This is a link to the exact symbol, it's at the very top of this page
on the bible http://www.av1611.org/nkjv.html What I need to know is
the location on the internet of an actual large photo of an real
legitimit artifact or item like pottery or statue or pillar, somthing
solid that predates chistianity (some year BC)with this symbol clearly
visable. There are various authoritys saying it goes back thousands of
years but I have not seen any pictures of anything old enough to prove
it. Good Luck

Dear ddaydreams-ga;

Thank you for allowing me an opportunity to answer your interesting
question. In order to fully appreciate the statement that these images
were found to predate Christ you have to first understand that the
symbol didn?t always look as attractive as it does in the present day.

The Triskele (tris-keel) also known by a variety of other names in a
number of different languages, such as Triquetra (Roman) Tryskelion
(Greek) Triskeles (Sicilian/Italian) Trinacria (English) has its
origins in pagan belief. Before it evolved into the fascinating
geometric shape it appears as today, one of the original symbols
actually depicted a Medusa with three legs surrounding its head. You
can see the image here on a coin from Ancient Syracuse:

FABRISIA?S TRISKELE
http://www.fabrisia.com/triskele.htm

?Examples of tryskelions have been found in many locations on the
shore of the Mediterranean sea: in Crete, Sicily, Greece, France, Asia
Minor, North African coastline, Island of Man. All of them are dated
after VIII century BC.?
NATIONAL SCILCILIAN AMERICAN FOUNDATION
?The Trinacria?
http://www.nsaf.net/pages/trinacria.php


You will find the image on many coins dating well before the time of
Christ on this page:

Ancient Coinage of Pamphylia, Aspendos
http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/greece/pamphylia/aspendos/i.html

Even more rudimentary and less ornate versions are known to have
existed the farther back one goes, as in these example from about 380
BC and 500-440 BC respectively

ANCIENT GREEK COINAGE
http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/greece/lycia/Puresis_Traite_489.jpg
http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/greece/lycia/SNGvA_4059-r.jpg

Here you will see a Greek Silver Stater from Aspendos, dated to 300 to
250 BC upon which the legged version of the triskeles appears as an
inset:

http://www.howardnowes.com/j/grcoinaspendos.JPG

SOURCE: GREECE, SOUTH ITALY & ETRUSCAN
http://www.howardnowes.com/Gr.html

This is an image of an ancient Greek coin bearing the likeness of
Apollo on one side and what is described as a ?winged triquetra? on
the reverse. It too dates from about 317-289 BC:

BRONG COIN OF SYRACUSE
http://www.bio.vu.nl/home/vwielink/WWW_MGC/Area_IV_map/Syracusa_map/descrSyrC_121.html

While the symbol has undergone some changes over the years it is still
used in its original form in Scicily and The Isle of Man

BEE GEES ITALY
http://www.beegees.it/main/bgsicilyita.htm

Examples of the symbol are abundant when one learns what to look for.
When you begin using my search strategy to find your own examples,
look especially to ancient coinage and be aware that the ancient
symbol was almost exclusively used long before the modern, more
appealing version ever came about and many centuries prior to the
writing of the Holy Bible. At any rate, this is where the ancient
examples were found and they do indeed exist just as your source
claims.

Below you will find that I have carefully defined my search strategy
for you in the event that you need to search for more information. By
following the same type of searches that I did you may be able to
enhance the research I have provided even further. I hope you find
that my research exceeds your expectations. If you have any questions
about my research please post a clarification request prior to rating
the answer. Otherwise, I welcome your rating and your final comments
and I look forward to working with you again in the near future. Thank
you for bringing your question to us.

Best regards;
Tutuzdad ? Google Answers Researcher


ADDITIONAL INFORMATION SOURCES

Google Images
http://images.google.com/images?q=Trinacria&hl=en
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&lr=&q=tryskelion
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&lr=&q=Triquetra




SEARCH STRATEGY


SEARCH ENGINES USED:

Google ://www.google.com




SEARCH TERMS USED:


Triskele 

Triquetra

Tryskelion

Triskeles

Trinacria

---

Request for Answer Clarification by ddaydreams-ga on 31 Dec 2004 13:56 PST

You are good at this if anyone can find what I'm after It's probly
you.It sounds like you are saying that in it's present form as one I
gave a link to, it does not exist on anything known to predate
chrisianity. I mean the jump from three legs to this only seems
related because of the name similarities. I have seen many of these
things In my own searches. Although my subject line states origin.
What I'm really looking is a photo of this symbol easily recognizable
as this symbol not just by name but by appearance on anything known to
predate chrisianity. Is there such a thing? If not then I'll just pay
beacuse of your effort even though I dont have what I'm looking for.
If there is such a thing please find it and send me a link, I still
need a picure and that's really why I was willing to pay, so I could
stop looking into this.And get on with life.

---

Clarification of Answer by tutuzdad-ga on 31 Dec 2004 15:35 PST

One explanation is that the symbol you are referring to (the more
modern one) was incorporated into Christianity BECAUSE of Jesus,
rather than before him. The older version of the original triquetra
came to be shaped in the form of a vesica pisces (late called the
"Jesus fish?), perhaps because pagans turning to Christianity wanted
to keep some of their traditional symbolism.

You will find a variety of triquetra symbols from different eras by
looking through these sources.

Vesica Pisces (Ichthus, Jesus Fish, Mandorla)
http://altreligion.about.com/library/glossary/symbols/bldefsvesica.htm

Triquetra (Triqueta)
http://altreligion.about.com/library/glossary/symbols/bldefstriqueta.htm

As for your question about the interlocked versions of the image, I
found no indication that it predates Jesus Christ:

http://altreligion.about.com/library/graphics/symbols/triqueta.jpg
http://www.eternal.gs/images/symbol.gif


I did however find quite a number of claims that this symbol predates
Christianity and was likely a Celtic symbol of a Goddess, or as a
symbol of the god Odin. But nowhere did I find any reliable proof to
support these claims. The closest I came to finding proof was this
alleged Druid carving (supposedly dated to 3200 BC), but one has to
use his imagination in order to visualize the images that have been
claimed to be carved there.

I hope this adds significantly to what we have already discussed.

Regards;
Tutuzdad-ga

---

Request for Answer Clarification by ddaydreams-ga on 01 Jan 2005 11:45 PST

Weeks ago Before i contacted you. I had ask the author of the
altreligion artical if she had photos of what I'm asking, she said she
would look into it but has not gotten back to me.
How about this then, if it does not predate christ in something like
its present form, then what's the time, year or century of earliest
one in something like its present form that you found? And could you
send a photo link.

---

Clarification of Answer by tutuzdad-ga on 01 Jan 2005 12:15 PST

The Celtic Christian Church appears to have used it as a symbol of the
Holy Trinity (Father, son, Holy spirit) sometimes stylized as three
interlaced fish. The word Triquetra, is itself, the Gaelic name for
the trinity.

The earliest form I found were the modified Triquetra symbols that
appear on 8th and 9th century artifacts from the Celtic Christian
religion, such as:

The O?Donnell Cross
http://www.maxhavic.com/all%20my%20herbs/images/odonnell_cross_small.jpg

The Colleen Cross
http://www.maxhavic.com/all%20my%20herbs/images/colleen_cross.jpg

The O?Shea Cross
http://www.maxhavic.com/all%20my%20herbs/images/oshea_cross.jpg

?and others that you will find (in modern reproductions) on this page.

STATUARY - CELTIC CROSSES
http://www.maxhavic.com/all%20my%20herbs/s_cross.htm


THE PARSON?S CORNER
http://parsonscorner.8m.com/version.htm

I hope this serves to answer your question. I look forward to your
final rating and comments.

Regards;
Tutuzdad-ga

Thanks. Very well done.