Early Christian and Byzantine

                                                              (Dove with olive leaf)
I know that one of the Christian symbols is that of the dove. I own a pet dove and she has been cooing to me all day so I thought why not research about why they became a symbol. The dove is represented as gentle,loving, and peaceful. It seems that the artists of the early Christian and Byzantine mostly chose the dove as a symbol none other than the fact that the dove is mentioned a lot in the Bible.Here is a quote from the Bible, Mattew 10.6 "Be ye there fore wise as serpents and harmless as doves." That quality of being peaceful is through the useage of the dove is portrayed several times through out the Bible. Also Milton a writer paraphrases Matthew by saying "I would have you drive the temple the money changers, who buy and sell, not doves, but the Dove, the Holy Spirit Himself", he refers a dove as being God. Also in Paradise Lost, Book 11 a dove is mentioned. It flies with an olive leaf which is like a symbol that means God declares peace.
    
               In the Early Christian and Byzantine art they have the dove in many of their mosaics.

Above Jesus, is the dove flying downwards, just showing its presence while he is being baptized.

Below Doves are shown throughout the scene

 

 

 

 

The dove is usually shown as white or as a turtledove. Probably it was more popular using the white doves because the color white means innocense and purity, also maybe they did it because the whiteness stood out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

...P.s. Autumn approves this blog.

Edwards, Karen. "Dove." Milton Quarterly 40.2 (2006): 114-119. Academic Search Premier. Web. 14 Nov. 2012.