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Why was there a little fish on the Jerusalem prison wall in Paulo, o Apóstolo?

Discover the historical fish symbol used by early Christians, its Greek acronym and how its meaning expanded through the years of persecution.

2 min readBy Editorial team

Although fish are connected to biblical moments of great importance, such as the multiplication of loaves and fish (Matthew 14:15-21), or when Jesus called His fisherman disciples, saying, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men" (Matthew 4:19), their use as a symbol is historical rather than strictly biblical.

The image was adopted as a kind of code among the first Christians, a way to communicate and identify those sharing their faith during times of Roman persecution.

Fish symbol in A Vida de Jó

Known by the Greek word ΙΧΘΥΣ (pronounced ichthys), it is an acronym for the phrase Iesous Christos, Theou Yios Soter, translated as "Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior".

I - Iesous - Jesus Ch - Christous - Christ Th - Theou - God Y - Yios - Son S - Soter - Savior

Over time, what was merely a form of communication necessary to survive persecution became a symbol of Christianity and proof of its endurance through it.

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