When Christians were under Roman persecution, the anchor was a way to exhibit their religion under the watchful eye of the Romans, for other practicing Christians to see, by tattooing the symbol or wearing anchor jewelry. The anchor was chosen as it holds a ship in place, representing strength and security.
A deeper meaning to this purposeful symbol, is that it symbolizes one moving forward from a certain period in life or a safe place that they are in, by setting sail on a new journey.
A symbol representing strong connections, allows for a stable and secure person, who has strong beliefs and stays true to who they are. The popularity of the anchor jewelry trend is continuing to grow over the years. The anchor was the symbol best adapted for this purpose, and the one most frequently employed. One of the most remarkable of these disguised crosses, from the cemetery of St. Domitilla , consists of an anchor placed upright, the transverse bar appearing just beneath the ring.
To complete the symbol, two fishes are represented with the points of the curved branches in their mouths. A real cross, standing on a sort of pedestal to the right of this, is sufficient indication that the author of the figures intended a symbolic cross in this instance. Of even greater interest in this connection is the representation of a cross-anchor with two fishes suspended from the cross-beam, also found in the cemetery of St. There can scarcely be any doubt that the author of this and similar representations intended to produce a symbolic picture of the crucifixion: the mystic Fish Christ on the suggested cross the anchor.
To the same category of symbols, probably, belongs the group of representations of the dolphin and trident. The anchor as a symbol is found only rarely in monuments from the middle of the third century, and early in the fourth century it had disappeared. About this page APA citation. Hassett, M. The Anchor as Symbol.
In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. MLA citation. Hassett, Maurice. When I see it, I'm reminded that Jesus is my anchor. Christian use of the anchor echoed Hebrews "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. Such expressions as pax tecum , pax tibi , in pace , or "peace be with you" speak to the hope Christians felt in their anticipation of heaven.
Archaeologists found about 70 examples of these kinds of messages in one cemetery alone. But where did Christians get the idea to use an anchor in the first place? The anchor appeared as the royal emblem of Seleucus the First, king of the Seleucid dynasty established after Alexander the Great's campaigns. Seleucus reputedly chose the symbol because he had a birthmark in the shape of an anchor.
Jews living under the empire adopted the symbol on their coinage, though they phased it out under the Hasmonean ruler Alexander Jannaeus around B. An even stronger explanation can be found in church history. Around A. Clement, to the Crimea. When the pope converted the people there, Trajan ordered that Clement be tied to an iron anchor and drowned. Tradition holds that the sea then receded three miles to reveal Clement's body buried by angels in a marble mausoleum.
This is hardly a believable tale, but the story of Clement's martyrdom clearly inspired the persecuted Church. Given its power, why did the anchor fade from use? Scholars have found only a few examples dating as late as the middle of the third century, and none after A. Their most common explanation is that as the Empire went from persecuting the Church to sponsoring it, Christians no longer needed secret symbols to identify themselves.
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