Cross

Thomas Butts purchased many of Blake's pictures; among them were this striking member of Illustrations to the Bible:

from Commons Wikipedia

Notice the Roman Soldiers at the foot of the cross gambling

for the Robe of Jesus.

In his poetry Blake had a lot to say about the Cross:
From the Four Zoas; Erdman 385:
And Los & Enitharmon took the Body of the Lamb
Down from the Cross & placd it in a Sepulcher which Los had hewn 
For himself in the Rock of Eternity trembling & in despair Jerusalem wept over the Sepulcher two thousand Years

PLATE 5 of Milton (Erdman 98)
Palamabron with the fiery Harrow in morning returning 
From breathing fields. Satan fainted beneath the artillery Christ took on Sin in the Virgins Womb, & put it off on the Cross

Plate 22 of Milton (Erdman 118)
And these are the cries of the Churches before the two witnesses[']
Faith in God the dear Saviour who took on the likeness of men: 
Becoming obedient to death, even the death of the Cross 
The Witnesses lie dead in the Street of the Great City 
No Faith is in all the Earth: the Book of God is trodden under Foot:
He sent his two Servants Whitefield & Westley; were they Prophets 
Or were they Idiots or Madmen?  


Jerusalem, 27prose; E174:
the Lamb of God, the Saviour became apparent on Earth as the Prophets had foretold? The Return of Israel is a Return to Mental Sacrifice & War. Take up the Cross O Israel & follow Jesus.

---

In regard to the cross and the crucifixion Blake appears to be
perfectly traditional; but in regard to the theology of it, that's
another matter.