[B-Greek] IHS abbreviation
Jason Hare
jason at hareplay.com
Mon Dec 15 15:01:03 EST 2003
I realize that IHS may have been originally used by pre-Catholic Greek
Christians to refer to Jesus (IHSOUS), but I do not think that is what it
came to mean from the time of Constantine on. I'm rather convinced that IHS
meant "in hoc signo" to most Christians throughout history. Only on occasion
did someone redefine the letters as an abbreviation for Jesus' name. When it
is posted in Catholic churches, I have always heard that this meaning (in
hoc signo) was attached to it. Perhaps someone (or several someones) were
simply mistaken, but I think it an odd coincidence.
Regards,
Jason
----- Original Message -----
From: "Tony Costa" <tmcos at rogers.com>
To: <b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Monday, December 15, 2003 1:49 PM
Subject: Re: [B-Greek] IHS abbreviation
> I never heard of this one. The Latin word for "this" is "hoc" not "hota".
I
> think that IHS emerged from the 'nomina sacra' where Greek scribes would
> abbreviate sacred names and words by usually writing the first and last
> letters of the word and then placing a stroke above the letters. IHS are
the
> first 3 letters in Greek for 'Jesus', but the sigma can also be the last
> letter of the name as well (IHSOUS). The Latin derivation, "Jesus Saviour
of
> Men" from IHS was a later development.
>
> Tony Costa
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Jason Hare" <jason at hareplay.com>
> To: "B-Greek" <B-Greek at lists.ibiblio.org>
> Sent: Monday, December 15, 2003 2:37 PM
> Subject: Re: [B-Greek] IHS abbreviation
>
>
> > I have always heard that IHS stands for "In Hota Signo" or some sort
(with
> > my terrible Latin!). This was the phrase given to Constantine that
caused
> > his conversion. "In this sign shall you conquer." Has no one else heard
> > this?
> >
> > Regards,
> > Jason
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Maurice A. O'Sullivan" <mauros at iol.ie>
> > To: "Jeff Cockrell" <jeffcockrell at hotmail.com>
> > Cc: <b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org>
> > Sent: Monday, December 15, 2003 11:15 AM
> > Subject: Re: [B-Greek] IHS abbreviation
> >
> >
> > 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
> >
> >
> > ---
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