Tom Steyer draws a medieval symbol on his hand in pen every day to remind himself to always tell the truth

kcorcoran@businessinsider.com (Kieran Corcoran)
Tom Steyer Jerusalem Cross hand detail zoom
Tom Steyer Jerusalem Cross hand detail zoom

AP/Business Insider

  • Tuesday night's Democratic presidential debate introduced the billionaire candidate Tom Steyer to a new audience — many of whom noticed a symbol on his hand.

  • It is called the Jerusalem Cross, a Christian symbol with origins in the medieval Crusades.

  • Steyer has said he draws the symbol on his hand every day as a reminder of the importance of telling the truth.

  • Visit Business Insider's home page for more stories.

Tom Steyer had two cut-through moments at Tuesday night's Democratic presidential debate in Iowa — though neither had to do with his policies.

One was his status as the awkward man in the middle as Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders confronted each other over whether Sanders in 2018 told Warren that a woman could not win the 2020 presidency.

The second was a moderate surge in social-media attention on the unusual symbol he sported on his left hand.

The symbol, a large cross surrounded by four smaller ones, is called a Jerusalem Cross, and it dates back to medieval times.

According to Steyer, he draws it on himself every morning with a pen. He has spoken about the symbol plenty before, but it got extra prominence this week because of his status as one of just six Democrats to qualify for the latest televised debate.

In an interview with BuzzFeed News in October, Steyer said "for a while now I have drawn it on my hand every day to remind myself to tell the truth."

Tom Steyer hand cross
Tom Steyer hand cross

Reuters/Eric Thayer

Steyer said he found out the name of the symbol only after he started drawing it.

The Jerusalem Cross has roots in medieval Christianity, particularly the Crusades, in which European Christians tried to invade and hold Jerusalem and the area around it.

It is seen on armor, shields, and coins and in paintings from the medieval period.

According to Dan Jones, an author cited by The Washington Post for his expertise on Christian symbolism, the Jerusalem Cross is often a symbol of pilgrimage to the city.

It is not unusual, however, for different people and groups to use the symbol for different purposes.

Jones' work was used as context for an article about Donald Trump Jr. posing with an AR-15-style rifle marked with a Jerusalem Cross.

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