Alpha and Omega: meaning and origin

Alpha (Α) is the first letter of the Greek alphabet. Omega (Ω) is the last. Together they stand for everything between, and in Christian use they name Christ as the beginning and the end of all things.

Where the phrase comes from

The phrase belongs to the Book of Revelation, where it is spoken in the first person. It appears three times, in Revelation 1:8, 21:6 and 22:13. The last is the most quoted:

The Greek letters were chosen because Revelation was written in Greek, and the alphabet was the whole of written language. To say "Alpha and Omega" was to say "from A to Z", and so, from first to last.

In early Christian art

The two letters turn up early in Christian art, on tombs, lamps and in the catacombs of Rome. They are often placed either side of the Chi-Rho, so that the sign reads as a short creed: Christ, the beginning and the end. The omega, which is literally the "great O" (ō mega), gives the pair a recognisable shape that is easy to carve.

Why it still speaks

Most symbols point to one thing. This one points to both ends at once. It is a sign about time as much as about Christ: that nothing begins before him and nothing outlasts him. That is a large claim to make in two letters, which is exactly what makes it a good emblem.

It sits naturally beside the Chi-Rho. Our first collection carries the first letter in its name, and we walk through the signs that appear across it in Symbolism.