In the foreground is the Temple Of The Inscriptions", so called because it contains the second longest known Mayan text describing a portion of the city's history. It was in fact built in 675 AD as a monument to one of the city's former rulers, Pakal the Great, the man responsible for the construction of many of Palenque's prominent surviving buildings. In the background is the Temple Of The Cross (built between 684 AD and 702 AD), so named by early Christian explorers because of a cross like relief discovered inside, which actually depicts the Mayan Tree Of Life, the core symbol of their religion.