Ichthys

The ichthys or ichthus (ˈɪkθəs), from the Greek (ἰχθύς, 1st cent. AD Koine Greek pronunciation: ikhˈthys, "fish") is (in its modern rendition) a symbol consisting of two intersecting arcs, the ends of the right side extending beyond the meeting point so as to resemble the profile of a fish. It has been speculated that the symbol was adopted by early Christians as a secret symbol; a shibboleth to determine if another was indeed Christian. It is now known colloquially as the "sign of the fish" or the "Jesus fish". The first appearances of the ichthys in Christian art and literature dates to the 2nd century. The symbol's use among Christians had become popular by the late 2nd century, and its use spread widely in the 3rd and 4th centuries. In early Christian history, the ichthys symbol held "the most sacred significance." It has been claimed that Christians used it to recognize churches and other believers during a time when they faced persecution in the Roman Empire, although this interpretation has more recently been doubted. The ichthys symbol is also a reference to "the Holy Eucharist, with which the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes had such intimate connection both in point of time and significance." Depicted in the Catacombs of Saint Sebastian and of the Catacomb of Priscilla, the symbol is also mentioned in the Latin text titled Oracula Sibillina which dates back to the 1st-2nd century. ἸΧΘΥΣ (), or also ἸΧΘΥΣ with a lunate sigma, is an acronym or acrostic for "Ἰησοῦς Χρῑστός Θεοῦ Υἱός Σωτήρ", ; contemporary Koine, which translates into English as 'Jesus Christ, God's Son, Savior'. Iota (i), Iēsoûs (Ἰησοῦς), "Jesus" Chi (ch), Khrīstós (Χρῑστός), "anointed" Theta (th), (Θεοῦ), "of God", the genitive singular of Θεóς, Theós, "God" Ypsilon (y or u), (Yἱός), "Son" Sigma (s), (Σωτήρ), "Savior" Augustine quotes an ancient text from the Sibylline oracles whose verses are an acrostic of the generating sentence. A fourth century adaptation of ichthys uses a round shape to represent the letters ἸΧΘΥΣ in the eight lines that bisect the shape.