TIMELINE OF CHINESE SYMBOLS USED IN EARLY CHRISTIAN ART

Early Christian art was greatly influenced by the Far East and incorporated Chinese iconography in church art, bookcovers, and architecture.

The Carpenter's Square, Gong, and Bu Symbols

The use of these symbols on garments in early Christian art demonstrates a status of significance within the religious hierarchy. Generally speaking, these symbols identify an apostle, evangelist, Angel, prophet, or Christ himself.

The symbol to be considered first is the gammadia, also known as the carpenter’s square. The symbol makes its first known appearance in the framework of religious art on religious garments in Dura Eurpos (200 AD) and later on garments, altar cloths, curtains, and book covers depicted in mosaics or paintings on the walls of churches (350 - 650 AD) .

The first known biblical illustrations to adorn the walls of a religious place of worship was the synagogue of Dura Europos, in central Mesopotamia now known as Syria. There existed a Jewish community that revealed the existence of Jewish art and iconography reflected in paintings depicting scenes from the Old and New Testament. This art was greatly influenced by the Hellenic Greece as well as Oriental Asia.

The Jewish community at Dura-Europos may have provided the prototype upon which Christian church art would emulate. Biblical scenes and religious iconography would be consistently replicated in early Byzantine churches as it was in Dura Europos and the gammadia is an excellent example of the Jewish influence on Christian iconography.

The Chinese Gong (I)character literally means carpenter's tool and represents the same concept as the carpenter's square: the Math of the Gnomon, Time and Space, the calendar, establishing order, and divination. The first known usage of the gammadia on garments is of Jewish origin, discovered by Professor Yigael Yadin in 1960-61 in a cave near the Dead Sea.

The Chinese Character Bu (Z)means divinition or prognostication; divining through number was a Chinese tradition that referred to the Yi Jing and the hexagrams. The Luo Shu was also an important part of the Yi Jing.

All these symbols: the carpenter's square, Gong, Bu, and the Luo Shu referred to the Math of the Gnomon (hence calendar) and were important to the Chinese as symbols of Time and Space that could be used to establish order and achieve prosperity.

TIME LINE OF CHINESE ICONOGRAPHY USED IN EARLY CHRISTIAN ART

130 AD Dead Sea, a garment with a gammadia was found by Prof. Yadin.

200 AD Dura-Europa Wall Painting Mesopotamia (Syria)

Jewish Synagogue depicting wall paintings with garments displaying the gammadia. A rare example of the religious designation of women's garments as they carry the baby Moses.

350 AD Santa Costanza Mosaic Rome

Gong character appears on garment of SS Peter in the mosaic of the apse.

350 AD Baptistery of Naples, Mosaic

Gong and Bu characters appear on the garments of the apostles.

350 AD Saint Aqulino, Milan, Mosaic

Gong appears on garment of apostles in the center of the apsidal mosaic.

350-450 AD Textile - Egypt

Altar cloth of Egyptian origin with gammadia and quincunx pattern.

412-417 AD Santa Pudenziana Mosaic Rome

Gong character appears on garment of Christ as he teaches the Apostles in the mosaic of the apse.

400-425 AD Sant' Ambrogio Mosaic Milan

Gong character appears on garment of SS Nabor in a mosaic.

430 AD Santa Maria Maggiore Mosaic Rome

The Parting of Lot and Abraham

Gammadia appears on garment of Lot and Abraham in the mosaic.

425-450 AD Mausoleum of Galla Placidia Mosaic Ravenna

Several examples of the gammadia and Gong character on garments of apostles.

430-475 AD Orthodox Baptistery Mosaic Ravenna

Gammadia appears on garments of the apostles in the "Baptism of Christ" dome mosaic.

450 AD Baptistery of San Giovanni in Fonte Mosaic Naples

Gammadia appears on garment of apostle

494 -519 Archiepiscopal Chapel Mosaic Ravenna

Christ as a Roman Soldier

Christ appears as a Roman soldier in purple dress and a gammadia icon in the Archiepiscopal Chapel.

500 AD Arian Baptistery Mosaic Ravenna

Gammadia, Gong, and Bu characters appear on garments of the twelve apostles in dome mosaic.

500 - 526 AD Sant' Apollinare Nuovo Mosaic Ravenn

The Palace of King Theodoric

Gammadia appears on garments of apostles as well as altar cloths in several dozen mosaics.

525 AD Santi Cosma e Damiano Mosaic Rome

Gong character appears on garments of Christ and SS Paul as they introduce two Oriental saints on apse mosaic.

526 AD Mausoleum of Theodoric Architecture Ravenna

Gammadia adorn the cupola of the Mausoleum with the names of the twelve apostles etched into stone. The first level floor plan incorporates the Ya Shape analagous to the Shang Dynasty (1500 BC) early Chinese usage for the tombs of the royal family.

540-550 AD San Vita Mosaic Ravenna

Jesus in the apse mosaic in San Vitale

Gammadia and Bu character appear on garments of apostles and Christ in the apse mosaic. Several examples of the Gong character on the garments of apostles as well as the gammadia symbol used on altar cloths.

525-550 AD Sant' Apollinare in Classe Mosaic Ravenna

Gammadia appears on altar cloths in several mosaic

Illuminated Books with Symbols related to the Carpenter's square and the quincunx.

500 - 526 AD Saint Apollinare Nuovo Mosaic Ravenna

550 AD St. Catherine's Monastery Painting Sinai

Christ the Panocrator

Gammadia and quincunx pattern appears on illuminated book.

545-553 AD Ivory Ravenna Throne of Maximus

Four beautiful examples of the four apostles each holding an illuminated book with the quincunx pattern on the book cover.

575 AD St. Apollinare in Classe Mosaic Ravenna

St. Mark with Sacred Book

Lion entity symbolizing St. Mark holds an illuminated book with the quincunx symbolism.

650 AD Hagios Dimitrios Mosaic Salonika, Greece

An icon of St. Nicolas hold a sacred book with the classic quincunx pattern and the classic ya or cross in square symbol appears on his robe. Other examples of sacred books decorated with the quincunx pattern exist in other mosaics of the church.

OLD BOOKS OF SIGNIFICANCE

Illuminated books were among the most valuable and treasured possessions of the Church. The covers of these books were beautified with gold, pearls, and colored stones, most often projecting the iconography of the quincunx pattern. In many cases, numerology (reflecting the numbers of the solar cycle or directly linked to magic squares) were incorporated into the design of the bookcover.

600 AD Theodolinda's Gold Book of the Gospels Italy/Bavaria

This is the oldest metal book cover known to exist. Fabricated for Queen Theodolinda and was part of the Monza treasure. A wonderful use of the carpenter's square, cross in square, quincunx, circle and square symbology.

650 AD Echternach Gospels Bavaria

Illuminated book with quincunx pattern on cover of book.

715 AD Lindisfarne Gospels Great Britain

Illuminated book with quincunx pattern on cover

825 AD Book of Kells Great Britain

Illuminated books in four volumes, the most elaborate art design representing Christian/Chinese symbols: the carpenter's square, ya shape, and Luo Shu in the Gospel of St. Matthew and Gospel of John.

870 AD Codex Aureus St. Emmeram, Bavaria

Illuminated book with quincunx pattern and carpenter's squares in the four quadrants. Uses the symbolic number of the solar cycle with 52 stones (the number of weeks in a solar year) set with in the cruciform portion of the front cover.

880-990 AD Lindau Gospels (Upper Cover) Bavaria

Illuminated book with quincunx pattern and Luo Shu connection on upper cover. Uses symbolic numbers of the 6x6 Magic Square, the Square of the Sun.

1100 AD Book cover with Christ and the Virgin orans Italy

Illuminated book that is owned by the Treasury of San Marcos shows several examples of sacred books held by the four apostles with the quincunx pattern.