Symbolism Of The Fish In The Good Shepherd

There are many different religious images that express symbolism within the Christian religion. In early Christianity to worship freely was illegal. Therefore, Christians developed symbols that served as a way to identify each other in public and to mark their faith. These symbols also allowed Christian to openly wear them with their clothing. The symbol of the Fish, the Good Shepherd, the invention of the stained glass window and printing press allowed for the artistic expression to expand in the Christian religious system. One of the most recognized Christian symbols is the fish. Greeks, Romans, and many others used the fish symbol before Christians began to use it. Making the fish an excellent choice for symbolism that attracted little suspicion, making it a perfect secret symbol for persecuted believers. Christians used the fish to mark meeting places and tombs, or even to distinguish friends from enemies. 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 and if the stranger drew the other arc, both believers knew they were in the company of a fellow Christian (What is the Origin…Web). The Greek word for fish is "ichthys." …show more content…
The symbolisms of the fish allowed for Christians to openly wear a symbol of their faith along with a way to identify each other in a world were Christianity was illegal. The symbolism of the Good Shepherd gave an example of how god was willing to be sacrificed as well as being a leader for his people. Stained glass brought light to a beautiful story as well as giving illiterate people a chance to understand the Bible. The printing press allowed for faster access to the Bible, allowing many people access to all the history contained within its