"Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee." Jonah 3:2 (KJB)
|
Two patterns for the Jesse Tree fish symbol. |
"As early as the days of the Church in the Catacombs we find the Holy Sacrament of Baptism symbolically represented. The most frequent symbol is a fish: it frequently appears upon the tombs of the departed Christians, indicating that they who are buried were baptized into the Church of Christ by water, the only element in which fish can exist.
From these early times, and throughout the whole of the Middle Ages, the Fish retained its signification and continued to be used.
Sometimes three fishes were represented entwined in a triangular fashion: doubtless this was intended to symbolize Baptism under the immediate sanction and blessing of the Divine Trinity." Audsley.
The Fish most often used on a Jesse Tree, however, is symbolic for the great fish that carried the prophet Jonah to a distant city called, Nineveh. Modern Christian's often prefer the depiction of a whale as being the creature to secure Jonah's passage through the sea.
|
Color suggestion for painting the fish symbol. |
|
A baker's clay version of a fish pattern above. |
No comments:
Post a Comment
Constructive comments are appreciated. All comments are moderated and do not immediately appear after publishing. Thanks and have a nice day!