Titulus Crucis

The Titulus Crucis (Latin for "Title of the Cross") is a relic kept in the Church of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme in Rome which is claimed to be the titulus (title panel, also known as the "superscription") of the True Cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. The relic's authenticity is disputed, with some scholars claiming a semiplausible authenticity, while a majority dispute or consider it to be a medieval forgery. Radiocarbon dating tests on the artifact have shown that it dates between 980 and 1146 AD. The board is made of walnut wood, 25 cm × 14 cm × 2.6 cm (9.8 in × 5.5 in × 1.0 in) and has a weight of 687 grams (1.515 lb). It is inscribed on one side with three lines, of which the first is mostly destroyed. The second line is written in Greek letters and reversed script, the third in Latin letters, also with reversed script. The Latin reads Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum ("Jesus the Nazarene King of the Jews"), corresponding to John 19:19 and the initials INRI. The Titulus Crucis is also mentioned in the Synoptics: in Mark 15:26 (as the reason of the crucifixion), in Luke 23:38 and in Matthew 27:37.