Hello, Thank you very much for your help. Beth [log in to unmask] ----- Original Message ----- From: <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Tuesday, July 10, 2001 11:43 PM Subject: Re: IHS on tombstone. > "In His Service" is a commonly understood meaning of the abbreviation. > However, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia (the first major source on > Google that appeared), A monogram of the name of Jesus Christ. From the > third century the names of our Saviour are sometimes shortened, particularly > in Christian inscriptions (IH and XP, for Jesus and Christus). In the next > century the "sigla" (chi-rho) occurs not only as an abbreviation but also as > a symbol. From the beginning, however, in Christian inscriptions the nomina > sacra, or names of Jesus Christ, were shortened by contraction, thus IC and > XC or IHS and XPS for Iesous Christos. > These Greek monograms continued to be used in Latin > during the Middle Ages. Eventually the right meaning was lost, and > erroneous interpretation of IHS led to the faulty orthography "Jhesus". In > Latin the learned abbreviation IHC rarely occurs after the Carlovingian era. > The mongram became more popular after the twelfth century when St. Bernard > insisted much on devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus, and the fourteenth, when > the founder of the Jesuati, Blessed John Colombini (d. 1367), usually wore it > on his breast. Towards the close of the Middle Ages IHS became a symbol, > quite like the chi-rho in the Constantinian period. > > To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions > at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html > To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html