Ichthys Symbolism

You see an abundance it of everywhere now a days, a simple yet definitive “fish” symbol. It can be seen on the backs of car windows, bumpers, churches, carvings and on jewelry. This symbol, the Ichthys, has been around for thousands of years. Explanations surrounding this symbol are somewhat controversial and ignites great debate. With that in mind, where did this simple fish come from? Who established it? Was the meaning of this symbol the same back then as it today? Not only are there are mounds of speculation to the different meanings each characteristic the fish contains but, the origin of where the fish symbol first came from is not distinct. According to my research I argue that the Ichthys symbol was actually not created with the

Moreover, the Ichthys is an acronym of sorts. To say that this symbol is the Ichthys symbol makes sense because the translation into English literally means “fish”. However, what is the original name of fish related symbols? Unfortunately, there is no specific “original” name connected to the fish besides Pagan Goddess names, Babylonian priests in “fish suits” and the Greek letter alpha. It is imperative to note again that the Christian symbol had “ἰχθύς” written inside or around it, giving it the now obvious name Ichthys. With this evidence in mind, the depictions from Pagan’s and Babylonians suggests that their fish art was merely a visual interpretation of a man. In contrast, the Ichthys symbol carried far more symbolic weight and meaning that went far beyond its aesthetics in comparison to the prior

Through the strength of Christian tradition, this symbol is kept alive and carries a deeper, greater meaning. However, keep in mind that the Christian’s did not create the actual symbol but they instilled a new meaning within it that was then carried by the symbol. Even though there is a lot of controversy surrounding the actuality of this tomb being that of Jesus’s, it is still the earliest Christian tomb found dating to 70 AD. This suggests that the fish had great importance to Christian’s knowing that the Ichthys dates back to the very time Christ was around. This contributes to the idea that the meaning of the fish symbol evolved to how we know it as today because of the actuality of its meaning at early existence near 0