As I mentioned a while ago, I’ve started teaching myself New Testament Greek. This endeavor has already started bearing some rather fruity tidbits…
In the first few lessons I learnt the Greek alphabet and, even with this basic information, certain things which had previously mystified me, started to make sense. Today I would like to share with you one of my first “aaahhhh…” moments 
For those Catholics reading this, it’s time for a pop quiz! Often in churches, you will see the letters “IHS“. You see these letters on books, altars, baptismal fonts, communion hosts etc, but what does it mean?
IHS in the "Gesu" Church In Rome
If you don’t know what this means, then don’t worry, you’re in very good company! Only a few people I’ve spoken to about this have known the answer. Catholic churches are so densely packed with symbols that it’s all too easy to become numb to them. Familiarity can lead us to stop asking questions, yet our places of worship have so much to teach us about our own faith!
Okay smarty-pants, what does it mean?
The “IHS” is a “Christogram”. This is a type of monogram which is an abbreviation of Jesus’ name.
“Wait a minute!” I hear you say! “‘IHS’ looks nothing like the word ‘Jesus’!”. And, of course, you’re quite right…until you translate “Jesus” into Greek…
Greek has its own alphabet and in it “Jesus” is spelled “ιησυς” and when capitalized it becomes “ΙΗΣΟΥΣ”. If we take just the first three letters of this word then we have “ΙΗΣ”. These are the Greek letters “iota”, “eta” and “sigma”. When these letters are converted (“transliterated”) into our alphabet it becomes “IHS” (sometimes “IHC”, “JHS” or “JHC”).
There are some other suggestions as to what “IHS” stands for, although these are rather unlikely. Two Latin phrases have been suggested: “Iesus Hominum Salvator” (“Jesus, Saviour of men”) and “In Hoc Signo” (“In this sign…[you shall conquer]“). I even came across two English phrases - “I Have Suffered” and the rather nice “In His Service”. Unfortunately, these are all “backronyms” - phrases constructed to fit an already existing acronym.
So, there you have it. “IHS” is a shorthand for “Jesus”. It was used in the Early Church, popularized by St. Bernardino of Sienna in the 15th Century, adopted as the seal of the Jesuits in the 16th Century and can now be found in Christian art and architecture throughout the world.
Joe
April 19, 2011 at 5:35 am
And all this time I thought you were named after the ‘Doncaster Association of Visitors to Immigration Detainees’……. now you’re telling me that’s just a “backronym”??!!
Kristin Brænne
April 19, 2011 at 5:42 am
★★★★★
Gina
December 7, 2011 at 6:58 pm
For centuries before Christ, IHS stood for Isis, Horus & Seb. If you think that is a lie, then explain the more than dozens of ancient pagan relics with IHS all over them? According to your breakdown, you sure have to take alot of steps before you can get Jesus out of IHS so what would have been the point? Unless of course you were trying to come up with a christian cover for your pagan idolatry?
Just sharing a thought.
Gina
December 7, 2011 at 7:28 pm
Sorry I didn’t realize there was a new blog til *after* I posted! Such is life!
pilgrim
December 7, 2011 at 7:40 pm
My breakdown doesn’t really require a lot of steps except for those who have no knowledge of Greek.
If I profess ΙΗΣΟΥΣ is my Lord and I leave ΙΗΣ inscriptions everywhere what do you think ΙΗΣ likely stands for? The God I profess or three pagan gods that I fail to mention at any other time?
It’s because most people have no knowledge of Greek that I wrote my post on “ICXC”. Text such as this needs breaking down for those unfamiliar with Greek and don’t understand how divine names are abbreviated. Out of interest, do you also believe that “ICXC” has pagan roots?
Do you have some images of these ancient pagan relics? I’m a little confused as to how that’s possible since the Egyptians didn’t use our alphabet. Surely there’d at least have to be some conversion of characters?
Actually, while we’re on the subject of pagan roots, do you approve the wearing of wedding rings?
I first came across the kind of theory you suggest when I read one of Jack Chick’s frankly laughable tracts. Why does Chick say that it’s Isis, Horus and Seb? Why not the more powerful gods such as Ra or Osiris? The only reason I can think of is that it then wouldn’t fit nicely into his conspiracy theory.
You’ve only got to look at the other theories Chick propagates to see how reliable his material is. He asserts that the Catholic Church invented Islam and that the Catholic Church keeps all the names of Protestants on a super computer! If you place any weight on his comics I’d suggest you read this: http://www.catholic.com/documents/the-nightmare-world-of-jack-t-chick.
Finally, Isis, Horus and Seb weren’t gods, they were Goa’uld
(A little “Stargate” joke there)
Gina
December 7, 2011 at 8:27 pm
I haven’t seen a chick tract in years, didn’t even know he had one on IHS. Also, I didn’t mean YOU specifically when I said “your” pagan idolatry, I was referring to whoever first started putting IHS in the church.
I give up on the ancient symbols. I have been looking at so many lately they are starting to blur together. [being honest] The IHS symbols I saw were old catholic ones, but they were shown along with isis/horus/baby [and other misc sun gods] sun disk symbols, showing the likeness. There is just so much pagan symbolism in the RCC it boggles my mind and I can hardly believe they deny it. It’s one thing to have your reasons for holding to your beliefs, but be honest!
Wedding rings? What are you talking about?!! LOL
Anyway, I’m not hating on Catholics as over half my family are such. I was born into it, sprinkled as a baby, had a nun for a teacher in kindergarten and 1st grade…however, I do now passionately reject the pope’s so called authority and the majority of the RCC doctrine. I don’t hate people!
pilgrim
December 7, 2011 at 10:01 pm
Where did you find out about this supposed Egyptian link to IHS? Do you know of any reputable historians who would endorse this theory?
Have you seen any images of the pagan relics you mention? In what language where they in? At the very least, the lettering would have to go through some form of conversion in order to get it into the English IHS, and probably a more complicated conversion than from the Greek ΙΗΣ(ΟΥΣ).
You didn’t answer my question about “ICXC”. Do you believe that also has pagan roots?
I asked about wedding rings because they are very clearly a pagan tradition, albeit one which Christians of every stripe have embraced. I wondered whether or not you thought that was okay.
> “There is just so much pagan symbolism in the RCC it boggles my mind”
The onus here is on you to show the causal link, to show that Catholicism imported these symbols from Paganism.
Let’s consider the fish symbol. This is one of the earliest Christian symbols. Could you find it used as a symbol in pagan religion? Almost certainly! Since paganism is deeply grounded in the created order you’ll find almost virtually every living creature depicted somewhere. However, to then make the assumption that Christianity “borrowed” the fish symbol is a mistake. The Christians had their own reasons for using that symbol that had absolutely nothing to do with Paganism.
What about another symbol? How about the cross? It’s the sign of our salvation and new life! Did you know that the Jehovah witnesses say that is a pagan import?! Would you agree? I’m sure if I went looking I could find a cross or “tau” somewhere in a pagan religion…
For more on this: http://www.catholic.com/tracts/is-catholicism-pagan
pilgrim
December 7, 2011 at 10:11 pm
> “I do now passionately reject the pope’s so called authority and the majority of the RCC doctrine”
I’m assuming you are Protestant of some sort. I have some posts coming out next month on Sola Scriptura which you may be interested to read, but in advance of that, would you mind answering the following questions?
1. How do you know that the Bible is the Word of God and the Book of Mormon is not?
2. Do we have all the right books and none of the wrong books in the Bible? How do you know?
3. When was the contents of the Christian Bible officially settled? By whom? Can we trust them?
4. If I believe the Epistle of James to not be inspired can I throw it out of the Bible? Why not?
5. If two faithful Bible-believing pastors, both of whom know the original Biblical languages disagree on a particular passage’s interpretation, how is this deadlock resolved?
(It was my attempt to answer these questions in a logical and consistent manner that ultimately brought me back to Catholicism)