The Tau Cross

This form was often used in ancient Egypt as a label on water 

jars and may have evolved from a reference to the sun god. 

The tau cross is known as the cross of the old testament and 

was a mark for the Israelites to distinguish themselves from 

other pagan religions of the time.

The Egyptian Cross

This form was also known as the "ankh" and was purely an Egyptian

symbol often used in hieroglyphics. This shape represented physical 

and eternal life which was of great importance to the pharaohs, hence

the building of the pyramids to ensure their immortality. This shape has

some modern usage seen in a sign for the planet Venus, the element

copper, and the female sex.

The Greek Cross

This cross is made of four equal lengths and was very common in

ancient Greece around 1500 BC. It also is known to have been used on

 Assyrian and Persian architecture, coins and statues.

The Coptic Cross

This cross form is a hybrid of many influences. Dating around 60 AD, 

this shape came to be after the conquest of Egypt by the Greeks. The

Coptic alphabet was developed at this time as a variation of the Greek

alphabet. This variant came about with the spread of early Christian

influences by the apostle Mark through Greek and Egyptian cities. This

cross was placed in many of these areas and reflects the melding of

 these cultures.

The Chi-Rho Cross

This cross is made of the Greek letters P and an X which, if said in Latin, 

sound like "chi" and "rho," the beginning of the word "Christos." Before

Christianity, the symbol stood for good fortune and was very similar to 

the symbol used for the sun god. Roman emperor Constantine used this 

"cross-over" symbol regularly since he was a pagan, as was all of Rome 

prior to his establishment of Christianity as the official religion in the 

fourth century.

The Latin or Roman Cross

This shape is the standard accepted form of today's Christian faith. It is

comprised of three equal length legs and a bottom length of twice the

side or top. This shape came to a consensus in the 3rd century by 

Christian scholars who claim it is the proportions of the cross on which 

Jesus was crucified.

This is a rather unusual cross as it relates to the way Saint Andrew was 

crucified. According to tradition, Andrew did not feel worthy to be 

crucified on the same shape of cross as Jesus. He requested at his 

execution to be placed on an X-shaped cross. This symbol was used 

mostly in the medieval period. It is the national cross of Scotland and 

the oldest flag symbol since St. Andrew is the patron saint of that country.

This is another unusual one in that it relates to the way that St. Peter 

was crucified. Apparently it was performed on an inverted cross. Also 

this form has taken importance to satanic religions as a means of 

opposing the faith of the Christians.

This shape originated in Britain mostly around Scotland and Ireland in 

the 8th century. An Irish legend tells that this form was created by 

Saint Patrick as he inscribed a  pagan moon goddess symbol onto a 

Latin cross as an aid to converting the pagan Celtic population. Current 

Irish Catholic interpretations for the circle is a symbol of eternity, the 

endlessness of God's love, or a halo emanating from Christ.

This form was adopted by the Russian Orthodox church in the Lorraine, 

France region. The cross is often known as the Lorraine cross. The extra 

bar at the top is believed to represent the plate above Jesus' head on 

which was written IESVS NAZARENVS REX IVDAEORVM, (usually shown 

as INRI), which translates to English as: "Jesus the Nazarene, King of 

the Jews".

The Baptismal Cross

This shape is superimposed on the Greek chi. This is the first letter of 

the Greek word "Christ." It has eight legs and the number eight is 

symbolic of rebirth. Therefore, it is often referred to as the baptismal 

cross.

The Papal Cross

This is the official cross used by the pope of the Catholic Church at the 

Vatican in Rome. No other person is authorized to use it. The three bars 

represent authority in the church, in the world, and in heaven.

This is the symbol originating from St. Clement, a Roman bishop, who 

was reportedly tied to a similar anchor by emperor Trajan and thrown 

into the sea. These days it is seen as a reminder to hold fast to the 

faith in all of life's storms.

Alchemy Crosses

Alchemy is a secretive religion of sorts whereby it is felt that by 

understanding the components of nature and chemical reaction, certain 

keys or paths to understanding the "hand of god" can be found. These 

symbols are used to represent different chemicals often used by the 

alchemist.

The Mathematical Cross

This is the plus sign now familiar in mathematics and on the flags of 

Switzerland, the American Red Cross, and many others.  It is of recent 

origin (first recorded in Mercantile Arithmetic by Johannes Widmann in 

Germany in 1489).

The Maltese Cross

This is a development of the Greek cross where its ends are flared out 

creating eight points. As the baptismal cross featured eight points, this 

one also refers to the idea of regeneration. It was also readily seen 

used as a badge for the Knights of Malta and has medieval origins.