Christian symbols and signs

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

Visiting temples and opening church books, we are faced with a large number of all kinds of religious symbols, the meaning of which is sometimes not entirely clear. This is especially noticeable when you have to look at icons, as well as frescoes, paintings or engravings created on biblical subjects many centuries ago. To understand their secret language, let's get acquainted with some of the most commonly used symbols in them and talk about their origin.

Secret signs of the first Christians

The earliest Christian symbols are found on the walls of the Roman catacombs, where the followers of the teachings of Jesus Christ, in an atmosphere of severe persecution by the authorities, secretly performed worship. These images are different from those that we are used to seeing on the walls of our temples today. Ancient Christian symbols were in the nature of cryptography that united fellow believers, and yet they already contained a very definite theological meaning.

Christians of the first centuries did not know the icons in the form in which they exist today, and on the walls of the catacombs they depicted not the Savior Himself, but only symbols expressing certain aspects of himentities. A careful study of them reveals the full depth of the theology of the early Church. Among the most frequently encountered images, one can see the Good Shepherd, the Lamb, baskets of bread, vines and many other symbols. Somewhat later, already in the 5th-6th centuries, when Christianity turned from a sect persecuted by the authorities into a state religion, the Cross was added to them.

Christian symbols and their meanings, incomprehensible to the catechumens, that is, people who have not yet been initiated into the meaning of the doctrine and who have not received Holy Baptism, were a kind of visual sermon for members of the Church. They became a continuation of the parables of Jesus Christ, uttered by him in front of crowds of listeners, but the meaning of which he revealed only to a close circle of his disciples.

The first symbolic images of the Savior

One of the earliest symbolic subjects of catacomb painting is the Adoration of the Magi scene. The researchers found twelve such frescoes dating back to the 2nd century, that is, made about a century after the events described in the Gospel. They have a deep theological meaning. The wise men of the East, who came to worship the Nativity of the Savior, seem to testify to the prediction of his appearance by the ancient prophets and symbolize the inextricable link between the Old and New Testaments.

About the same period, an inscription appeared on the walls of the catacombs, made in Greek letters ΙΧΘΥΣ (in translation - "fish"). In Russian reading it sounds like "Ihtis". itan acronym, that is, a stable form of an abbreviation that has received an independent meaning. It is formed from the initial letters of the Greek words that make up the expression "Jesus Christ God's Son the Savior", and it contains the main symbol of the Christian faith, which was then detailed in the documents of the Nicaea Ecumenical Council, held in 325 in Asia Minor. The Good Shepherd, as well as Ichthys, are considered the first images of Jesus Christ in the art of the early Christian period.

It is curious to note that in the early Christian symbolism this acronym, denoting the Son of God who descended into the world, really corresponded to the image of a fish. Scientists find several explanations for this. Usually point to the disciples of Christ, many of whom were originally fishermen. In addition, they recall the words of the Savior that the Kingdom of Heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, in which there are fish of various kinds. This also includes numerous Gospel episodes related to fishing and feeding the hungry (hungry) with it.

What is Christ?

The symbols of Christian teachings include such a very common sign as "Christmas". It appeared, as is commonly believed, back in apostolic times, but became widespread from the 4th century, and is an image of the Greek letters Χ and Ρ, which are the beginning of the word ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ, which means the Messiah or the Anointed of God. Often, in addition to them, the Greek letters α (alpha) and ω (omega) were placed on the right and left, reminiscent of the words of Christ that he is Alpha andOmega, that is, the beginning and end of all things.

Images of this sign are often found on coins, in mosaic compositions, as well as on reliefs that adorned sarcophagi. A photo of one of them is given in the article. In Russian Orthodoxy, Christ has acquired a slightly different meaning. The letters X and P are deciphered as the beginning of the Russian words Christ was Born, which made this sign a symbol of the Incarnation. In the design of modern churches, it is found as often as other most famous Christian symbols.

The cross is a symbol of Christ's faith

Strange as it may seem, the first Christians did not worship the Cross. The main symbol of the Christian faith became widespread only in the 5th century. The first Christians did not make images of him. However, after its appearance, for a short time it became an obligatory accessory of every temple, and then the wearable symbolism of a believer.

It should be noted that on the most ancient crucifixes Christ was depicted alive, dressed in clothes, and often crowned with a royal crown. Moreover, He, as a rule, was given a triumphant appearance. The crown of thorns, nails, as well as the wounds and blood of the Savior appeared only in images dating from the 9th century, that is, during the late Middle Ages.

The Lamb made an atoning sacrifice

Many Christian symbols originate from their Old Testament prototypes. Among them is another image of the Savior, made in the form of a Lamb. It contains one of the fundamental tenets of religion about the sacrifice madeChrist for the atonement of human sins. As in ancient times the lamb was given to the slaughter to propitiate God, so now the Lord himself laid His only begotten Son on the altar to deliver people from the burden of original sin.

In early Christian times, when the followers of the new faith were forced to observe secrecy, this symbol was very convenient because only the initiates could understand its meaning. For everyone else, it remained a harmless image of a lamb, which could be applied anywhere without hiding.

However, at the Sixth Ecumenical Council, held in 680 in Constantinople, this symbol was banned. Instead, it was prescribed in all images to give Christ an exclusively human appearance. The explanation stated that in this way a greater correspondence to historical truth would be achieved, as well as simplicity in its perception by believers would be created. From that day began the history of the iconography of the Savior.

The same cathedral issued another decree that has not lost force to this day. Based on this document, it was forbidden to make any images of the Life-Giving Cross on the ground. The explanation, quite logically and sensibly, indicated that it was unacceptable to trample under foot that thanks to which we were all delivered from the curse that weighed on humanity after the original fall.

Lily and anchor

There are also Christian symbols and signs generated by Holy Tradition and Scripture. One of them is a stylized image of a lily. Histhe appearance is due to the fact that, according to legend, the Archangel Gabriel, having appeared to the Virgin Mary with the good news of her great destiny, held this particular flower in his hand. Since then, the white lily has become a symbol of the virginity of the Blessed Virgin.

This was the reason that in medieval icon painting it became a tradition to depict saints with a lily in their hands, who became famous for the purity of their lives. The same symbol dates back to pre-Christian times. In one of the Old Testament books, called the Song of Songs, it is said that the temple of the great King Solomon was decorated with lilies, which connected this flower with the image of a wise ruler.

Considering Christian symbols and their meanings, it is also necessary to remember the image of the anchor. It came into use thanks to the words of the apostle Paul from his "Epistle to the Hebrews". In it, the champion of the true faith likens the hope of the fulfillment of God's promise to a safe and strong anchor that invisibly connects the members of the Church to the Kingdom of Heaven. As a result, the anchor has become a symbol of hope for the salvation of the soul from eternal death, and its image can often be found among other Christian symbols.

Image of a dove in Christian symbols

As mentioned above, the content of Christian symbols should often be sought among biblical texts. In this regard, it is appropriate to recall the image of a dove, which has a double interpretation. In the Old Testament, he was assigned the role of bearer of the good news when, with an olive branch in his beak, he returned to Noah's ark, signaling that the waters of the flood had receded and the danger was over. In this context, the dove has becomea symbol of peace and prosperity within the framework of not only religious, but also generally accepted throughout the world symbolism.

On the pages of the New Testament, the dove becomes a visible personification of the Holy Spirit that descended on Christ at the moment of His baptism in the Jordan. Therefore, in the Christian tradition, his image acquired precisely this meaning. The dove symbolizes the third hypostasis of the one God - the Holy Trinity.

Images symbolizing the four evangelists

The Old Testament, or rather, the Ps alter, which is one of his books, refers to the image of an eagle, symbolizing youth and strength. The basis for this was the words attributed to King David and contained in the 102nd psalm: “Your youth will be renewed like an eagle (like an eagle). It is no coincidence that the eagle became the symbol of the Apostle John, the youngest of the evangelists.

It would also be appropriate to mention the Christian symbols denoting the authors of the other three canonical Gospels. The first of them - the Evangelist Matthew - corresponds to the image of an angel, embodying the image of the messianic destiny of the Son of God, sent into the world for its salvation. Evangelist Mark follows him. It is customary to depict a lion next to him, symbolizing the royal dignity of the Savior and His power. The third evangelist (the word "Gospel" in translation means "good news") is the Evangelist Luke. It is accompanied by a sacrificial lamb or calf, emphasizing the redemptive meaning of the earthly ministry of the Son of God.

These symbols of the Christian religion are invariably found in paintingsOrthodox churches. Usually they can be seen placed on the four sides of the vault supporting the dome, in the center of which, as a rule, the Savior is depicted. In addition, they, along with the image of the Annunciation, traditionally decorate the Royal Doors.

Symbols whose meaning is not always clear

Often, visitors to Orthodox churches are surprised by the image of a six-pointed star in them - the same as on the national flag of Israel. It would seem, what connection can Orthodox Christian symbols have with this purely Jewish sign? In fact, there is nothing to be surprised here - the six-pointed star in this case only emphasizes the connection of the New Testament Church with its Old Testament predecessor, and has nothing to do with politics.

By the way, let's also remember the eight-pointed star, which is also an element of Christian symbolism. In recent years, it has often been used to decorate the tops of Christmas and New Year trees. It is designed to depict that star of Bethlehem, which on Christmas night showed the Magi the way to the cave in which the Savior was born.

And one more questionable character. At the base of the crosses crowning the domes of Orthodox churches, one can often see a crescent moon placed in a horizontal position. Since in itself it belongs to Muslim religious paraphernalia, such a composition is often misinterpreted, giving it an expression of the triumph of Christianity over Islam. In reality, this is not the case.

Lyinghorizontally, the crescent in this case is a symbolic image of the Christian church, which is given the image of a ship or boat carrying believers through the stormy waters of the sea of \u200b\u200blife. By the way, this symbol is also one of the earliest, and it can be seen in one form or another on the walls of the Roman catacombs.

Christian symbol of the Trinity

Before talking about this important section of Christian symbolism, one should focus on the fact that, unlike the pagan triads, which always included three independent and separately “existing” deities, the Christian Trinity represents the unity of Her three hypostases, inseparable from each other, but not merged into a single whole. God is one in three persons, each of which reveals one of the sides of His essence.

In accordance with this, starting from the period of early Christianity, symbols were created intended for the visual embodiment of this trinity. The most ancient of them are images of three intertwined rings or fish. They were found on the walls of the Roman catacombs. They can be considered the earliest for the reason that the dogma of the Holy Trinity itself, having appeared only at the end of the 2nd century, was developed in the next century, and was officially enshrined in the documents of the Nicaean Council of 325, which was already mentioned above.

Also, the elements of symbolism, meaning the Holy Trinity, although they appeared, as is commonly believed, a little later, should include an equilateral triangle, sometimes circled. Howand all other Christian symbols, it has a deep meaning. In this case, not only the trinity of God is emphasized, but also His infinity. Often, an image of an eye, or rather, the eye of God, is placed inside it, indicating that the Lord is all-seeing and omnipresent.

The history of the Church also knows more complex symbols of the Holy Trinity, which appeared in certain periods. But always and in all images there were invariably present elements indicating the unity and at the same time non-fusion of the three elements that make it up. They can often be seen in the design of many churches currently operating - both eastern and those related to the western directions of Christianity.