or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
More Buying Choices
32 used & new from $8.18

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Express Checkout with PayPhrase
What's this? | Create PayPhrase
Sorry!
Signs and Mysteries: Revealing Ancient Christian Symbols
 
 
Tell the Publisher!
I’d like to read this book on Kindle

Don’t have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here.
 
  

Signs and Mysteries: Revealing Ancient Christian Symbols (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Lea Marie Ravotti (Illustrator)
Key Phrases: Jesus Christ, Clement of Alexandria, Ancient Sources (more...)
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)

List Price: $15.95
Price: $10.85 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save: $5.10 (32%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Want it delivered Tuesday, November 10? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details
24 new from $8.19 8 used from $8.18

Frequently Bought Together

Signs and Mysteries: Revealing Ancient Christian Symbols + The Mass of the Early Christians + The Fathers of the Church, Expanded Edition
Price For All Three: $30.93

Show availability and shipping details

  • This item: Signs and Mysteries: Revealing Ancient Christian Symbols by Mike Aquilina

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • The Mass of the Early Christians by Mike Aquilina

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • The Fathers of the Church, Expanded Edition by Mike Aquilina

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details


Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

The Fathers of the Church, Expanded Edition

The Fathers of the Church, Expanded Edition

by Mike Aquilina
4.6 out of 5 stars (21)  $10.04
Angels of God: The Bible, the Church and the Heavenly Hosts

Angels of God: The Bible, the Church and the Heavenly Hosts

by Mike Aquilina
5.0 out of 5 stars (2)  $9.35
Signs of Life: 40 Catholic Customs and Their Biblical Roots

Signs of Life: 40 Catholic Customs and Their Biblical Roots

by Scott Hahn
$12.42
A Pocket Guide to the Bible

A Pocket Guide to the Bible

by Scott Hahn
5.0 out of 5 stars (5)  $6.95
The Elizabethan World Picture

The Elizabethan World Picture

by E. M. W. Tillyard
4.6 out of 5 stars (11)  $8.31
Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Mike Aquilina's Signs and Mysteries provides a popular yet academically rigorous guide to symbols in the early church. The immediately accessible prose -- which quotes thoughtfully from the church fathers, classical and Jewish sources -- is complemented by generous illustrations. He has not only drawn on the obvious archaeological and epigraphic record, he has also delved into the fascinating world of Christian graffiti. An essential book to keep to hand when visiting early Christian sites." --Adrian Murdoch Fellow, British Royal Historical Society


Product Description

Imagine the dangerous life of a First Century Christian. You've embraced your newfound faith in Christ but fear the risk of persecution or death at the hands of the pagans living around you. Then a trusted friend tells you about some of Jesus followers who secretly meet. He whispers into your ear, Look for a fish carved into the entranceway to the burialchambers beside the Via Tiburtina. You smile in gratitude.

Comparatively, modern society is awash in those same Christian symbols that kept early Christians safely connected: they appear on churches, bumper stickers, mugs even mints and stuffed animals. Yet, we are often ignorant of the origins of these symbols having lost the urgency of our spiritual ancestors hostile environment.

Noted author Mike Aquilina conducts an intriguing tour of symbols that guided the first four centuries of the Church s existence. He explains how Christians borrowed pagan and Jewish symbols, giving them new, distinctly Christian meanings. Recover the voice and urgency of our spiritual ancestors symbolic language and discover the impact the symbols still have.

Black and white illustrations by Lea Ravotti of artifacts uncovered throughout the Middle East beautifully complement the text, showing the variety of contexts in which they were found and the range of skills displayed in their execution.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 192 pages
  • Publisher: Our Sunday Visitor (September 15, 2008)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1592764509
  • ISBN-13: 978-1592764501
  • Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #174,505 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

More About the Author

Mike Aquilina
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Visit Amazon's Mike Aquilina Page

Inside This Book (learn more)

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Signs and Mysteries: Revealing Ancient Christian Symbols
76% buy the item featured on this page:
Signs and Mysteries: Revealing Ancient Christian Symbols 4.4 out of 5 stars (9)
$10.85
The Mass of the Early Christians
9% buy
The Mass of the Early Christians 4.7 out of 5 stars (18)
$10.04
The Fathers of the Church, Expanded Edition
7% buy
The Fathers of the Church, Expanded Edition 4.6 out of 5 stars (21)
$10.04
Angels of God: The Bible, the Church and the Heavenly Hosts
6% buy
Angels of God: The Bible, the Church and the Heavenly Hosts 5.0 out of 5 stars (2)
$9.35

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 
(2)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

 

Customer Reviews

9 Reviews
5 star:
 (7)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:
 (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.4 out of 5 stars (9 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Simply Fantastic, September 9, 2008
By Julie D. (Dallas, TX USA) - See all my reviews
This book is a delight that many will both enjoy and profit from. Mike Aquilina writes simply yet clearly in explaining where many of Christianity's oldest symbols originated and their many-layered meanings within Judaism and Christianity. If you ever wondered why your church has symbols of a dolphin, a peacock, or an anchor, this is the book for you. And you'll be surprised at just how many "new" symbols you might discover once you have read about it in this fine book.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent -- highly recommended, November 11, 2008
A great read and a great reference source, and beautifully illustrated as well. But, "Signs and Mysteries" is more than that: it takes us on a pilgrimage of sorts, delivering "urgent messages" from our ancient brothers and sisters in Christ, because, as Mike Aquilina tells us of the symbols he explicates:

"The first Christians traced those lines because they wanted them to stand forever as a perpetual prayer, for remembrance of the dead, for the perseverance of the living, and for deliverance in times of trial."


Exploring these ancient (but still relevant) symbols is far more than an archaeological exercise. "Signs and Mysteries" is a fascinating read and a valuable reference, as well as a visual feast, but just as importantly, it's about connections to our Christian family. It is a personal book in the best sense of the word -- a book that connects us, through the shared and vital language of symbols, to the person of Jesus Christ.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book on symbols used in the early church, September 8, 2008
Signs and Mysteries: Revealing Ancient Christian Symbols is the latest book by patristic scholar Mike Aquilina and a book I was looking forward to reading. In most cases we have some idea as to the root of some of the symbols that have been associated with Christianity, though we might not have the details of how this came to be and their significance in the early Church. Mike Aquilina looks the the symbols that came about in the first four centuries of the Church and does a chapter on each ones that explains their meanings and what historical information we have on them and where they were used. Included are plenty of drawings of these symbols throughout the book that show precisely how they were used.

When early uses of some symbols are more clouded in history he nicely gives some of the theories explaining their meanings. Often we also get references to writings of the Fathers of the Church along with others when it helps to illuminate how these symbols were used in liturgy or devotional practice. I really learned a lot from this book and while I had a general idea of meaning of many symbols I found a wealth of details. For example I will never look at the Ichthys when I see it on someone's bumper the same way. I knew how it came about and that it was a Greek acronym and often used in the early Church, but I had no idea about the Eucharistic overtones and some of the other theological depths involved. Being an ex-Navy Chief I was also pleasantly surprised to see how the anchor was another common symbol used and it's meaning.

This book is not meant to be an exhaustive reference of symbols used within the Church, but just the first four centuries. I enjoyed this book so much I would love to see another book in the same style that explains the symbols the Church used in later years and especially in the Middle Ages.

My one caveat about the book is not the content, but the color of the font used. The text is a dark brown color with a light font weight that I found more difficult to read. The color makes drawings turn out beautifully, but I would have much preferred they have had black text with the drawings being the color they used. Our Sunday Visitor has published books in recent years with multiple colors that made the book quite effective and I wish the same was done here. Though this is no real reason not to get this book.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Christ Signified
Mike Aquilina beautifully describes the ancient signs of our Catholic Faith while also giving us a tour of history. Read more
Published 14 days ago by Taylor Marshall

5.0 out of 5 stars Could I add a few more stars?
You will immediately note that OSV is a Catholic publishing house, and indeed, this book is written by a faithful Catholic - yet, there are no attempts at proselytizing, no... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Joel L. Watts

4.0 out of 5 stars Good. I only wish there was more of it
I recommend this book. With our modern churches almost devoid of artistic decoration, this may be the only place you see these symbols. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Bernard Fischer

1.0 out of 5 stars PRINT TOO LIGHT TO ENJOY READING
I like Mike Aqulina's work and I am sure I would like this one too. I ordered two of these books for gifts but plan to return them. Why? Read more
Published 8 months ago by WJK

5.0 out of 5 stars Small, charming, and sure to be a classic
I bought two copies of this book, one for my library and one for our church library. Here's why:

It's a plunge into the ancient world and the signs and symbols... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Jeri Nevermind

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended
Signs and Mysteries: Revealing Ancient Christian Symbols is a book that brings our ancient Christian past to light. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Gretchen

Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   



So You'd Like to...


Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)


Look for Similar Items by Category


Look for Similar Items by Subject

 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.


Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.