Ichthys

For the natural gas field, see Ichthys gas field. For the suffix "-ichthys" as used in taxonomy, see List of commonly used taxonomic affixes. For the mountain and promontory of ancient Elis, see Ichthys (Elis).
This article contains phonetic transcriptions in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). For an introductory guide on IPA symbols, see Help:IPA. For the distinction between [ ], / / and ⟨ ⟩, see IPA § Brackets and transcription delimiters.
Ichthys was adopted as a Christian symbol.

The ichthys or ichthus (/ˈɪkθəs/[1]), from the Greek ikhthū́s (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.[2][3] It is now known colloquially as the "Jesus fish".[4]

  1. ^ "ichthus". Oxford English Dictionary (third ed.). 2007.
  2. ^ Robert Mowat, “ΙΧΘΥΣ,” in Atti del II° congresso internazionale di archeologica cristi-ana tenuto in Roma nell’ aprile 1900 (Rome: Spithöver, 1902), 1–8
  3. ^ Rasimus, T. ,2011. Revisiting the Ichthys: A Suggestion Concerning the Origins of Christological Fish Symbolism. Pp 327-348 in Mystery and Secrecy in the Nag Hammadi Collection and Other Ancient Literature: Ideas and Practices. Biblical Studies, Ancient Near East and Early Christianity E-Books Online. "Such solutions, once popular, include the fish as a secret symbol for persecuted Christians or as a symbol for Christ mystically sacrificed in the Eucharist."
  4. ^ Los Angeles Times (1 April 2008). "Evolution of religious bigotry". Los Angeles Times.