The Envious Dog

In the Middle ages, each of the Seven Deadly Sins had an animal designated as being symbolic of that particular poor choice. Different storytelling traditions designated a variety of creatures to each particular sin. The dog was a common symbol of envy, owing to its tendency to want whatever another dog might possess at the time. In our story, a dog steps out of the canine-envy world and is jealous of a butterfly for its apparent freedom compared to the dog's life within a fenced-in backyard. (Image from the book, "The Seven Very Bad Choices; A New Look at the Seven Deadly Sins")

The Green Man

The Green Man has been a symbol in many religions of the unity of humankind with all of creation. The image can be seen carved in various places of some of the great cathedrals of Europe. In early church architecture, sculptures of a human face with sprouting leaves symbolized new life and continued growth through Christ. It is also a symbol today of our relationship with nature and our responsibility to preserve and protect all of Creation.

The Woodpecker

In the early days of Christianity in Central Europe, the Woodpecker became honored as the symbol of a life spent in constant prayer because of its persistent hammering. As the defeater of the worm, which represented evil, the woodpecker was also a Christ figure.

Anna and the King

We don't know just how old Anna was, but we do know that she had been married at one time for seven years and then lived as a widow for eighty-four years. The story in Luke simply mentions that she was very old and also was a prophet who spent most of her life at the Temple in prayer. When she saw the infant Jesus, she proclaimed him the Redeemer of his people. It is interesting that the Greek Scripture writers didn't identify many people as prophets, but at least five of them were women: Anna and the four daughters of Philip. (Image from Prints of the Prophets)

The Dolphin

This intelligent and friendly animal was an important symbol of redemption in the myths of many cultures that lived by the sea. The dolphin was believed to carry the souls of the dead to their final rest. Early Christians often took the opportunity to illustrate their message with popular stories of their era, so they adopted the dolphin legend as a symbol of Christ’s redemptive work. (Image from the PowerPoint, Symbols of a Faith)

Ebed-Melech

Ebed-Melech's story is one that is not told often enough. He was a servant in the court of Zedekiah, the last King of Israel who was in the line of King David. The Prophet Jeremiah had been thrown into a cistern to die because the weak king had given in to the advice of his council, men who hated and feared Jeremiah for telling the king that Israel's only hope for survival was to surrender to their invading enemies, the vastly superior Chaldeans. Ebed-Melech, an Ethiopian and also a eunuch, had compassion for the prophet of peace and requested to be allowed to rescue Jeremiah from the muddy well. The king must have respected Ebed-Melech, since he sent 30 men along to help with the rescue and to protect the noble Ethiopian in his dangerous mission. He lowered a rope into the cistern along with some old rags for the aging prophet to use as padding between his armpits and the rope. Jeremiah told Ebed-Melech that his life would be spared for this selfless act after the inevitable invasion of Israel's powerful enemies. This man who was marginalized both because of his ethnic origin and gender issues, was and is one of the most admirable of Hebrew Scripture heroes. (Image from Prints of the Prophets) 

The Griffin

 The Griffin (also Gryphon) is a fantastic composite animal of ancient myth and another of many familiar story creatures adapted by the medieval Christians as reminders of the various aspects of their faith. The Griffin, a very popular symbol in heraldry, reminded them of the dual nature of Christ. The earth-bound lion represented the human nature and the flying eagle was the divine nature.(Image from the Powerpoint, Symbols of a Faith)

Lydia and the House Church

The story of Lydia in the Book of Acts is an important chapter in the continuing saga about the roles influential women played in the formation of the early church. Like Joanna, Susanna and Mary Magdalene before her, Lydia was a self supporting individual who was inspired to make a significant contribution toward spreading the Good News. She offered Paul and his traveling companion Silas a place to stay after they had been beaten and jailed illegally by the city's authorities. A wealthy dealer in expensive purple fabric, Lydia was the head of her household, all of whom she made sure were properly baptized to establish and facilitate the first House Church of Continental Europe. (Image from PowerPoint series, The Early Church)

Gifts of the Spirit

There is always debate as to how many Gifts of the Holy Spirit the Apostle Paul lists, since he addresses the subject several times. The circle of seven doves around the center cross have been a symbolic reminder of the gifts since the Middle Ages, numbering the gifts as seven: wisdom, understanding, counsel, courage, knowledge, faithfulness and respect for God. The dove has been a symbol of the Holy Spirit since the gospel visions of its descent during the Baptism of Jesus. The circle, another divine symbol, is probably the oldest symbol of the never ending and without beginning attribute of God. (Image from PowerPoint, Symbols of a Faith)

King Nimrod

In the Tower of Babel story of Genesis, there are no names given to the monarch or anyone else in this short account about the confusion of languages. Another obscure biblical reference to a king at the time who was named Nimrod connected him to the narrative through later story tellers and interpreters. In our day, Nimrod is a slang term meaning clumsy or slow witted. The meaning originated in a Bugs Bunny cartoon in the 1940's, when Mel Blanc, the voice of Bugs, referred to Elmer Fudd, who was hunting Bugs with no luck, as "Poor little Nimrod." Mel Blanc, a language scholar, would have known that "Nimrod" means "hunter." People at the time however, especially teenagers, started using the term in reference to people they felt displayed the characteristics of Bug's perpetual loser foe, Elmer. King Nimrod became the bigger loser however, with his name associated with two negative characters to whom he had no connection at all. (Image from PowerPoint, From Eden to Esau)

The Rooster

Of the many animal Christian Symbols, the rooster has two notable meanings. In an old Christmas legend, it is said that the only time a rooster ever crowed at midnight was the night Jesus was born. In a story in the Gospels, Jesus mentions the bird when he tells Peter that the intensely loyal disciple will deny knowing him three times before the rooster crows at dawn. Of course, Jesus' prophecy comes true later that same evening. The Rooster is therefore an important symbol of St. Peter and a reminder to all about being careful about what we promise. (Image from the PowerPoint, Symbols of a Faith)

Tale of Two Sons

The Parable most of us call the Prodigal Son certainly teaches us about unconditional love as the father joyfully accepts his younger son home with open arms, even though the boy has shown his father the ultimate disrespect of demanding his inheritance while his parent is still alive and then squandering all of it away. The story does not end there, however, and continues to teach another lesson, this time about inclusion. The older son, grumpy and feeling sorry for himself out of jealousy over his brother's lavish welcome home party, is reminded by his father that no one is excluded from his boundless love. (This image, from the PowerPoint, Luke's Stories at Lent, is rendered in a broader cartoon style than the stories of Jesus' life to distinguish the stories Jesus lives from the stories Jesus tells.)

Mary Magdalene

Mary Magdalene, or Mary of Magdala, is the prime example of the loyal disciple, who stood by Jesus' side to the end and even beyond, as she is the only person listed in all four Gospel accounts as the leader of the loyal women who discovered the empty tomb on their mission to anoint Jesus' body. Mary was the Apostle to the Apostles, seen here running excitedly to deliver the resurrection news to Peter and the other male Disciples who had gone into hiding following the crucifixion. She was likely a woman of means, since she is also grouped with Joanna and Susanna who financially supported Jesus' ministry. (Image from The Story and Legends of Easter; a PowerPoint presentation)

Easter Bunny Origins

The Easter Bunny, like so many other Easter time symbols, has nothing to do with the story of the resurrection of Christ, but has its origins in the prolific litters of newborn rabbits celebrated in the springtime festivals of many religions. Joining with the egg as a fertility symbol, the bunny finally achieved its modern definition in the U.S. late in the nineteenth century, marketed by candy companies and greeting card merchants as both a deliverer and layer of brightly colored eggs. In Christian traditions, the colorful eggs were a special treat offered to all after the forty day fast of the Season of Lent, during which the consumption of eggs was forbidden. Not to be upstaged by this Roman Catholic tradition, German Protestants also celebrated the springtime custom of gathering and dying eggs which were arranged in elaborate handmade nests that later translated to Easter baskets. The Bunny version of Santa Claus, delivering decorated eggs as gifts to deserving girls and boys, was the final bonus. (Image from The Story and Legends of Easter; a PowerPoint presentation)

Eostre

Why do we call the day Christianity celebrates the resurrection of Christ Easter? No one can give a definitive answer to this, but a best guess was made by the famous 7th century Christian monk and  scholar, The Venerable Bede, who recognized that a central figure to the springtime festivals of the other Anglo Saxon religions of the time was a mythical goddess named Eostre who found her roots in the pantheon of ancient Egypt. She was depicted in a variety of ways throughout her long history, sometimes surrounded with rabbits or hares, the ubiquitous symbols of fertility. At other times, Eostre was seen having the head of a rabbit herself. The spring harvest festivals became known as Eostre time, translated throughout the years as Easter Time in our vernacular. The old goddess' connection to the Easter Bunny should also be obvious, but that tradition likely developed in our culture without anyone ever hearing of the older myth. (Image from The Story and Legends of Easter, A PowerPoint presentation)

The Butterfly

A Resurrection symbol that has almost become a cliche' is the butterfly. Like the Phoenix of the stories of mythology, the insect does seem to die to its old self and return in a brand new and more glorious form. Of course, the butterfly in its caterpillar state, or metaphoric human nature, also offers the added bonus of entering into a tomb-like cocoon first  before emerging in a state that mortals might consider divine, at least in its appearance. (Image from Our Christian Symbols, A PowerPoint Presentation)  

The Phoenix

There are probably more Christian symbols for the Resurrection than any other aspect of the faith. The central event of Christianity has always been a concept that is difficult to comprehend and depict in representational art, so many artists have opted to explore a long list of metaphors in attempts to explain feelings of awe. The Phoenix, a mystical bird that found a place in the mythologies of numerous cultures many centuries before Jesus, was a natural choice of the early Christians who saw the bird's ability to die in sacrificial flames and then rise again from its own ashes as a familiar story that would remind their followers of the death and return of Christ. (Image from Our Christian Symbols, A PowerPoint Presentation)  

The Bee as a Symbol

The bee was an early symbol of wisdom in the land of the ancient Hebrews. The wise and very busy Judge and Prophet Deborah’s name meant bee. Legends in those days portrayed the insect commuting back and forth as a resident of both the earth and of heaven where the bee learned the art of honey production. Honey must have been a heavenly flavored food item. The bee also symbolized the Holy Spirit because of its tireless work and Christ because its honey represented gentleness and compassion. The stinger of the bee, not surprisingly, was a judgment symbol. (Image from Our Christian Symbols, a PowerPoint presentation.) 

The Ark of the Covenant

The construction of the legendary Ark of the Covenant, one of several sacred furnishings contained by the Tabernacle in the wilderness and later by the Temple of Solomon, was credited to the building skills of the craftsman, Bezalel. The gold plated wooden box was the container for the tablets of the Ten Commandments and the subject of a number of mystical stories about various fantastic powers that emanated from this mercy seat of God. The Ark's most prominent features are the pair of cherubim positioned on the top of the lid. As to their actual appearance, cherubim are among the more mysterious celestial beings that are mentioned in the visions and dreams of the Hebrew storytellers. They are likely composite creatures that were familiar sights at the times of the writings; some variety of the form of a winged sphinx with the head of a human and the body of a lion or horse topped with eagle's wings, standard decorations of Babylonian and Egyptian gates and temples. The Hebrew Scriptures always place them in narratives that inspire fear or awe since they are celestial beings that have been in the very presence of the Divine. The King James Bible called them Cherubims, which is incorrect. "Cherubim" is the Hebrew plural of the singular form, "cherub." "Cherubs" later became well known as the chubby infants with tiny wings on Valentine's cards, not likely protectors of the golden Ark in the Holy of Holies. (Image from PowerPoint, Symbols of a Faith.)

Joseph and his Brothers

So many of the stories in the Ancestor Period of Genesis are ripe with family dysfunction, particularly concerning strife among brothers. Much of it can be traced back to the parenting skills of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs and the stories' motif of playing favorites. Sarah, primarily, and her husband Abraham favored Isaac over Ishmael; Isaac was partial to his son Esau while his wife Rebekah much preferred Esau's brother Jacob; and following the pattern, Jacob's favorite son was Joseph over his daughters and eleven other sons. The sons grew to hate Joseph, especially after their father gave him a fancy coat which had either long sleeves or many colors, depending on which translation you favor over the others. (There's that pattern again!) Joseph's brothers finally decided to solve the Joseph problem either by killing him, throwing him into a pit, or selling him as a slave to the Ishmaelites. They did throw him into a pit for a while, but thought better of it and finally opted to enslave him for a profit. An irony of the story is that he is sold to the descendants of Ishmael, the first rejected ancestral son to be tossed out into the desert. (Image from PowerPoint: Birth of a Nation; Joseph, Part 1)

Herald Angels

Angels have always been mysterious beings for artists to attempt to depict. They are essentially envisioned by the Scripture writers as messengers from God and their messages are as varied as their physical appearance. They are usually described as men and without wings. They can be their own sources of light and are sometimes almost blinding to the viewer, or just be ordinary looking people, but with something unusual about them that the different writers were hard pressed to specify. Were the living creatures with multiple heads and wings of Ezekiel types of angels, or were the six winged beings of Isaiah another category of angel? The standard image of a male or female with one set of wings came about in Medieval depictions, since it was thought that Heaven was a place just above the highest clouds and angels must have wings on their backs in order to easily descend and ascend in carrying out all their messenger duties. That is why artists today usually stick wings on their backs, regardless of how they are presented by all the different Bible writers. Otherwise, how do we instantly recognize them as angels? (This image is from an Advent PowerPoint presentation. A Herald Angel's right hand is always lifted in a welcoming greeting, heralding good news.)

The Seven Headed Dragon

The Book of Revelation was written in the very late years of the first century or very early years of the second and is full of images and metaphors that would have been much more clear to its original readers than to us. We do know that a lot of the various creature references were familiar as visions first used by their own Hebrew prophets and other surrounding civilizations. In those days, the Empire of Rome had destroyed their whole way of life by devastating their holy city of Jerusalem and burning their magnificent Temple to the ground. The writer of Revelation saw Rome as the Seven Headed Dragon, and in fact, Satan. There was no greater monster to him than Rome. The sad fact today is that many of us still follow the example of allowing our anger to gradually remove all of the attributes of humanity from those we hate, eventually transforming them into irredeemable monsters. And of course, we can more easily kill monsters without remorse. (Image from Beasts of the Bible.)

Jonah and the Great Fish

One of the Bible stories told most often to children is about the Prophet Jonah being swallowed by a huge fish or whale or sea monster, depending on the translation and interpretation of the storyteller. Of course, none of these stories were originally intended for children and the imaginative image of a person being swallowed by a sea creature of generous proportions and then surviving is a side event to the central theme, which is all about compassion and inclusion in regard to our neighbors and enemies. Jonah, the most reluctant of prophetic preachers, is sent by God to Nineveh, the Capitol of the Assyrian Empire, to deliver a sermon to enlighten them and save them from themselves. Jonah, who hates the Assyrians in abundance, does everything he can to escape his commission, but still winds up being deposited on the shores of Nineveh covered in fish vomit and finally preaches to the hated Ninevites, who actually hear his words. The whole city changes its course to the good. The message of loving your neighbor and in fact, your enemy is obvious and made clear to Jonah, who is still grousing at the end. The fish story was essentially a symbol that God was prepared to use any means necessary to show compassion toward the 120 plus thousand people and the animals who lived with them. It's ironic that the fish plot device has inspired centuries of heated debates about the species and physical makeup of the fish and Jonah's methods of survival for three days in stomach acid, when the story's real point is just to love our neighbor. (Digital mural design: Jonah and the Great Fish.)

Astonished and Overwhelmed

The Prophet Ezekiel, who was active in the sixth century before the birth of Jesus, spoke to his people through visions and metaphors that attempted to describe his wonder for the Divine. Among his most memorable images are the Heavenly messengers he calls the four living creatures, each with four faces; of a human, a lion, an ox and an eagle. They were also equipped with two sets of wings, one set for flying and the other for covering their bodies and with human hands extended beneath the wings. Ezekiel's visions seem bizarre to us today and have inspired innumerable interpretations throughout the centuries, but they were probably not that unusual as symbols of awe to his original readers, who were surrounded by Babylonian statues and murals of marvelous composite creatures such as winged sphinxes and horse- like dragons that illustrated their civilization's own quest to depict the invisible world of the spiritual. The whole exercise left Ezekiel astonished and overwhelmed. (Image from Prints of the Prophets series.)

A Woman of Determination

In the Genesis story from the Ancestor Period, Abraham sends his trusted servant Eliezer back to his own tribe to find a wife for Sarah and Abraham's son, Isaac. Eliezer returns with Rebekah, a woman who would forever change the course of a nation. After their long journey, Rebekah halts her camel and asks Eliezer the identity of a man walking in the field ahead. On finding out it is Isaac, she jumps down from the camel and begins to run across the field to greet him. Isaac takes her to his late mother, Sarah's tent and Rebekah turns out to be more than a replacement for Sarah. Years later, she will determine the future leader of the yet-to-be nation of Israel by successfully scheming to make sure her favorite son Jacob, disguised as his slightly older twin brother Esau, receives the irrevocable Patriarchal Blessing from his aging father Isaac. She then arranges for Jacob to journey back to her tribe where he will marry and later become the founding father of the 12 Tribes of Israel. Rebekah was a mother who recognized her sons' gifts and never hesitated to act on her instincts. (Image from the PowerPoint presentation, From Eden to Esau.)

The First of Many

The earliest Christian symbol was not the cross, but the Ichthus, in Greek, "Fish." 
(Iota, Chi, Theta, Upsilon, and Sigma; in English IXOYE.) The symbol was used as early as the 1st and 2nd centuries and probably originated in the seaport of Alexandria, Egypt. The five letters are an acrostic describing the nature of Christ. What do they mean? The first correct answer will receive an 8 x 10 print of the art of your choice from this blog. (Image from Our Christian Symbols, a PowerPoint presentation.)

Family bonds

Certainly one of the most disturbing stories in Genesis is the Binding of Isaac. Like a lot of these ancient narratives, it leaves us with many more questions than answers, which makes it one of the more tantalizing of the tales. What did the original readers think of this? Did they get the idea that their God was telling them that through this example, God would provide and they were not required to burn their children like some of their Idol worshiping neighbor's did? Isaac was no child in this story. Some say he could have been in his late 30's. Was the plot about Abraham neglecting his patriarchal duty of finding his son a wife? (In those days, those not married and perpetuating the family line might as well have been dead!) I personally wonder where Sarah stood in this situation. She is not mentioned in the story, but we do know that Abraham never went back to her encampment after this, but to Beersheba where he later married Keturah. Who would want to face the strong willed Sarah after the attempted sacrifice of her beloved Child of Laughter? What does this story mean to you? (Image from Binding of Isaac PowerPoint presentation. -We know the text really says Abraham just heard the voice of the Angel of the Lord, but we were tired of drawing close-ups of Abraham with his hand cupped behind his ear.)

Thank You for following!

Fellow seekers: We believe there is a place for all things historical.

Our sample work on this blog spans over 60 combined years so far and we've just started compiling. Backed up by our work in television, puppetry, animation and the art and graphics world, we are focusing our efforts in the not-so-new subject, the Bible, with source material that dates back 4000 plus years.

In this blog, we are sharing illustrations and observations and hope to hear other peoples' thoughts on the stories and traditions inspired by the Bible.  We hope the information will contain something new or bring back memories which may have been lost over the years.

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Wise Judgments

Around 1100 years before the birth of Jesus at the beginning of the Iron Age, Judges ruled the various tribes of Israel. In the hill country of Ephraim, under a palm tree, Deborah served as one of these leaders, rendering wise judgments and settling disputes for all the people of her region. The era of the Judges was a time of unrest both between the tribes and with their neighbors; a time of wars and civil wars and the Judges were a combination of governors and military leaders. Deborah was one of the best, seen here giving advice to the general Barak, who refused to go into battle unless Deborah came along to personally give the command to advance. She was a remarkable woman in a time dominated by male leadership and the only Judge the Bible writers also named as a Prophet. In Hebrew, the name Deborah means bee, a symbol of wisdom in ancient times. The Song of Deborah is one of the oldest writings of Scripture. (Illustration from Prints of the Prophets.)

Pansies as symbols

Many plants have been used throughout the years as symbols of the various aspects of the Christian faith; holly, the rose, evergreens, the poinsettia, the lilly, etc. One of the most colorful symbols, dating back a few hundred years in Europe, is the Pansy, which is yet another symbol of the Trinity. The pansy has three predominant petals and is usually a harmony of three colors, all making up the unity of the one flower. (Illustration from Our Christian Symbols, a Powerpoint presentation.)

Lot Between the Lines

Abraham and Sarah's nephew Lot is a very busy supporting character and we can learn some interesting information about Abraham from Lot's placement in the Ancestor stories. For instance, when Lot is taken prisoner by a rival tribe at war with the cities of the south, we learn Abraham's wealth and influence must have been considerable in order for him to rally enough servants to defeat the rival's army and rescue his nephew. We also learn from the later Sodom story that Lot's hospitality skills do not match his uncle's impeccable protocol.  At the end, Lot cannot have been remembered too fondly by the Hebrew people. His two sons Ammon and Moab were the patriarchs of  two of Israel's ubiquitous antagonists, the Ammonites and the Moabites. (Illustration from the PowerPoint presentation, From Eden to Esau.)

The Stag as a Symbol

Medieval Knights were always on a quest for noble symbols to decorate their coats of arms. The majestic stag became a popular image because its antlers reminded them of the Tree of Life from Eden. The animal was also a Christ figure since it shed the antlers yearly to grow new stronger ones; a Resurrection metaphor. Added to that, it was a well known enemy and destroyer of the snake, a natural in the type casting of the era. (Image from Our Christian Symbols, a PowerPoint presentation.)

A Fish Story

It's fun to explore the variations of designs artists through the years have turned out when they have attempted visualizations of God. Of course, when the concept of the Trinity entered into the picture, the task became three times as challenging. The ichthus (or fish) symbol was probably the earliest graphic reminder for Jesus, so somebody came up with the idea of multiplying it into three and arranging them into the eternal never ending, never beginning circle of God; a very creative attempt at the impossible. (Image from Our Christian Symbols, a PowerPoint presentation.)