its described functional elements and mechanical purpose.
Functional Evidence for a Mechanical Clock
The identification of the Taqdis as a mechanical clock is rooted in specific characteristics documented in historical sources, which align it with the tradition of late antique Greek Gnomonik (the study of time measurement).
Astronomical and Time-Telling Functions
The primary function of the Taqdis was the simulation of celestial movements and the determination of time, confirming its nature as a clock:
- Display of the Cosmos: The device was designed to display the starry sky. Specifically, it included representations of the 12 signs of the Zodiac and the 7 Planets (from Saturn to the Moon), along with the Sun.
- Mechanized Movement: It featured a mechanism that set these celestial images in movement. This movement caused the simulated heaven to wander over the earth and allowed the Moon to run through its phases.
- Chronological Utility: The explicit purpose of this motion was practical timekeeping and astrological prediction: "so that one could read the hours of the day and the night and horoscopes from them."
This combination of movable celestial bodies, zodiac signs, and the capacity to read the hours confirms its classification as an astrological mechanical clock. It is situated in the evolutionary timeline between older examples, like the clock of Ctesibios (c. 270 B.C.), and later ones, such as the clock of Gaza (c. 500 CE) and the clock of Djazari (1206 CE).
Advanced Mechanical Effects
Further confirming its advanced mechanical nature, the device was designed to simulate environmental phenomena:
- Weather Effects: The structure contained machines that were commissioned to produce drops of water resembling rain and generate noises resembling thunder. These elements demonstrate complex internal mechanisms.
- Power Source: The Western tradition (the Saxon World Chronicle) even suggested a rationalistic drive mechanism: the work was pulled by hidden horses and other strong animals placed underneath the earth. This emphasis on mechanical drive underscores that it was an engineered apparatus.
Separation from the Throne
While descriptions of the Taqdis often contain elements common to Persian thrones—such as being built on a platform with a canopy, made of gold and jewels, and featuring figures of the King and dignitaries—the purely astrological and mechanical characteristics are elements that cannot be reconciled with the definition of a mere throne. The existence of these non-throne elements—the starry sky, the mobile mechanism, and the calculation functions—forms the "remainder of elements" which demonstrates that the structure was undoubtedly an astronomical mechanical clock. The name Taqdis itself is suggested to hint that the work was only "throne-like" and not a true throne, for which the name would be considered "very inappropriate."
Discussion
Both Western and Persian sources describe a grand, mechanically advanced structure linked to Khosrow II, filled with cosmic and celestial symbolism. The art astrological clock is a brilliant theory. Yet many details remain unclear or questionable.
Some accounts mention that a
hidden drive system—horses placed underground to move the structure. This may have been an attempt to explain a technology the writers didn’t understand. Still, the idea of powering a complex tower clock with livestock seems unrealistic.
Some sources mention Khosrow placed the
True Cross beside his throne. That’s the only detail given about its connection to the tower or clock. How some pieces of decayed wood were used in such elaborate tower and why a pagan valued such trophies are unanswered questions.
Water was reportedly brought to the top through
hidden pipes (
occultas fistulas) and
channels (
meatus aquae). While the astrological clock theory is intriguing, it doesn’t explain the presence of these hidden water conduits.
According to Firdausi, the throne of Khosrow was adorned with 140,000
plaques of gold, each intricately patterned with turquoise. Every nail and clamp securing the structure was made of
solid silver, with each piece weighing approximately 66 miskals—that is, about 280 grams. Firdausi further describes a thousand spherical ornaments of gold and silver, glowing like burning logs in a fire. Each of these radiant spheres weighed 500 miskals, or roughly 2.1 kilograms, and appeared coral-colored from the heat. These lavish metal components do not correspond to any known elements of clockwork.
Wikipedia notes that mechanical clocks began appearing
in Europe around 1300–1330, though their origins are still debated.
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Hypothesis: The True Cross as an Electrochemical Archetype
This hypothesis proposes a reinterpretation of the "True Cross" relic. It suggests that its profound significance and purported power may not have originated from its status as a physical fragment of the crucifixion, but rather from its association with a lost science concerning electrochemical energy. In this framework, the True Cross is re-envisioned not as a technological object
per se, but as a symbolic and practical key to a foundational energy principle—specifically, the generation of electricity through galvanic reaction. The legendary descriptions of the Takht-e Taqdis, the throne of the Sasanian King Khosrow II, provide a potential context for the application of this principle. The structure's reported features—its extensive use of gold and silver, hidden hydraulic conduits, and dynamic effects like motion and simulated thunder—align remarkably well with the core components of electrochemical cells.
The Proposed Electrochemical Model
The theoretical operation of the throne can be deconstructed using the fundamental components of a primary battery, as elucidated by Alessandro Volta centuries later:
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Electrodes (Anode and Cathode): The lavish use of gold and silver throughout the structure is critical. These precious metals, beyond their value, serve as ideal, non-corroding electrodes. The entire edifice, with its silver foundations and golden and silver objects, could have functioned as a massive, interconnected array of anodic and cathodic points.
Electrolyte Circulation System: The "hidden conduits" described in medieval chronicles are re-interpreted not merely as channels for spectacle, but as a circulatory network for an electrolytic solution. This fluid, potentially a weak acid would have been dispersed throughout the structure to facilitate ionic exchange between the metal electrodes.
Power Generation and Scaling: While a single galvanic cell produces minimal voltage, the hypothesis posits that the interconnected nature of the metallic structure—acting as a vast series of coupled cells—could have generated a significant cumulative electrical potential. This harvested energy could then have been channeled to power various effects.
The Electrochemical Explanation for Artificial Thunder: The medieval chroniclers' rationalization that hidden animals powered the thunder of the Takht-e Taqdis is fundamentally implausible, as animal-driven mechanics alone cannot replicate the essential nature of thunder, which is an electrical phenomenon characterized by a simultaneous shockwave (sound) and intense flash of light. In contrast, a speculative electrochemical hypothesis provides a more coherent explanation: The stored electrical energy could be released as an arc discharge. This sudden ionization of air would create a brilliant spark and a concussive acoustic report, perfectly mimicking the natural spectacle of lightning and thunder, thereby enabling King Khosrow's throne to produce the awe-inspiring, god-like phenomenon that mere animal power could never achieve.
Conclusion
The legend of the Takht-e Taqdis sits at the crossroads of history and myth. While scholars generally see it as a magnificent mechanical clock and throne, its spectacular descriptions—of thunder, moving heavens, and hidden power—continue to spark wonder. the electrochemical hypothesis offers a provocative hypothesis. It reinterprets the lavish use of gold and silver, the hidden conduits, and the phenomena of artificial thunder.
For those who believe in the lost technologies of the past, the Takht-e Taqdis can be an interesting subject—urging us to look closer, challenge mainstream history, and search for clues that might connect its legends to real scientific knowledge.
