Ichthus Christogram/Christian Symbols - by J Daniel Hays (Paperback)

About the Book

"Attentive modern-day visitors to the Mediterranean world will notice a symbol depicting an eight-spoked wheel carved into stone walls, floors, and funerary art. This symbol has long been considered the remnant of an ancient game or the work of vandals, but author J. Daniel Hays argues its proliferation was the work of the early church, and it should be included in the greater corpus of Christian art, iconography, and symbolism. In The Ichthus Christogram and Other Early Christian Symbols, Dr. Hays examines the early church's visual symbolic world and its history following the acts of the apostles-from the Great Persecution to the Christianization of the pagan world. Along the way, he takes the reader to key cities of ancient Turkey, Greece, and Israel to explore the political, architectural, and religious backgrounds of local churches and how such contexts informed their use of the eight-spoked Ichthus Christogram to teach orthodoxy and combat heresies, to remind illiterate believers of the basic tenets of the faith, and to declare victory over demonic forces. This is a must-read for students of church history and ancient Christian art"--

Review Quotes

"Anyone who has traveled to archaeological sites in the biblical lands has likely encountered an eight-spoked 'wheel' and been told that it was probably an ancient game board. Or perhaps they were told that the Greek letters that spell 'fish' (IXΘΥC) also form the Greek abbreviation for 'Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior'--and that these letters could be superimposed on each other to produce this eight-spoked 'wheel.' Scholars have debated these two options for decades, but Danny Hays may have ended this debate! He makes a solid case that this "'wheel' is an early Christian symbol, a type of Christogram. His extensive research traces the development of early Christian symbols and abbreviations for Jesus Christ. He documents numerous sites where clearly Christian symbols (including crosses) occur near eight-spoked wheels. He also shows that these symbols occur in strategic locations in ancient pagan temples, reflecting Christians' desire to cleanse these places from demonic forces and to declare Christ's victory over them following the Great Persecution of 303-313 and the subsequent spread of Christianity following Constantine's victory in 313. This book is extensively researched and accessibly written. The numerous photos illustrate examples of Christian symbols and abbreviations. Hays makes a compelling, cumulative, and perhaps definitive case for understanding the eight-spoked 'wheel' as a pervasive early Christian symbol--not a gameboard--that come to be used throughout the Roman Empire. This book makes an important contribution to the material culture of the earliest Christians and offer new insights into their faith and courage."--Dana M. Harris "
Professor and Department Chair, New Testament,
Trinity Evangelical Divinity School" (9/6/2024 12:00:00 AM)

"Anyone who has wandered the ruins of a biblical site like Ephesus has probably noticed graffiti that looked like a pie cut into eight slices. On my first visit, I asked my professional guide about it and was told (incorrectly) the graffito was a board game, commonly played by Roman soldiers. Open this book and learn like I did how this symbol initially was a subversive sign of persecuted Christianity and later became a public sign similar to the cross. Christian symbols (including this one) played a visual role in Christian victory over paganism, protection from the spirits, and the cleansing of spaces. There are Aha! moments throughout this wonderfully readable book. I highly commend it to all curious Christians looking for a peep into our past."--E. Randolph Richards "
Research Professor of New Testament,
Palm Beach Atlantic University" (9/6/2024 12:00:00 AM)

"J. Daniel Hays thoroughly surveys the eight-spoked wheel symbol carved into marble floors and walls in many Greco-Roman sites such as Ephesus and Rome. Although tour guides sometimes identify these as game boards, Hays argues these ubiquitous carvings are Christian symbols. He provides extensive evidence that the eight-spoke wheel was formed by stacking the Greek word IΧΘΥC, 'fish.' The letters of this word are the first letters of Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savoir. Just as the symbol of the Cross was used to ward off demons in the early century of the church, the eight-spoked wheel symbol may have been carved by Christians to cleanse pagan temples or other places where idols were placed. He demonstrates the transition of this eight-spoked wheel from Christian graffiti in a pagan world to a common Christian symbol in churches by the sixth century. The book is richly illustrated with recent photographs from Hays's exploration of ancient sites."--Phillip J. Long "
Professor of Biblical Studies,
Grace Christian University" (9/6/2024 12:00:00 AM)

"Not just a book about pictures and symbols, this beautifully engrossing study uses the Ichthus Christogram to induct readers into the lived reality of early Christians over the first several centuries. As Hays narrates the Christian focus on Jesus, he provides engaging historical vignettes that really help one get a sense of the local flavor of the places where Christianity grew and flourished. This book achieves the rare feat of being a true advance in scholarship that will also captivate those considering these topics for the first time."--Ben C. Blackwell "
Professor of Early Christianity,
Westminster Theological Centre" (9/6/2024 12:00:00 AM)

"The artifacts of material culture sometimes exist without any literary records of the beliefs and daily lives of those who created various objects as symbols of their religious and social convictions. Yet both ancient writings and material remains inform and enrich our understanding of the faith and practice of early Christians. In this book, Daniel Hays offers the reader an opportunity to appreciate the devotional lives of early Christian through the visual world of some of their symbols. Beautifully illustrated by a scholar with the heart of a teacher and pastor, by his words and pictures, Hays takes us on a journey back in time to many cities of antiquity where we can almost touch the artifacts that stirred and inspired others in Christian fidelity."--D. Jeffrey Bingham "
Research Professor of Historical Theology,
Jesse Hendley Professor of Biblical Theology,
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary" (9/6/2024 12:00:00 AM)