Was a cross called a cross before Jesus’s times?

Yes, the concept and term for a "cross" existed before the time of Jesus.

The cross was a known method of execution in ancient times, used by various cultures, including the Persians, Greeks, and Romans.

The word "cross" in English comes from the Latin "crux," which referred to a wooden instrument of execution used for crucifixion.

The Greeks had a similar word, "stauros," which originally meant an upright stake or pole but later came to mean a cross used for execution.

By the time of Jesus, the Romans had developed crucifixion into a common form of capital punishment for criminals and slaves.

They used several variations of the cross, including the traditional T-shaped and the X-shaped crosses, as well as simple upright stakes.

Thus, the term and the object it described were already in use before the crucifixion of Jesus, and the cross subsequently became a central symbol of Christianity due to its association with his death and resurrection.