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PEACOCK – 1. The peacock, in representations from the early days of the Christian church, symbolizes eternal life. The peacock is sometimes portrayed in art as drinking from a vase. In this case, it symbolizes a Christian drinking the waters of eternal life. 2. The peacock symbolizes the Resurrection of our Lord because it sheds it’s old feathers every year and grows newer ones each year. When symbolizing the Resurrection, it is sometimes portrayed standing upon a ball or globe. 3. The peacock symbolizes immortality. The Bestiaries say that the peacock’s flesh is incorruptible. It is so tough that it will not rot and is impossible to digest. It is a popular symbol on burial markers in the catacombs in Rome. 4. The peacock is a symbol of vanity because of its brilliant colors and its strutting about. 5. When a peacock is feeding on grapevines it symbolizes the Lord’s Supper.
PELICAN – The pelican is a symbol of the Atonement. The symbol of the pelican, unlike many early Christian symbols, is almost exclusively Christian. The symbol came about as the bird was observed by ancient naturalists. When viewing the pelican, they noticed it had a red tip on its long bill. When the pelican started to prune its feathers, it appeared to be ripping open its breast so as to feed its young with its own blood. The Bestiaries greatly exaggerate this myth. They tell us that the young pelicans will strike at their parents.The pelican strikes back so hard it kills the young birds. After three days, the female pelican pierces her side or breast and lets her blood fall on the dead pelicans. The blood revives them to life. The pelican story was a |
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The pelican story was a perfect symbol for the Atonement, where Jesus allowed Himself to be pierced so that we may live. The pelican was a very popular symbol during the Middle Ages. |
| PHOENIX – 1. A symbol of Jesus’ Resurrection. The phoenix symbol was very popular during the early church. Jewish legend tells us that the phoenix is a bird that will not die because it did not eat of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. |
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The Bestiaries tell us that the bird (resembling an eagle) lives for four to five hundred years (some accounts read one thousand years). When it senses death is near it makes a nest out of sticks and spices and lays upon it. The sticks catch fire by the sun and the phoenix is consumed in the flames. After the fire burns out, the phoenix rises again from the ashes to live another full life.
“The Greek word for date-palm is ‘phonix’, and the ashes of an old date-palm tree are thought to be excellent fertilizer for seedling palms. This is supposed by some authorities to be the basis of the legend. See Psalm 92:12. In early Byzantine work, so rich in symbolism, the date-palm is often substituted for the phoenix.”10 It is worth noting that “Tertillian, one of the early writers of the Christian church, in all good |
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