[B-Greek] IHS abbreviation

Maurice A. O'Sullivan mauros at iol.ie
Mon Dec 15 12:15:59 EST 2003


At 16:15 15/12/2003, Jeff Cockrell wrote:

>I have read that IHS is an abbreviation for Jesus in Greek.  However, I 
>have also read that this is an abbreviation from Latin meaning "Jesus 
>Savior of Men."
>
>Any conclusive evidence to the orgin of this abbreviation?

Well, the Encyclopaedia Britannica appears in two minds on the matter:

Its entry for " monogram "   states:

 >>The interlaced IHS, also called the sacred monogram, is an abbreviation 
of the Latin phrase Iesus Hominum Salvator (“Jesus, Saviour of Mankind”). 
This monogram apparently possesses no great antiquity and is said to have 
been the creation of St. Bernard of Siena in the mid-15th century.<<

whereas the entry on "symbolic modes of expression" states;

 >>The letters received a symbolic character in two ways: first, as 
components of a word for which they stood—e.g., the Hebrew tetragram 
(four-letter) YHWH (Yahweh) for God, the Latin IOM for Jupiter Optimus 
Maximus (Jupiter the Best and Greatest), and the Greek IHS for Jesus—or, 
second through their numerical value, as in >alpha< and >omega<, the 
beginning and end of the Greek alphabet, signifying Christ. They then 
became means of abbreviation—signs possessing a specific content and meaning.<<



Maurice A. O'Sullivan  [ Bray, Ireland ]
mauros at iol.ie





More information about the B-Greek mailing list