Jesus Christ was born to the Virgin Mary on 25th December, the Christmas Eve nearly 2000 years ago. He had been sent by the God to redeem and salve the people from their sufferings and provide them eternal peace. The Holy Son, as was Jesus known, preached about the Kingdom of God and his many blessings for the people. This was misinterpreted by the religious rulers of that time. They felt threatened by his growing affection and affinity amongst the common masses.
They termed his spiritual thought as a political rebellion. They felt that they were losing ground in their own kingdom. Jesus was crucified and bled to death on a cross as a penance for all the sins that mankind had done. Easter Sunday is celebrated as a day of his resurrection.
Christianity started as a result of the teachings of Jesus from the roman province in Palestine and then went on to spread in the rest of Europe and finally to the entire world. With the passing time, this religion has been divided into three major branches – the Roman Catholics who trace their origins in the early disciples of Jesus, Eastern Orthodox Church which was formed in the 4th century but later got separated in 1054 and the Protestants who split from the Roman Catholics during the reformation period. Differences arose between the two spiritual thoughts due to the reformations that were introduced in the 16th and the 17th century related to the doctrines and practices of the Church.
As the religion spread, there was a widespread use of religious symbols to identify people of a similar spiritual thought. Some of the most commonly used symbols in Christianity could be given as follows:
The Anchor is a very early Christian symbol and it represents St. Clement of Rome who is said to have been tied to the anchor and thrown in the sea. This symbol has been found in the catacombs and it brings together a number of other nautical Christian symbols like fish, boat, and dolphin along with the cross. It usually signifies hope in the Holy Son.
Apple symbolizes sin in Christianity. This has happened because the Latin word for apple and evil is the same i.e. malum. This is one of the reasons why it is called the forbidden fruit in the story of Adam & Eve. When Christ is depicted as holding the apple , he does not represent sinful behavior but is known as Second Adam.
Chi Ro is one of the oldest Christian symbols and consists of the first two letters of Christ in Greek (XP) which is superimposed on one another. It is represented in multiple ways and is sometimes combined with the alpha and omega and other Christian symbols.
Dolphins represent Christ and his guiding principles as they swim along boats. Dolphins are also sometimes used to illustrate the story of Jonah, and in turn it makes dolphin a symbol of resurrection.
The dove represents the Holy Spirit, especially when it is depicted with a 3 barred halo. Without the halo it is the symbol of peace. Seven Doves surrounding the letters SS (Spiriti Sancti in Latin) represent the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit i.e. power, wealth, wisdom, strength, honor, glory and praise.
Fish is also one of the earlier symbols of Christianity and represents the Greek word for fish which implies Jesus “Christ, God’s Son, Savior”. This has also come to be taken as a symbol because Jesus Christ made many fishermen his disciples.
The history of Christianity and the symbols are inter twined with each other and are also helpful in identifying the spiritual inclination and identity of a person.
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