Codex of FaithsAn illustrated atlas of belief

Animals

Ichthys

The ichthys, the fish symbol of early Christianity: the Greek acrostic hidden in its name, its use in the catacombs and its revival as the “Jesus fish” today.

Also called Jesus fish · Ichthus · Christian fish

In brief

  1. I.Ichthys is the Greek word for “fish”.
  2. II.Its letters form an acrostic: Iesous Christos Theou Yios Soter, “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour”.
  3. III.Early Christians used the fish in art and inscriptions, especially in the 2nd to 4th centuries.
  4. IV.Since the 1970s it has been revived as a popular emblem, often on cars.

Chapter I

What it means

The fish was a way of confessing faith in one word. The five Greek letters of ichthys begin the words “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour”, a short creed.

It also carried Gospel stories: the calling of the fishermen, the miraculous catches, the feeding of the multitude. In early art fish and bread together recall the Eucharist, the meal of bread and wine at the centre of Christian worship.

Chapter II

Where it comes from

The fish appears in Christian art and inscriptions from the late 2nd century, in the catacombs of Rome and on gravestones. A famous inscription of Abercius, bishop of Hierapolis, speaks of the “fish from the spring”. After the 4th century, as the cross took over, the fish faded.

Chapter III

Where you see it today

Since the 1970s the simple outline of the fish has become a popular sign of Christian identity, seen on cars, jewellery and business signs. Parodies and counter-symbols also exist, which shows how familiar it has become.

Questions people ask

Was the fish a secret sign?

A popular story says Christians drew half a fish in the sand to identify each other. It makes a good tale, but there is no ancient evidence for it.

Why a fish?

Besides the acrostic, the Gospels are full of fish: the apostles were fishermen, Jesus called them “fishers of men”, and he fed crowds with loaves and fishes.

Sources and further reading

  1. Encyclopaedia Britannica, “Early Christian art”
  2. Robin M. Jensen, Understanding Early Christian Art (Routledge, 2000)
  3. Encyclopaedia Britannica, “Religious symbolism and iconography”

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