Chi Rho (1870) carved in stone at the Russian Compound in Jerusalem
The Chi Rho was used by early christians. It is called after the names of the first two Greek letters Chi and Rho (ΧΡ). These letters start the word "ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ" =Christ. The
letter on the right is Alpha and the letter on the left is Omega. The term Alpha and Omega comes from the phrase "I am the alpha and the omega" in the Book of Revelation (1:8) which means that Jeusu is the First and the Last, the beginning and the End, since Alpha is the first and Omega is the last letter of the Greek alphabet.
The beginning of this symbol is ascribed to Roman emperor Constantine (272- 312 C.E.) who called it labarum and used it as a military symbol.
There is no unequivocal proof that Constantine invented the Chi
Rho and that he started its usage as a military symbol, but it is interesting to
compare his legend to those about the beginnings of the star of David and the
Fleur de Lis. Constantine and King David
both won wars by inscribing their emblems on their shields. In 493 King Clovis I
got the Fleur de Lis emblem from God, after his conversion to Christianity… like
Constantine. In all three legends kings start the history of a symbol. These three
symbols are actually three aspects of the same six-pointed star symbol (Fleur
de Lis is a six-pointed star viewed from the side).
The same goes for Solomon's Seal symbol which started from King Solomon . The name "Solomon's Seal" was used during the Middle Ages to mark stars with five or six points.
Researchers Aarne and
Thompson in their typology of International Folktales proved that the same legend
may appear in different cultures without any known connections between their
inventors, and it seems to me that this is the case here. Usage of these
symbols did not start from historical
events but from the need of folk consciousness to attribute the beginning to a
supreme source of authority - a king by the grace of God.
The same goes for Solomon's Seal symbol which started from King Solomon . The name "Solomon's Seal" was used during the Middle Ages to mark stars with five or six points.
Roman Mosaic. Center: Chi Rho 4th Century
CC Image from Wikipedia entry: Hinton St Mary Mosaic
The Chi Rho is flanked by two pomegranates
It is interesting to notice that in any pomegranate before the crown
(Six pointed Star) opens it looks like Six Radiuses with a common center,
just like the Chi Rho
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