where did the christian fish sign/symbol come from?

Question

where did the christian fish sign/symbol come from?
like, whats the story behind it? what does it stand for?

Answer 1

When threatened by Romans in the first centuries after Christ, Christians used the fish mark meeting places and tombs, or to distinguish friends from foes. According to one ancient story, when a Christian met a stranger in the road, the Christian sometimes drew one arc of the simple fish outline in the dirt. If the stranger drew the other arc, both believers knew they were in good company.

Greeks, Romans, and many other pagans used the fish symbol before Christians. Hence the fish, unlike, say, the cross, attracted little suspicion, making it a perfect secret symbol for persecuted believers. So the early Christians made practical use of this symbol for practical convenience. It is somewhat similar to the use in our days of bumper-sticker and business-card practice to be recognised by strangers, although we are not yet under persecution.

As early as the first century, Christians made an acrostic from this word: Iesous Christos Theou Yios Soter, (ICTYS) i.e. Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior, using the Greek word for fish "ichthys." The Greek word Ichthus (Iota Chi Theta Upsilon Sigma), pronounced ich-thoos, upper case: and lower case: , is the word used throughout the New Testament for the English word fish.
In pagan beliefs, Ichthys was the offspring of the ancient Sea goddess Atargatis, and was known in various mythic systems as Tirgata, Aphrodite, Pelagia, or Delphine. The word also meant "womb" and "dolphin" in some tongues, and representations of this appeared in the depiction of mermaids. The fish is also a central element in other stories, including the Goddess of Ephesus, as well as the tale of the fish of the Nile that swallowed part of Osiris' body (the penis), and was also considered a symbol of the sexuality of Isis for she had sexual intercourse with Osiris after his death which resulted in the conception and birth of his posthumous son, Harpocrates, Horus-the-child. So, in pagan beliefs, the fish is a symbol of birth and fertility.

Answer 2

A 'fish' tale

In the years following the ascension of the resurrected Jesus to heaven, the Christian church grew rapidly.
Christians soon found themselves to be the subjects of persecution by both the Romans and the Jews.
In many locales, it became dangerous to be known as a Christian.
Thus, when two strangers met and thought maybe they were fellow believers, one of them would draw, on the ground, the upper half of the fish symbol. Recognizing the symbol, the stranger would add a second curved line and complete the drawing of a fish.

Answer 3

Perhaps also* from Astrology. And it has to do with the Age of Pisces [the fish sign] which had occurred prior to and during the time that Yeshua Messiah [pbuh]/JC, when He walked on this Earth, up to the turn of this new millennium in 2000 A.D. The Piscean Age basically represented Man being given knowledge by others and being told what to do.

Each phase of the Procession of Equinoxes [or Astrological Age] spans approximately 2,200 years, or 2,160 years to be exact.

We are now entering the Age of Aquarius --the water bearer, which symbolizes an age when Man's knowledge will be increased [the so-called Information highway or the Internet that we enjoy now!]... and Man will begin to make up his own mind.

Coincidentally, this eventful SHIFT is expected to occur around December 21, 2012 A.D.--the same year that the Mayan calendar ceased to go any further!

Peace be with you.

* * * * * * *

[*] Of course, the traditional and easy response is to say that JC's public Ministry was all about being "fishers of men...". etc.

Answer 4

In the times when it was dangerous being a Christian, it was how they made sure the person they were talking to was a Christian. They would stand opposite of eachother and one person would draw an arch (one side of the fish) and the other person would do the same. Only Christians knew how to do this so if an unbeliever was talking with them and they did that, they had no clue what was going on. :) Hope I helped.

Answer 5

The Greek word for fish is "ixthus" or "icthus." The Christian fish symbol that many Christians place on their car is known as the “ixthus.” Five Greek letters form the word “ixthus,” and those letters inside the fish form an acrostic which is a message that Christians clearly identified with. The first letter represented the word Jesus. The second letter represented the word Christ, the next two, God Son, and the final letter represented the word Savior. This adds up to “Jesus Christ is God’s Son, the Savior.” During early Christianity, Christians were often put to death for practicing their faith, so they worshiped in secret places. A fish painted on the outside door of a house let other Christians know that they would be safe and welcome inside. The Christian fish symbol is now often used to identify Christians and/or Christian businesses.

Recommended Resource: The Quest Study Bible.

Answer 6

in Roman times when christianity was banned, a christian meeting someone might take their staff and draw a half-circle in the dirt. Pretty innocuous, no apparent meaning. However, if the stranger was also a christian, he'd take his staff, put it at one end, then draw another half circle in the opposite direction, forming a fish. Like a secret hand-shake. The fish symbolizes the sermon on the mount, where Jesus fed like a million people with a guppy

Answer 7

As early as the second century Titus Flavius Clemens (St. Clement of Alexandria), suggested that Christians identify themselves with a seal engraved with a fish or dove (see also Dove Cross). The fish in particular, was considered important enough to be mentioned many times in the Bible. Clemens was a Greek theologian and noted that letters of the Greek word for fish, ΙΧΘΥΣ (pronounced Ichthys), made the following neat little acrostic:
Ι
Iota Χ
Chi Θ
Theta Υ
Upsilon Σ
Sigma
Iesous Christos Theou Yios * Soter
Jesus Christ God's Son Saviour
(* pronounced Iios -
with emphasis on the 'o')

At this time, the cross was not used as a Christian symbol, so the fish gave them something simple and easily recognisable, plus a motto that described their Jesus as Christ, God's Son, and Saviour. (This idea might have also been partly a protest against the Pagan emperors of the time, who named themselves Theou Yios: God's sons).

alpha

The lowercase Greek character for Alpha (α) is similar to the fish symbol. This may also have had some influence on the decision for Christians to adopt the symbol, since Jesus calls himself "the Alpha and the Omega"1 – the beginning and the end.

In the fourth century, the cross became a more popular symbol for Christians, and the symbolism of the fish gradually disappeared.

In recent years, some Christian groups have attempted to give their religion a fresh new look by reviving the fish as an alternative symbol. Some argue that this is a healthy 'downgrading' of the cross, which is simply a symbol of Christ's crucifixion and resurrection. The cross, they say, should not be treated as a god (being mindful not to revere the fish symbol2). Other groups prefer the cross, because the fish symbol doesn't reflect Christ's sacrifice. Fortunately for Christians, they can make their own choices.

Answer 8

Give a man a fish, and he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he'll eat for a lifetime. Teaching the wisdom of the Bible will help a man to live better for a lifetime. Hense the fish!

Answer 9

Christ's first apostles were fisherman.

Christ feed the multitude of people at the sermon on the mount with Fish by breaking it and offering it up to god.

Christ had the apostles cast out nets to get the biggest catch of fish they ever had it almost wreaked the boat.

Take your pick.

Answer 10

Because Jesus was a "fisher of men's soul's"
also used by the early christians as a secret signal during the dark days of persecution