The Greek Origins of the Fish Symbol, the Secret Code of Early Christians

Funerary stele inscribed with “ΙΧΘΥϹ ΖΩΝΤΩΝ” (“fish of the living”), an aboriginal Christian symbol. National Roman Museum.
Credit: Marie-Lan Nguyen, Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain.

The humble fish, oregon ichthys (ἰχθύς) successful Greek, was a awesome that played a important relation successful the aboriginal years of Christian past erstwhile radical were acrophobic of telling others that they believed successful this caller religion.

The food (ichthys) was a awesome of Christian religion and a concealed code. It became a profound declaration of the aboriginal followers of Jesus, who abandoned idols and believed successful this caller religion.

This elemental yet effectual mode of expressing their content helped aboriginal Christians debar persecution portion expressing their admiration for their Savior.

The concealed codification of Christians with the ichthys word

Imagine walking done the streets of past Rome nether the shadiness of changeless fearfulness and persecution. You conscionable a stranger, unsure if they stock your religion oregon airs a threat. Instead of words, you gully a elemental arc successful the dirt. If the different idiosyncratic completes it with different arc to signifier the outline of a fish, you’ve recovered an ally; a idiosyncratic whose beliefs are arsenic extremist arsenic yours. If not, you’d beryllium safe, arsenic nary 1 would cognize wherefore you completed this ‘random’ arc.

As you tin understand, this was nary mean doodle—it was the ichthys, the Greek connection for “fish,” and it carried a concealed message.

The connection ichthys is an acronym for the Greek operation “Ιησούς Χριστός, Θεού Υιός, Σωτήρ,” (Iesous Christos, Theou Yios, Soter) meaning “Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Savior.”

Each missive represented a cornerstone of Christian belief: Ι (Iota) for Iesous (Jesus), Χ (Chi) for Christos (Christ), Θ (Theta) for Theou (of God), Υ (Upsilon) for Yios (Son), and Σ (Sigma) for Soter (Saviour).

This acronym wasn’t conscionable clever; it saved the lives of thousands of aboriginal Christians who had seen galore of their chap believers being persecuted, thrown into jail, and adjacent killed simply due to the fact that of their faith. During the Roman Empire’s brutal crackdowns connected Christians successful the 2nd and 3rd centuries, this awesome allowed believers to place with each different without saying a azygous word. It was Christianity’s mentation of a concealed handshake—simple yet profoundly useful.

The prime of the food arsenic a awesome was not simply a coincidence of the Greek language. It was besides profoundly rooted successful Scripture. Biblically, it reminded believers of stories that were foundational to Christian teachings.

Jesus called His disciples to beryllium “fishers of men” successful Matthew 4:19. Credits: John Snyder, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Jesus called for His disciples to beryllium “fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19), making the food an apt metaphor for spreading His message. The occurrence of feeding 5,000 radical with loaves and fishes (Matthew 14:13–21) was different illustration of however Christians saw the food arsenic a awesome of abundance and divine protection. Early religion fathers, similar Tertullian, adjacent linked the food to baptism, describing Christians arsenic “little fish” calved successful water—a poetic representation that made Christians acquainted with this element.

Practically speaking, the food awesome was already acquainted successful Greco-Roman civilization arsenic it was a fashionable motif for galore decorative elements successful Greek and aboriginal Roman households and nationalist places. This allowed Christians to usage it discreetly without raising immoderate suspicion. Its simplicity was different cardinal element, making it casual for them to gully quickly—something perfect for concealed connection during these hard times of persecution.

The ichthys besides adorned tombs, gathering places, and catacombs crossed the Mediterranean world. Archaeologists person uncovered food engravings successful places similar the Catacombs of St. Sebastian and Domitilla successful Rome, and the ancient Greek metropolis of Ephesus successful modern-day Turkey. In immoderate cases, the awesome appeared arsenic an eight-spoked instrumentality formed by overlapping the letters ΙΧΘΥΣ.

Fast guardant to today, and you’ll find the ichthys connected car bumpers, jewelry, and adjacent tattoos of devout Christians. Obviously, its modern usage is much decorative than covert, but it remains an important portion of Christian identity. It’s fascinating to deliberation that what erstwhile was virtually a lifeline for persecuted believers present is utilized arsenic an unfastened declaration of religion successful nationalist spaces.