Temple of the Cross The Temple of the Cross is the highest of the three temples at Palenque and has the grandest staircase. The design of this temple almost completely mirrors that of the other two. Citation The above model is a model of the Temple of the Cross. It is located in the American Museum of Natural History. While the structure is very similar to the others, the main difference lies in the temple, where a panel is placed that shows the ascension to the throne of Chan-Bahlum, son of Pacal (the man who finished the Palace). The image below is that of a Bas Relief on the Rear Wall of the Temple of the Foliated Cross (a very similar one was in the Temple of the Cross, now it is in the National Museum inMexico City). The cross in the middle is thought to represent the Maya World Tree with the Celestial Bird perched on top. The man on the left is Chan-Bahlum. The man on the right is Pacal. Citation For information about the Palace, click here. To return to Palenque, click here. This site is maintained by Ryan Cohagan at Creighton University. Please feel free to visit our course syllabus. My e-mail address is cohagan@creighton.edu I would appreciate some feedback. Created: November 10, 2001 Updated: December 12, 2001