People Have Worked Out What The H Stands For In Jesus H. Christ

By maks in Interesting On 8th April 2024
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Folks have been utterly gobsmacked after discovering what the 'H' in "Jesus H Christ" actually stands for.

It seems like the phrase "Jesus H Christ" has become a go-to for those moments when "Jesus Christ" just doesn't fully capture the surprise or exasperation. 

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But the backstory of that 'H' is kind of quirky.

Now, before you start guessing, it's not some middle name situation.

Credit: Getty Images

So, let's clear the air: we're not talking about Jesus Hannibal Christ, Jesus Hector Christ, or Jesus Hendrix Christ here.

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And nope, it's not a simple initial scenario like Richard E Grant or Harry S Truman have going on.

So, what's the real deal with the 'H'?

Actually, it's a tad more intricate than just an initial or a middle name.

Imagine if Jesus needed a passport or any sort of modern ID today; it definitely wouldn't list his name as 'Jesus H Christ' with the 'H' playing the part of a middle name.

That's because he's known by a single name, similar to how we know Plato, Socrates, or Madonna.

Credit: Getty Images

The term 'Christ' originates from the Ancient Greek χριστÏŒς (chrÄ«stós), translating to 'anointed one', making it more of a title or honorific than a name.

But let's circle back to the 'H'.

This peculiar inclusion has historical roots, noted by none other than Mark Twain.

In his autobiography, Twain mentions that Jesus was often called 'Jesus H Christ', as highlighted by Did You Know Facts.

There's been heaps of guessing about where this mysterious 'H' came from.

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A Quora user chimed in with, "Hominum. JHS = Jesus Hominum Salvator. It is Latin for 'Jesus the Saviour of Mankind'. Homo is a third declension word, and 'hominum' is the plural genitive."

"But if you see it written as IHC, it is Greek iota-eta-sigma, which is read 'yes'. It's shorthand for Jesus, similar to how Bob is short for Robert or Tom for Thomas."

Credit: Getty Images

Then, there are those who've tossed in their own two cents.

One said, "Dammit, I always assumed it's 'holy'."

Another shared, "I was told by a Jewish friend that the H stood for Hymie 'cuz Jesus was a good Jewish boy but your answer makes more sense."

And someone else preferred, "I like it being his second name, 'Horace', better. You know, with exactly that, historically accurate spelling."

Yet, none of these guesses hit the mark, so what's the real story?

Credit: Wikimedia Commons

As per Did You Know Facts, it all boils down to the Chi Rho monogram, recognizable as an 'X' with a 'P' overlay and the 'P's tail cutting right through the 'X'.

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This symbol is a nod to Jesus' name, derived from the first two letters of ΧριστÏŒ in Greek, which are 'X' and 'ρ'.

But there's another monogram called the IHC monogram, which draws from the first three letters of Jesus in Ancient Greek - ΙΗΣΟΥΣ.

Got it? The first three letters are ΙΗΣ.

Through a curious twist of misinterpretation, those letters were mixed up with the Latin letters IHC, with 'I' translating to 'J' in Latin.

So, we've got 'I' and 'C' for Iesus Christ, but the 'H'?

Well, it seems it was just thrown in there by someone who mixed up their Greek, and somehow, it just stuck.

So there you have it, "Jesus H Christ!"