The fish outline is a logical symbol for the early Christian church to adopt. Fish play a major role in the gospels and are mentioned in Mark, Matthew, Luke, John and Corinthians.
The Greek word for fish (ichthus, spelled: Iota Chi Theta Upsilon Sigma). That is an acrostic for "Jesus Christ, of God, the Son, the Savior" [Iesous (Jesus) CHristos (Christ) THeou (of God) Uiou (the Son) Soter (the Savior)].
The Apostles were often referred to as
"fishers of men". Followers of Christianity were called
Pisciculi, based on the Latin word for fish. The symbol for fish appears often in Christian artforms through the ages. The symbol was simple to draw and was often used among Christians as a type of password during times of persecution by the Roman government. If two strangers met and were unsure whether each other was a Christian, one would draw half of an arc in the earth. If the other was a Christian, he would complete the symbol with the other half arc thus forming the outline of a fish body. This evolved into the ichthus symbol we now see in widespread use as a Christian symbol.
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