Was jesus a fish at one point or something. Why is his name written on a fish exactly?

Question

Does it mean something?

Answer 1

he was a fancy goldfish.

Answer 2

Patronne and several others are correct. The fish was a symbol for the 1st century Christians as identification in the backdrop of a Roman society that was openly hostile towards the religion. Christians were martyred for their faith. So, as a way to know who were Christians, one would draw one side of the fish in the dust, and the other person would complete the drawing with the other side of the fish.

Jesus told his disciples he would make them "fishers of men." (Particularly said to Peter, James and John who were fishing the day Jesus called them to be his disciples.) The FISH symbol is often seen with the Greek letters IXOYE (Iota Chi Theta Upsilon Sigma), which is an acrostic for: "Jesus Christ, of God, the Son, Savior." [Iesous (Jesus) CHristos (Christ) THeou (of God) Uiou (the Son) Soter (the Savior)]. The letters spell out the acronym ICHTHUS, which is (not coincidentally) the Greek word for "fish."

Note to ThinKaboudit: Just because the fish was previously used for other symbology, doesn't mean it didn't symbolize ICTHUS (Jesus Christ of God Son Savior) for the early Christians. Who says it was wrong for Christians to adopt a symbol and change the meaning of it for their purposes? History is full of such examples (both secular and religious). It doesn't make the meanings any less valid.

Answer 3

Well the early church received a lot of persecution and you could even be killed if it was found out that you were a believer. If a believer suspected he was talking to a fellow believer he would make half the fish, just a casual arch in the sand/dirt, and then the other person, if he was also a believer, would finish it-thus making the fish also called an Ichthus.

Answer 4

The fish (like the cross shape, and Easter, and Christmas) was a symbol in use by another religion in the time of the character "Christ" that was co-opted by the "Christians" to try and get other people to join their new religion.

Ironically, the "fish" or Icthus is specifically a Greek representation of the female genitalia (I'm not making this up!) of the "Mother Goddess".

(JUST TO CLARIFY HOW WRONG OTHER ANSWERS HERE ARE, THE "FISH" SYMBOL WAS IN USE FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS BEFORE 'CHRIST' WAS EVEN BORN!!! GET A GRIP!)

Check the link for more details...

Answer 5

The fish symbol is usually meaning the miracle of the fish and the loaves, For some reason the bread symbol just wasn't that popular...

Answer 6

when christians were being persecuted one would draw half a fish in the dirt and if another person finished the fish you knew they were a christian so it was like a code
so if you see a fish on a car or something there's a very good chance they are christian

Answer 7

The vesica pisces is a symbol of sacred geometry. It is the intersecting point of two circles forming a oval shape and somewhat fish shaped image. The ones who were the first christians knew about geometry and its implications.

Answer 8

back when it was illegal to be a chrisitan [[in some places it still is]], believers identified each other by drawing the Jesus fish in the dirt. one person would draw an arc with their foot and if the other person was a christian then they would complete the fish.

Answer 9

If I'm not mistaken, it comes from a symbol that Christians made back in the Bible days that symbolized to other Christians to let them know they were Christians, at a time or place when they were being persecuted for being Christians. In other words a secret symbol I think.

Answer 10

Jesus was my best friend for 30 years.
It depends on how strict your definition of fish.

Answer 11

They didn't have bill boards or milk trucks back then. So they used fish like carrier pigeons. Sole and flounder were popular because you could fit more writing on them.