IChThYS

 ICHThYS is an ancient "password" for the early Christians.  When the early Christians couldn't worship publicly, they went underground--to the catacombs.  The password to enter was to draw an IChThYS--in Greek (ΙΧΘΥΣ) .  

This would be a fish because Peter and some of the other apostles were fishermen.  It was called IChThYS the Greek Word for fish. 

I — Iēsous (Jesus)

CH — Christos (Christ)

TH — Theou (of God)

Y — Huios (Son)

S — Sōtēr (Savior)

Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior

Early Religion

 
Philosophy was the noun early Christians used when referring to religion. They called it philosophy, after the philosopher, Philo,  who lived in Alexandria.  He wrote about politics and religion.  He maintained that the first Bible, the Septuagint and Jewish law were a blueprint for current theory.  He harmonized the Torah with Greek philosophy.  His allegorical exegesis was important to the Church Fathers.

That's what the Church Fathers called theology, and religion.  Here is an Imaginative illustration of Philo made in 1584 by the French portrait artist André Thevet

By André Thévet - André Thevet (1502-1509): Les vrais pourtraits et vies des hommes illustres grecz, latins et payens (1584)https://archive.org/details/lesvraispourtrai01thev, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12233681

And You Thought Libraries Were Dull?

 This probably is the last book in the series of The Library of the Dead.  However, the book ends with the mother pregnant again with another ancient scribe.  So?  I'm writing about The Keepers of the Library by Glenn Cooper. Will Piper, the supposedly retired NY cop/FBI agent, is the protagonist.  His teenage son runs to a girlfriend, in Scotland.  They met online.  Unfortunately, her family keeps him.  Will takes off to get him back.  As usual, in Cooper's books, the action is crazy fast.  The armies of three countries get involved.  They are all after the library.

The library continues past the dates, everyone thought was the end of the world.  Even more surprising is the diary of Benjamin Franklin, which the family had.  Evidently, Franklin was there three centuries ago.  Franklin was concerned with the American Revolution and set up of a new government.  Will saves Franklin's diary too.  

Honor Not Worship

 When Christianity was in its infancy, the Emperor of Rome was considered a god.  Around 45 BC the Jewish army helped Julius Caesar fight his wars, and so, the Jewish worship of Yahweh was tolerated.  However, the Jews insisted that these Christians were not Jews and weren't excused from worshipping Caesar, as god.  

The Christians acknowledged Caesar's authority to govern but would not worship him.  Remember Matt 22: 20-21, They would pray for him, honor him, obey him, but he is only a man who God appointed to rule.

                                                              Art from Catacombs

                                                                        Baptizing

Wagging Tongue

 She stopped in her tracks.

She looked shock.

Her eyes narrowed.

She turned and walked away.

What did I say?

I tried to think back.

Did I offend?

By her response, yes.

She was hurt, deeply.

If only I could silent my tongue.

God's Breath

                                                         God breathes life into Adam.
                                                         Newborns scream that same breath
                                                                           into their lungs.
                                                         Resuscitation breathes that same
                                                                           breath to life.  Again
                                                                           and again.
                                                         

We pray.

Early Christian Consciousness

 Our favorite author, Anonymous, wrote an Apology dissertation, known as To Diognetus.  It has been renowned for its resonance with current Catholic theology.  Mind you, it's dated 160-200 AD. I imagine there were all sorts of ideas running loose, so the apologists hammered down the Apostolic teachings.  

It criticized pagans, atheists, Jews, etc. Anonymous explains the nature of Christianity as "love."  How's that compared to the other early religions?  

Do you think the citizenry laughed at these Christians?  Probably some did, some still do, but actually, paradoxically, the followers of Christianity multiplied exponentially.