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| − | [[Image:Jesus Crucifixion 0040.jpg|thumb|right|280px|The [[crucified]] Jesus with the initials INRI above him.]]
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| − | '''INRI''' is an acronym of the [[Latin language|Latin]] phrase <small>'''IESVS·NAZARENVS·REX·IVDÆORVM'''</small> (Jesus Nazarenus, rex Judæorum), which translates to [[English language|English]] as: "[[Jesus]] [[Nazarene]], King of the Jews". It appears in the [[New Testament]] of the Christian Bible in the [[Gospel of John]] ({{bibleverse-nb||John|19:19|KJV}}). Within [[Western Christianity]] many [[crucifix]]es and other depictions of the [[crucifixion]] include a stylized plaque or parchment, called a titulus or title, bearing only the Latin letters INRI, occasionally carved directly into the cross, and usually just above the head of Jesus.
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| − | According to the [[Bible]], a ''Titulus Crucis'' (Latin for "Title of the Cross") 'was inscribed in wood and placed above Jesus head. In the context of the [[Crucifixion]], the ''titulus'' ''IESVS NAZARENVS REX IVDAEORVM'' (and its translations) was affixed to the cross. ''INRI'' is the abbreviation for the above mentioned Latin translation. It was written in three languages (Hebrew, Latin, and Greek).
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| − | A ''Christogram'' is a monogram or combination of letters which forms an abbreviation for the name of [[Jesus]] [[Christ]], and is traditionally used as a [[Christian symbolism|Christian symbol]]. Different types of Christograms are associated with the various traditions of [[Christianity]]. A monogram is a motif made by overlapping or combining two or more letters or other graphemes to form one [[symbol]]. Monograms are often made by combining the initials of an individual or a company, used as recognizable symbols or [[logo]]s.
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| − | ==Biblical Context==
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| − | As Pilate was loath to crucify Jesus without justification, he used the standing Roman treaty with the Jews which allowed them limited self-government. When the Jewish priests complained that Jesus was interfering with that self-rule by claiming to be the Son of God, Pilate challenged him to deny that he was the "King of the Jews". Jesus did not deny the accusation. Pilate's reluctance to crucify Jesus, according to Christian texts, stands in contrast to his willingness to crucify countless thousands of other Jews and [[Samaritans]] during his rule.<ref>[[Josephus]], ''Antiquities of the Jews'', [http://earlyjewishwritings.com/text/josephus/ant18.html Book XVIII] (c. A.D. 94)</ref>
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| − | Some believe that the justification for his crucifixion was his claim to an illegitimate title. However, {{bibleverse||John|19:21-22|KJV}}, alludes that Pilate rejected the charge that Jesus was crucified because he falsely claimed to be king and instead stated that Jesus was crucified because he ''was'' the King of the Jews. Thus, some Christians as early as the second century<ref>[[Tertullian]], ''Apologeticum c. Gentes'', [http://www.tertullian.org/lfc/LFC10-06_apologeticum.htm#C21 chapter 21] (A.D. 198)</ref> report that Pilate was convinced that Jesus was the [[Messiah]].
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| − | ==Gospel Versions==
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| − | In the [[Gospel of John]] ({{bibleverse-nb||John|19:19-20|KJV}}) the inscription is explained:
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| − | <blockquote>And [[Pontius Pilate|Pilate]] wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, <small>JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS</small>. This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin. (King James Version)</blockquote>
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| − | Each of the other accounts for Jesus's death have a slightly different sign: [[Gospel of Matthew|Matthew]] ({{bibleverse-nb||Matthew|27:37|KJV}}) "This is Jesus the King of the Jews"; [[Gospel of Mark|Mark]] ({{bibleverse-nb||Mark|15:26|KJV}}) "The King of the Jews"; and [[Gospel of Luke|Luke]] ({{bibleverse-nb||Luke23:38|KJV}}) "This is the King of the Jews". The title was written in [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] and [[Greek language|Greek]] and [[Latin language|Latin]].
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| − | {| style=border-collapse:collapse border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=5
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| − | |- align=center bgcolor=#efefef
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| − | !
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| − | !Mark
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| − | !Luke
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| − | !Matthew
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| − | !John
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| − | |- align=center
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| − | |style="text-align:centre;"|Verse
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| − | ||[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=mark%2015:22-15:32;&version=70; Mk 15:26] ||[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke%2023:33-23:43;&version=70; Lk 23:38] ||[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2027:33-27:44;&version=68; Mt 27:37] ||[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john%2019:17-19:30;&version=51; Jn 19:19-20]
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| − | |- align=center
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| − | |style="text-align:centre;"|Inscription
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| − | ||ο βασιλευς των ιουδαιων ||ουτος εστιν ο βασιλευς των ιουδαιων<br><small>HIC·EST·REX·IVDÆORVM</small><br> זה ומלך היהודים</small><br> ||ουτος εστιν ιησους ο βασιλευς των ιουδαιων ||ישוע הנצרי ומלך היהודים <br>ιησους ο ναζωραιος ο βασιλευς των ιουδαιων<br><small>IESVS·NAZARENVS·REX·IVDÆORVM</small>
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| − | |style="text-align:centre;"|English translation
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| − | ||The King of the Jews ||This is the King of the Jews ||This is Jesus, the King of the Jews ||Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews
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| − | |}
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| − | In Hebrew, the phrase is commonly rendered ישוע הנצרי ומלך היהודים (''Yeshua` HaNotsri U'Melech HaYehudim'' {{IPA2|jeːʃuːɑʕ hɑnːɑtseri meleχ hɑjːəhuðiːm}}), which translates instead to "Jesus the Nazarite and King of the Jews." This version was most probably chosen in order that the acronym constitute the [[tetragrammaton]] (יהוה) name corresponding with [[Yahweh]] or [[Jehovah]]. It is possible that the titulus was written in [[Aramaic]], the local vernacular, rather than Hebrew.
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| − | ==Alternate Forms==
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| − | Many [[Eastern Orthodox Church]]es use the [[Greek language|Greek]] letters '''INBI''' based on the Greek version of the inscription, ''{{Polytonic|Ἰησοῦς ὁ Ναζωραῖος ὁ Bασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων}}''. Some representations change the title to "ΙΝΒΚ" ''{{Polytonic|ὁ Bασιλεὺς τοῦ κόσμου}}'' ("The King of the World"), or "ΙΝΒΔ" ''{{Polytonic|ὁ Bασιλεὺς τῆς Δόξης}}'' ("The King of Glory"), not implying that this was really what was written, but reflecting the tradition that [[icon]]s depict the spiritual reality rather than the physical reality. Some other Orthodox Churches (such as the [[Romanian Orthodox Church]]) use the Latin version INRI. The [[Russian Orthodox Church]] uses ІНЦІ (the [[Church Slavonic]] equivalent of INBI) or the abbreviation Цръ Слвы ("King of Glory").
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| − | ==Christian Symbolism==
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| − | A ''chrismon'' is one of number of [[Christian]] [[symbol]]s intended to represent aspects of the Person, life or ministry of [[Jesus Christ]] and the life, ministry or history of the [[Christian Church]] through a single image, emblem or monogram. The term "chrismon" comes from the Latin phrase "Christi Monogramma", meaning "monogram of Christ". By definition, the literal monogram of Christ is the more commonly named [[labarum]] or "Chi Rho", which is the [[Greek letters]] Χ ("chi") superimposed upon Ρ ("rho"). Often, the Ρ is formed to look like a shepherd's crook and the Χ like a cross, symbolizing Jesus Christ as [[The Good Shepherd (Christianity)|Good Shepherd]] of his flock, the Christian Church.
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| − | Chrismons can be found in all sizes, any sort of construction, and are used in numerous applications. Perhaps most commonly, chrismons are used to adorn liturgical devices and [[Christmas Trees]] during [[Advent]] and [[Christmas]], where they are made from various materials ranging from [[needlepoint]] to woodwork and metalwork. They can also be found as decorations in and outside of Christian church buildings and homes, and even found on gravestones and personal stationary.
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| − | ''Nomina sacra'' means "sacred names" in [[Latin language|Latin]], and can be used to refer to traditions of abbreviated writing of several frequently occurring divine names or titles in early [[Greek language]] [[Holy Scripture]]. The Bruce Metzger's book ''Manuscripts of the Greek Bible'' lists 15 such expressions from Greek papyri: the Greek counterparts of God, Lord, Jesus, Christ, Son, Spirit, David, cross, Mary, Father, Israel, Savior, Man Jerusalem, and Heaven. The contractions were written with overlines.
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| − | Starting in the third century the ''nomina sacra'' were sometimes shortened by contraction in Christian inscriptions, resulting in sequences of Greek letters such as IH (iota-eta), IC (iota-sigma), or IHC (iota-eta-sigma) for Jesus (Greek Iēsous), and XC (chi-sigma), XP (chi-ro) and XPC (chi-rho-sigma) for Christ (Greek Christos). Here "C" represents the medieval "lunate" form of Greek sigma; sigma could also be transcribed into the Latin alphabet by sound, giving IHS and XPS.
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| − | One of the oldest Christograms is the ''Chi-Rho'' or [[Labarum]]. It consists of the superimposed Greek letters [[Chi (letter)|Chi]] {{polytonic|Χ}}; and [[Rho (letter)|Rho]] {{polytonic|Ρ}}, which are the first two letters of christ in Greek. Technically, the word ''labarum'' is Latin for a standard with a little flag hanging on it, used in the army. A Christogram was added to the flag as an image of the Greek letters Chi Rho, in the late Roman period. So ''Christogram'' and ''labarum'' are not originally synonyms.
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| − | The most commonly encountered Christogram in English-speaking countries in modern times is the X (or more accurately, Greek letter Chi) in the abbreviation ''[[Xmas]]'' (for "Christmas"), which represents the first letter of the word ''Christ''.
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| − | In the [[Latin]]-speaking Christianity of medieval Western Europe (and so among Catholics and many [[Protestant]]s today), the most common Christogram is "IHS" or "IHC", derived from the first three letters of the [[Greek language|Greek]] name of Jesus, ''iota-eta-sigma'' or ΙΗΣ. Here the Greek letter ''eta'' was transliterated as the letter ''H'' in the Latin-speaking West (Greek ''eta'' and Latin-alphabet ''H'' had the same visual appearance and shared a common historical origin), while the Greek letter ''sigma'' was either transliterated as the Latin letter ''C'' (due to the visually-similar form of the lunate sigma), or as Latin ''S'' (since these letters of the two alphabets wrote the same sound). Because the Latin-alphabet letters ''I'' and ''J'' were not systematically distinguished until the 17th century, "JHS" and "JHC" are equivalent to "IHS" and "IHC".
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| − | "IHS" is sometimes interpreted as meaning ''Iesus Hominum Salvator'' ("Jesus, Savior of men", in Latin), or connected with ''In Hoc Signo''. Some uses have even been created for the English language, where "IHS" is interpreted as an abbreviation of "I Have Suffered" or "In His Service". Such interpretations are known as backronyms. Its use in the West originated with St. Bernardine of Siena, a 13th Century priest who popularized the use of the three letters on the background of a blazing sun to displace both popular pagan symbols and seals of political factions like the Guelphs and Ghibellines in public spaces.
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| − | ==Notes==
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| − | <references/>
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| − | ==References==
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| − | *Grabar, ''Christian Iconography: A Study of its Origins.'' Princeton University Press, 1968.
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| − | *Grosse, R. "Labarum", ''Realencyclopädie der klassischen Altertumswissenschaft'' vol. 12, pt 1(Stuttgart) 1924:240-42.
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| − | * Hurtado, L.W. ''The Earliest Christian Artifacts: Manuscripts and Christian Origins,'' Cambridge 2006.
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| − | *Paap, A.H.R.E. ''Nomina Sacra in the Greek Papyri of the First Five Centuries,'' Papyrologica Lugduno-Batava VIII (Leiden 1959).
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| − | *Dilasser, Maurice. ''The Symbols of the Church.'' Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1999. ISBN 081462538x
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| − | *Karlin-Hayter, Patricia. ''Oxford History of Byzantium.'' Oxford University Press, 2002. ISBN 9780198140986
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| − | *Kitzinger, Ernst. ''The Cult of Images in the Age before Iconoclasm.'' Dumbarton Oaks, 1954, quoted by Jaroslav Pelikan, in ''The Spirit of Eastern Christendom 600-1700.'' University of Chicago Press, 1974. ISSN 0070-7546
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| − | [[Category:Philosophy and religion]]
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| − | [[Category:Religion]]
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| − | [[Category:Christianity]]
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| − | {{Credits|Christogram|226477126|Chrismon|182149602|Nomina_sacra|223487690|Monogram|228315907|INRI|225951924|Titulus_(inscription)|136969373}}
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