6 Common Christian Symbols With No Biblical Basis

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Religions are filled with symbols. There is usually a specific symbol that seems to stand in for various faiths. The cross for example is the most quintessential Christian symbol that exists, and the Star of David is almost always associated with Judaism. There are, however, other symbols within each religion. Such symbols are not often associated with the religion by outsiders. Instead, they normally have meaning that is immediately understandable only by those inside the religion. There is often rich history behind those symbols, but it is not a history with which outsiders are familiar.

Such symbols are often an important part of religion, and Christianity is no different. There are a variety of symbols that only really make sense to Christians. Some are still recognizable as Christian symbols to outsiders, but the history and the meaning of the symbols is lost on them. That said, Christians often think that those common symbols come from the Bible. In reality, however, they come from Christian history and tradition. Here are six common Christian symbols with no biblical basis.

Ichthys

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After the cross and crucifix, the ichthys is probably the most easily recognized Christian symbol today. Also called the Jesus Fish, the ichthys is a highly stylized fish form of two identical, intersecting arcs. The fish is sometimes left plain. Other times it has the word “ichthys” written inside it in Greek.

Fish are mentioned repeatedly in the New Testament, but the ichthys was not originally created as a reference to the passage about the disciples becoming “fishers of men.” Instead, the ichthys originated in early Christianity in the Hellenistic world. The word “ichthys” comes from the Greek phrase “Iesous Christos, Theou Yios, Soter.” Translated “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior,” the first letters of each word spell out the Greek word for “fish.” The appearance of the phrase appears in Christian art and literature as early as the second century, and legend has it that Christians would use the fish symbol to identify each other when they were persecuted.

Chi Rho

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The Chi Rho symbol is not quite as rapidly identified with Christianity as the ichthys, but it is still a recognizable Christian symbol. Looking to modern eyes like a flattened ‘X’ appearing superimpose on a capital ‘P,’ the Chi Rho is formed by the combination of the first two Greek letters in the word “Christ,” chi and rho.

The Chi Rho symbol was first used by Constantine the Great in the fourth century. According to the historian Eusebius, Constantine saw the symbol in the sky before the Battle of the Milvian Bridge. The future emperor knew little of Christianity but swore he would follow the god that had spoken to him if he won the battle. Legend has it that Constantine had his men paint the symbol on their shields before they went off to battle. At the Milvian Bridge, Constantine was victorious and converted to Christianity shortly thereafter. This brought Christianity out of the shadows, and both the story and use of the Chi Rho sign spread like wildfire.

Apple

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What was the fruit in Eden that Adam and Eve ate? Ask most Christians and they will tell you that the fruit was an apple. That forbidden apple has become deeply entrenched in Christian thought and imagery. The image of an apple and a snake has become more or less synonymous with temptation, sin and the fall of Adam and Eve. In fact, a picture of someone offering or being offered an apple is usually seen as dripping with subtext of temptation and sin.

The vision of the apple as a sign of temptation, sin and the fall can be found even outside Christianity in artwork, literature and even foreign TV shows such as the Japanese anime “Death Note.” This classic symbolism, however, has no biblical basis. The fruit that Adam and Eve eat is never stated to be an apple. Some Christians believed it was actually a pomegranate, but the fruit is never described in more detail than being “pleasing to the eye.”

Triquetra

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The triquetra is a form of Celtic knot with a clear center and three distinct sections. It is drawn using a single line and is often enclosed within another circle. The symbol’s name comes from the Latin triquetrus, meaning “three cornered.” Within Christianity, the triquetra represents the Holy Trinity and is thus sometimes called the Irish Trinity Knot. The three main sections of the triquetra each stand for a piece of the Trinity, while the use of a single line to draw the shape is said to represent that all three persons form one God. The circle that often surrounds the triquetra symbolizes God’s all-encompassing love.

While the Trinity is certainly present in the Bible, the triquetra itself is never described. In fact, the symbol was used in Viking or ancient Celtic imagery as well as Japanese and Indian artifacts long before Christianity ever arrived in those places. As such, the triquetra’s origins remains something of a mystery.

Pelican

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A pelican is not something that everyone associates with Christianity, but depictions of pelicans are found in many old Christian carvings, paintings and stained glass windows. The pelican is usually illustrated with two or three chicks and a wound on her breast. This image, and its place in Christianity, comes from an ancient legend that actually predates Christianity. This legend stated that during times of famine, a mother pelican would strike her breast with her own beak until she bled. She would then feed the blood to her young in order to keep them from starving. In some variations of the myth, she could sustain her chicks in this manner until the famine ended, but she would die herself. The shed blood and willingness to die for anther made it easy for early Christians to draw parallels between Christ dying to save mankind and the mother pelican dying to save her chicks. This legend of the pelican, however, is not scientifically accurate, and the bird is never mentioned in the Bible.

Lamb Triumphant

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The Lamb Triumphant is one of the most common images to be found in Christian artwork. In this classic picture, a snow white lamb stands with a military banner hanging from a cross leaning against its shoulder. The lamb often has a halo around its head and a cup at its feet, but these do not appear in ever depiction. The Lamb Triumphant is meant to represent Jesus’ triumphant return to Earth and the beginning of His kingdom.

Classic and powerful as the image often is, the Lamb Triumphant has a shaky rooting in Scripture. There is no denying that Christ is identified with a lamb both in Christian tradition and in the Bible, but Christ as the lamb is normally kept separate from Christ the triumphant ruler. The image of the lamb is one of meek, willing sacrifice. Christ’s return will be loud and triumphant. All the component pieces of the Lamb Triumphant are rooted in Scripture, but as a whole it is mixing its metaphors.