Symbols of Faith Jewelry: A Guide

Symbols of Faith Jewelry: A Guide

Symbols of faith jewelry are either commercially-available or made at home, at the workbench, using high-quality beads and findings, and of course, suitable sterling silver charms. Like other exceptional jewelry with special meanings, symbols of faith jewelry go deep into the heart of those who wear them, as they are foremost spiritual jewelry more than anything. Fortunately for crafters and beaders who wish to integrate faith-inspired symbols into their creations, it’s always easier with Xinar’s extensive collections of sterling silver charms.

If you’re interested in creating symbols of faith jewelry for your collection, friends/family, or your DIY jewelry store, check out the following discussions and be enlightened about the weight of the symbols we add to jewelry. You never know just how meaningful and highly-valued some symbols can be!

Cross

The cross is the primary emblem of Christianity because it represents Jesus’ crucifixion and the redemptive power of his death. The cross is thus a sign of Christ himself and the faith of Christians. The sign of the cross in a religious context might be interpreted as a declaration of faith, a prayer, a dedication, or a blessing, depending on the specific circumstances.

Cross shapes were employed as symbols long before the Christian era. However, it is not always apparent if they were just signs of identification or possession or had religious or spiritual significance. Two non-Christian cross styles have enjoyed popularity among Christians.

The Ankh, a tau cross with a loop above it, was the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic emblem of life adopted and widely used on Coptic Christian monuments. In addition, many early Christian tombs are marked with a swastika, also known as the crux gammata, which consists of four Greek capitals of the letter gamma.

Angel

anything with wings. Cupid has taken on the appearance of a lovely baby angel similar to the cherubs portrayed in the Bible. According to the Bible, angels have a more eccentric nature.

The Bible describes various angels serving in and around God’s presence. Jewish scholar Maimonides, who lived in the 12th century, assigned ranks of importance to these heavenly beings. The result is a description of four hierarchical creatures who appear in the Bible and the background of their conception.

Compared to the other four archangels, the Cherubim (later reduced to Cherub) is the lowest in status. According to the Bible, these creatures are a mix of animal and human DNA in charge of protecting Eden from humans.

Ezekiel saw them in a vision and described them as having four faces: that of a lion, an ox, an eagle, and a human. They fly on four slender, feathered legs, and their bull hooves, which seem like polished brass, are their only feet. They have two sets of wings—one that protects their entire body in flight and another that is used for propulsion.

It’s not like how we picture the Cherub today from this description. Although modern depictions of it may be traced back to Greek and Roman gods like Cupid, academics believe the biblical reference originated through cross-cultural interactions with ancient Babylonia, Syria, and Egypt. The Cherub, like the Babylonian Lamassu, Egyptian Sphynx, and Hittite Griffin, serves as a guardian of sacred sites and has a hybrid look.

The Hebrew word meaning “messenger” (Mal’ akh) is the etymological ancestor of the Greek word Angelos, from whence we get the English word Malakim are God’s messengers, and they resemble humans the most. When compared to the other four, they come in at #3.

Angels such as the angel of death in the Passover tale and the archangel Michael, who guards the heavenly realm, worked as God’s representatives in the Old Testament. Throughout the New Testament, angels serve as messengers, most notably Gabriel, who delivered the news of Mary’s miraculous conception. When asked to visualize an angel, these specific ones commonly come to mind.

Although the Malakim resembled humans, the Bible made no mention of them having wings.

Images of angels in early Christian art, dating back to the middle of the third century, were typically depicted without wings. However, it wasn’t until the late 4th century that artists started depicting angels with wings again. Although artists were aware that the Bible never mentions angels or archangels having wings, some scholars believe this was done to convey the spiritual greatness of these figures.

The Golden Rule

It’s important to treat others the way you’d like to be treated. This isthe most well-known expression of the golden rule, emphasizing its proactive and helpful nature. The “silver rule,” its counterpart, emphasizes restraint and non-harm: “do nothing to others you would not have done to you.” Following the more aggressive “do unto” spouse, the “do not” result might appear legalistic in Western and Eastern scriptural traditions. However, the good intentions of the regulation appear to be safe from being masked by ulterior motives and schemes.

While the golden rule is often connected with Christian principles, its roots go much deeper, and it may also be found in Asian culture. The golden rule is commonly seen as a moral compass. In actuality, though, it may have a psychological purpose by highlighting our tendency toward egocentrism and the failure to think about how our actions affect those around us. The norm is a gentle reminder that we are on equal footing with everyone else and must treat them as such. It alludes to a mindset or approach to how one views one’s relationships with other people. We must positively affect other people and not put their needs behind our own.

This is a highly progressive statement. It’s possible that this message was initially received as somewhat radical in the inegalitarian social conditions of ancient Hebrews. But it probably wasn’t, seeing as how it’s buried in the Bible with dozens of other regulations that are much clearer and more stringent and get far more focus. The norm also presumed preexisting peer conventions for relating to members of the same clan, neighbors, coworkers, friends, and siblings.

The Last Supper

Jesus extended a wonderful invitation to accept his gift during the Last Supper. The following is a synopsis of the accounts of the Last Supper found in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke.

The first night of Passover (also known as the Festival of Unleavened Bread) was the night of the Last Supper. Jesus dispatched his followers into the city ahead of him to buy the necessary ingredients for the Passover feast. The Israelites were spared when the angel of death passed over their houses because they had painted lamb’s blood over their doorposts for Passover.

While Jesus and his followers were lounging around the table for supper, he broke the news that one of them would shortly betray him. One by one, the disciples denied being the traitor, with Judas being the last to recant. Finally, Jesus said that Judas was the traitor and that he would suffer a horrific end because of it.

Jesus offered a prayer of thanks to God for the food. He then gave the disciples a piece of bread and a cup of wine, telling them that the bread represented his broken body and the wine his blood would be poured out for their forgiveness. The practice of communion in Christian churches originates here.

Following the dinner, Jesus took on the servant role by washing his followers’ feet. Peter objected to Jesus washing his feet, but Jesus explained that He was setting an example for the disciples. When the disciples learned to wash each other’s feet, it symbolized that they had learned to be servants to everyone.

St. Jude Medal

One of Jesus’ original twelve Apostles, St. Jude, is the patron saint of hope and seemingly lost causes.

He boldly shared the gospel message, often in trying conditions. As he shared the Bible with others, the Holy Spirit enabled him to change lives forever. According to the Gospel, St. Jude was an Apostle and the brother of St. James the Less. In Matthew’s gospel, they are called Jesus’ “brethren,” implying that they were related to him. A common misconception is that St. Jude is the same person as the traitor Judas Iscariot.

This reminds us of a miracle he performed while preaching the gospel. Abagar, king of Edessa, had an artist bring him a portrait of Jesus so that he could be healed of leprosy. Jesus, moved by Abagar’s unwavering faith, pressed His face into a fabric, leaving His likeness there. To St. Jude, to whom he entrusted the cloth, the saint may take the image to Abagar and thereby restore his health.

After Jesus’ death and resurrection, St. Jude accompanied St. Simon as they preached and established churches in Mesopotamia, Libya, and Persia. For his unshakable devotion to Christ, St. Jude paid the ultimate price. His tomb is now located beneath the Basilica of St. Peter in Rome.

Ark of the Covenant

The Ark of the Covenant is a sacred object in Judaism and Christianity. It is a decorated chest made of wood and covered with gold that once held the two tablets of the Ten Commandments God gave to Moses. On Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, the Israelite high priest was the only person permitted to enter the Holy of Holies, where the Ark of the Covenant was kept.

During the Israelites’ time in the desert, the Levites (priestly representatives) were responsible for transporting the Ark of the Covenant. After the Israelites conquered Canaan (the Promised Land), the Ark was kept in Shiloh, but it was occasionally taken into battle. Finally, King David brought it to Jerusalem, where it would be used in the Temple of Solomon. However, the Ark’s ultimate demise is still a mystery.

Virgin Mary

In certain faiths, the mother is the most revered deity (visages of the Virgin and Child call to mind the Egyptian art of Isis nursing her son Horus). The Gospels are essential to understanding Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ. In the fifth century in Syria, embellishments to her mythology began to take shape.

Because of the Immaculate Conception, Mary was born without the stain of original sin (21.168), and she was assumed into heaven after her death (17.190.132), yet Saint Thomas still had doubts about both events. Theologians drew a link between Christ’s physical suffering on the cross and the Virgin’s spiritual crucification because of her compassion. Images of the Virgin and Child began to symbolize church doctrine when they were widely disseminated after the veneration of the Virgin as Mother of God was officially sanctioned at the Council of Ephesus in 431.

The Virgin Mary, or Theotokos in Greek, was a significant figure in Byzantine religion. Many people looked up to her as the person who would act as a go-between for Christ and a hurting world and safeguard Constantinople. The Akathistos Hymn, chanted on the Feast of the Annunciation (March 25) and throughout Lent, is one of the most significant liturgical songs dedicated to the Virgin. The creative narrative portrayals of Christ’s mother typically center on her Koimesis or early life (her Dormition or eternal sleep).

As Christ’s mother, the Virgin is typically depicted in art as a standing figure, often with her child at her feet. Specifically, the Virgin Mary’s holding of Christ is depicted uniquely. Over time, particular postures became known as “types,” inspiring new terms for sacred spaces or poetic eponyms. Therefore, a copy of a well-known icon depicting the Virgin Mary was intended to stand in for the original. An often-seen depiction of the Virgin is the Virgin Hodegetria, in which she carries Christ in her left arm and points to him with her right, implying that he is the means of salvation.

The icon depicting the Virgin in this posture served as a protective amulet for the city of Constantinople. It was housed in the Hodegon Monastery beginning in the twelfth century, hence the name Hodegetria. The Virgin Eleousa is thought to have evolved from the Virgin Hodegetria and represents a later kind. This personality type embodies the Virgin’s benevolent aspect. One scene has her stooping over to kiss her son on the cheek, while another shows her son putting his arm around her neck. Images of the Virgin Mary created in Byzantium were later accepted by Western Christians.

It appears that Byzantium was the birthplace of most Western depictions of the Virgin, including the “Throne of Wisdom” from central France, which dates to the twelfth century and has a seated Christ Child representing all of God’s wisdom (16.32.194). After the sixth century, Byzantine designs were widely adopted throughout western Europe.

Western Europe’s devotion to the Virgin Mary exploded in the 12th and 13th centuries, largely thanks to the teachings of theologians like Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153), who viewed her as the bride of the Song of Songs. As a result, the Virgin Mary was honored in many roles, including that of Christ’s bride, the Church’s symbol, heaven’s queen, and advocate for humanity’s redemption. The French churches, frequently titled “Our Lady,” epitomized this trend, and several towns, including Siena, vowed to live under her care.

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