When the Romans tried to wipe out the Christian religion during the first 300 years after Jesus died, Christians developed signs to identify themselves to one another in order to avoid persecution.
The earliest symbol was a fish. When Romans saw a fish painted on a doorway or etched into the stone wall of a tomb, they may have though it was to identify someone as a fisherman. Actually, it identified the people and Christians. Believers chose this symbol for many reasons, including the Gospel accounts of Jesus calling his disciples. According to Matthew, Jesus told his Apostles, most of whom were fishermen, that he would make them "fish for people" (Mt 4:19).
Eventually, other symbols came to secretly represent Christians, too. They included doves, ships, and anchors. Another early Christian symbol was the hooked cross, with four equal arms bent at right angles. This symbol, also called the swastika, was adopted by the Nazis in modern times. Christians used this symbol as a disguised cross.
It wasn't until Rome adopted Christianity as its official religion in the fourth century that the cross became an emblem of Christ's sacrifice for sin and of his victory over death.
Did you know?
Before the hooked cross became a Christian symbol, it was used in Europe, China, and Egypt. American Indians also used it to represent the sun.
Although the cross is the most famous symbol of Christianity, the fish was probably the first widely recognized symbol of the new faith. Christians apparently used the image of a fish as a secret code to identify themselves to one another while the Romans were persecuting them, trying to stamp out the new religion. Archeologists have found fish symbols in Christian tombs, on doorposts, and in Christian meeting places in the catacombs, the underground burial chambers beneath Rome.
The early Christians used the fish as a symbol because ichthys, the Greek word for "fish" was made up of the first letter of each word in the Greek phrase that means, "Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour."
There are several other reasons why Christians may have chosen the fish symbol. When Jesus called his Apostles, many of whom were fishermen, he said, "Follow me, and I will make you fish for people" (Mt 4:19). The fish symbol also reminded Christians of the time Jesus used one boy's lunch of bread and fish to feed a crowd of thousands. In addition, fish may have reminded Christians of their baptism into the faith, when they were dipped into water, usually in streams or lakes. Church leaders even began referring to new Christian believers as "little fish."
