What are the four letters that usually appear on a cross?

Answer 1

In 312 C.E., Constantine defeated his opponent Maxentius in the battle of the Milvian Bridge outside Rome. Christian apologists claimed that during that campaign, there appeared under the sun a flaming cross bearing the Latin words In hoc signo vinces, meaning "In this sign conquer." It is also held that in a dream, Constantine was told to paint the first two letters of Christ's name in Greek on the shields of his troops.

Another non-Biblical letter claims special significance from a Greek-letter cipher for 318, namely, IHT. The writer of this apocryphal work claims that IH represents the first two letters of Jesus in Greek. The T is viewed as the shape of Jesus' death stake.

The most common letters appearing on pictures are I.N.R.I. This is an abbreviation of the Latin Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudorum, meaning "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews". A variation of this is I.N.R.J., Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Judorum (Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews). This abbreviation is based on what the apostle John says was on the sign placed on the Cross: Jesus the Nazarene the King of the Jews. John 19:19, although in the gospel accounts the words were also written in Hebrew and Greek as well as Latin.

Answer 2

The four letters that commonly appear affixed to the top of a crucifix are INRI, an abbreviation for the Latin phrase IESVS NAZARENVS REX IVDÆORVM which translated reads "Jesus Nazarene (of Nazareth), King of the Jews". This inscription was affixed to the cross when Jesus was crucified and was written out in Hebrew, Greek and Latin.

Answer 3

The letters, INRI, that John's gospel (19th chapter) says Pilate had place above Christ's head, Iesvs Nazarenvs Rex Iudaeorvm, translates into "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews."

Answer 4

JESHUA HANOZRI WUMELECH HAIEHUDIM - This is English-transliterated Biblical Hebrew.

Ἰησοῦς ὁ Ναζωραῖος ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων - This is Ancient Greek.

Iesus Nazarenus Rex Judaeorum - This is Latin, and commonly abbreviated INRI.

The three letters to which you are probably referring are IHS, which are the first three Greek letters of Jesus's name, ΙΗΣΟΥΣ.

Answer 5

INRI stands for IESVS·NAZARENVS·REX·IVDÆORVM

having the following case structure

Iesus (nominative singular)

Nazarenus (genitive singular)

Rex (nominative singular)

Iudaeorum (genitive plural)

which translates into English as Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. (cf. John 19:19)

Answer 6

According to The Bible: INRI. This stood for Jesus Nazarenus, Rex Judaeorum. That is Latin, in which I and J were the same letter. In English, it means Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.

Answer 7

I, n, r, i

Another answer:There were not four letters on the cross, but a full inscription in the three most prevalent languages of first-century Jerusalem:

John 19:19, 20 - Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. Then many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; andit was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin.

The popular image of four letters comes from classical paintings depicting the crucifixion, which shorten the inscription to "INRI;" an acronym for the Latin rendering of the phrase: "Iēsus Nazarēnus, Rēx Iūdaeōrum."

Answer 8

INRI is an acronym of the Latin inscription IESVS·NAZARENVS·REX·IVDÆORVM (Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudaeorum), which translates to English as "Jesus the Nazarene (Galilean), King of the Jews.

John 19:19

Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Answer 9

INRI