what is this?

Question

Today was my first day of summerschool. It was an option for me because I wanted to get my Speech credit out of the way. But that's way beside the point.

My summerschool teacher has tattoos on her wrists with symbols on them. Someone asked what they ment and she said, "Oh it's just a religious thing. Alpha Omega."

Alpha Omega? (sp?)

What is that?

How is it dirty?

Answer 1

It's Greek. Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet and Omega is the last. So, "Alpha and Omega" mean "first and last". Though, it doesn't surprise me that a religious teach is that stupid. They are, after all, only taught to parrot the standard superstition.

Answer 2

Who Is “the Alpha and the Omega”?

IN THE most ancient Greek manuscripts of the book of Revelation, the expression “the Alpha and the Omega” appears three times. Does this designation, as many believe, apply both to the Almighty God, Jehovah, and to his Son Jesus Christ? Just what is the significance of the title “the Alpha and the Omega”?

The word “alpha” is the name for the first letter of the Greek alphabet, whereas the term “omega” designates the last letter of the Greek alphabet. Hence, in itself, the title “the Alpha and the Omega” conveys the idea of the start and the finish or completion of a thing. The personage who is so designated would, therefore, be viewed as the beginner of certain things and the one who brings these things to a successful conclusion.
[e-mail]

Answer 3

Alpha and Omega (Christianity)


The labarum or chi-rho symbol with alpha and omega
The coat of arms of the Anglican diocese of TrinidadAlpha and Omega (Gr. "το 'Αλφα και το Ω") is an appellation of God in the book of Revelation (verses 1:8, 21:6, and 22:13). Its meaning is found in the fact that Alpha(Α) and Omega(Ω) are respectively the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. This would be similar to referring to someone in English as "the A to Z". Thus, twice when the title appears it is further clarified with the additional title "the Beginning and the End" (21:6, 22:13).

Revelation 1: 11 in the King James Version says, “I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last.” This verse clearly proves an undisputed reference to Jesus as the “Alpha and Omega”. However, this additional occurrence of this phrase does not receive support from some of the oldest Greek manuscripts, including the Alexandrine, Sinaitic, and Codex Ephraemi rescriptus. It is, therefore, believed to be spurious like the Comma Johanneum and thus is omitted in many modern translations. Scholar Robert Young stated, that the “oldest MSS. omit” it. [1]

Though many commentators and dictionaries apply this title both to God and to Christ such need not be the case. [2] Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament (1974) observes: “It cannot be absolutely certain that the writer meant to refer to the Lord Jesus specifically here . . . There is no real incongruity in supposing, also, that the writer here meant to refer to God as such.” However, most Christian denominations teach that it does apply to Jesus and God.

Therefore the letters Alpha and Omega in juxtaposition are often used as a Christian visual symbol (see examples).

This symbol was suggested by the Apocalypse, where many believe that Christ, as well as the Father, is "the First and the Last" (ii, 8); "the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end" (cf., xxii, 13; i, 8). Clement of Alexandria speaks of the Word as "the Alpha and the Omega of Whom alone the end becomes beginning, and ends again at the original beginning without any break" (Strom., IV, 25). Tertullian also alludes to Christ as the Alpha and Omega (De Monogamiâ, v), and from Prudentius (Cathemer., ix, 10) we learn that in the fourth century the interpretation of the apocalyptic letters was still the same: "Alpha et Omega cognominatus, ipse fons et clausula, Omnium quae sunt, fuerunt, quaeque post futura sunt." It was, however, in the monuments of early Christianity that the symbolic Alpha and Omega had their greatest vogue.

This phrase is interpreted by many Christians to mean that Jesus existed from the beginning of time (as the second person of the Trinity), and will exist eternally.

Answer 4

Alpha and Omega are the first and last letter of the Greek alphabet, the language in which the New Testament was written. In the first chapter of the book of Revelation, Jesus refers to himself as the "alpha and omega", meaning the beginning and the end of everything, or the "most important" of everything. So Christians use Alpha and Omega as a symbol of Christ.

Answer 5

Alpha is the first letter of the greek alphabet. Omega is the last. So Alpha is the beginning and Omega is the end. So it would mean something like "Everything".

Answer 6

The first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, used in Greek mysticism to symbolize "the Beginning and the End."

In the Apocalypse, which was written in Greek, Christ refers to himself as "the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End."

Similar symbolisms exist in other languages; e.g. in Hebrew, the first letter is Aleph and the last is Tau. Taken together, these spell ATh or "essence," the idea being that the essence of all things is comprehended therein.

Answer 7

In the Bible, God is referred to as "the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end". That's the only thing I can think of.

Answer 8

In the Bible, God is referred to as the "alpha and the omega, the beginning of the end."

She could also be a religious follower of the video game Xenogears, where the same saying applies to a giant spaceship.

Answer 9

in the old testament i think moses asked god what his name was and he gave a smart allec answer, alpha and omega is the first and last letter of the greek alphabet,, so he said he is the beginning and the end,,, but if your teacher is jewish it's ironic that she would have a religous tattoo, because it's against their religion to get tattoos ,,

Answer 10

Jesus is referred to as the alpha and omega.

Literally the first and last letter of the Greek alphabet.

The beginning and the end.