As its name implies, this cross is closely associated with the period of Christian rule in the Holy Land (c.1100-1291). According to tradition, it was the Frankish nobleman Godfrey de Bouillon who first adopted the symbol as a heraldic device, and after the establishment of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem in 1099-1100, it was incorporated into kingdom's the coat of arms.

There have been many symbolic meanings connected to the cross, the most common of which are, 1) the five wounds of Christ and 2) Christ himself surrounded by the Four Evangelists (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John).

Even after Christian power in the Holy Land declined and was eventually driven by Islamic forces in the late 13th century, the cross remained an important symbol and is still in use today as a motif for jewelry and other decorative items.