Ichtys (ἰχθύς)

Greek. “Fish”. It is one of the initial symbols of Christianity, used by the earliest followers of Jesus of Nazareth, among a wide variety of other symbols to express their faith, including a dove, a ship, a lyre, an anchor, a cross, a lamb, a shepherd and the Greek letters chi (Χ) and rho (ρ), an abbreviation for Christ often used as a monogram. Ichtys is an acronym for “Iesous Christos Theou Uios Soter” (Ἰησοῦς Χριστός θεοῦ Υἱός Σωτήρ), meaning “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour”. The name Jesus derives from the Greek Iesous (Ἰησοῦς), a Hellenisation of the Hebrew-Aramaic names Yeshua (ישוע) and Yehoshua (יהושע), both meaning “Yahweh (God) rescues”, whereas Christ is a title that derives from the Greek word Christos (Χριστός), meaning the “Anointed One”, which corresponds to the Hebrew-Aramaic word Messiah (משיחא). Both the name Jesus and Ichtys thus refer to salvation. In some cases fish may perhaps be interpreted metaphorically, as a symbol of the righteous and righteousness, i.e. “What man is there of you whom if his son ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?”. Tertullianus, a Christian theologian writing at beginning of the 3rd century, interpreted the Ichtys symbol as one of baptism: “But we small fishes, named after our great Ichtys, Jesus Christ, are born in water and only by remaining in water can we live”. Also transcribed ichtus.

Ishmael (יִשְׁמָעֵאל)

Name of the first son of Abraham and Hagar, Sarah’s Egyptian maidservant. In Hebrew, his name is pronounced Yishmaʿel (יִשְׁמָעֵאל), meaning “God has hearkened”, suggesting that he was regarded as the fulfillment of a divine promise. Born as a result of Sarah’s initial barrenness, Ishmael’s birth is narrated in Genesis 16, where God hears Hagar’s distress and promises that her son will become the progenitor of a great nation. According to biblical accounts, Ishmael is blessed by God, grows to become a skilled archer, and fathers twelve sons who become the chiefs of twelve tribes, traditionally associated with the peoples of the Arabian Peninsula (Gen. 25:12–18). While Ishmael is distinct from Isaac, Abraham’s son with Sarah and the ancestor of the Israelites, he remains part of the covenantal narrative, receiving divine promises regarding his descendants. In later Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions, Ishmael is seen as the patriarch of the Ishmaelites or Arab peoples, and in Islamic theology, he is also regarded as an important figure in the lineage leading to the Prophet Muhammad. In Genesis 16:12, Ishmael is described as pēred ’īsh (פֶּרֶד אִישׁ), “a wild donkey of a man,” with the text stating that “his hand will be against everyone, and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.” The imagery of the “wild donkey” has been interpreted in multiple ways. On one hand, it may symbolise independence, freedom, and untamed strength, reflecting both the challenges and resilience of Ishmael’s character and the nomadic lifestyle traditionally associated with his descendants, often linked to the tribes of the Arabian Peninsula. On the other hand, the description has also been read as emblematic of conflict and adversarial relationships arising within a tribal context, suggesting enduring tensions between Ishmael’s lineage and other peoples. The phrase situates Ishmael within the broader Abrahamic narrative, highlighting both his separation from Isaac—the child of the covenant—and the enduring significance of his lineage in biblical and later religious traditions. In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul refers to Ishmael in Galatians 4:21–31 to illustrate a theological allegory contrasting the “child of the flesh” with the “child of the promise.” Drawing on the Genesis narratives of Hagar and Sarah, Paul presents Ishmael, Abraham’s son by Hagar, as a symbol of bondage and reliance on human effort, in contrast to Isaac, Abraham’s son by Sarah, who represents divine promise and freedom. Paul interprets the conflict between Ishmael and Isaac typologically, associating Ishmael with the old covenant and worldly concerns, and Isaac with the covenant of God and the new spiritual freedom offered through Christ. In this way, Ishmael is not only a historical figure but also an allegorical representation of human dependence on the flesh versus trust in divine providence. By invoking Ishmael’s story, Paul underscores themes of covenant, promise, and the distinction between spiritual slavery and freedom, linking the Abrahamic narrative to the broader theological framework of salvation in Christ.

Ishmaelite

An Ishmaelite is a descendant of Ishmael, the first son of Abraham and Hagar, and Ishmaelites are traditionally regarded as the ancestors of many Arab peoples. According to Genesis 25:12–18, Ishmael had twelve sons who became the heads of twelve tribes, settling in the region from Havilah to Shur, near Egypt and extending toward Assyria. In the Hebrew Bible, the Ishmaelites are depicted as a nomadic, desert-dwelling people, organized into clans and tribes, moving seasonally in search of grazing land and water. Their familiarity with desert routes enabled them to engage in long-distance trade and caravan travel, facilitating the exchange of goods and culture across the ancient Near East. They are notably mentioned in Gen. 37:25, where a caravan of Ishmaelites buys Joseph from his brothers and transports him to Egypt, demonstrating their role as merchants and intermediaries within regional commerce. Historically and culturally, the Ishmaelites contributed to the broader network of nomadic trade, and their ancestral connection to Abraham links them to the covenantal narratives of Israel, though they remained distinct from the settled Israelites. In later traditions, particularly within Islamic thought, Ishmael is recognized as a prophet and progenitor of Arab peoples, reinforcing the identification of the Ishmaelites with Arab tribes and highlighting their enduring significance in the genealogical and cultural history of the Near East.