Sign of the Dove facts for kids

In Christianity, the Sign of the Dove is a special event where a dove appeared. This sign helped John the Baptist know who the Messiah was.

The Dove Appears

The Bible tells us about the sign of the dove. All four books called the Gospels share this story. When Jesus was baptized, the sky opened up. Then, the Spirit of God came down like a dove. It landed on Jesus. This showed John the Baptist that Jesus was the Messiah.

Other holy books also talk about this sign. The Book of Mormon and other scriptures mention the Holy Ghost coming down like a dove.

Why a Dove?

A religious leader named Joseph Smith taught about the sign of the dove. He explained that the dove is a special symbol. It was chosen long ago to represent the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost is not actually a dove. Instead, the dove is a sign of truth and innocence. It showed John that what he saw was real and true.

The word "Jonah" in Hebrew means "dove." In the Bible, there's also a "sign of Jonas." This connects to the idea of the dove as a special sign.

More Meanings of the Dove

Doves have been important symbols for a long time.

The Dove of Peace

One famous story is from the Book of Genesis in the Bible. After a big flood, Noah sent out a dove from his ark. The dove came back with an olive leaf in its mouth. This showed Noah that the waters were going down. It meant that new life and peace were returning to the Earth. Because of this story, a dove with an olive branch often means love and peace.

Doves in Ancient Times

In ancient Israel, doves were sometimes used in religious offerings. People would bring doves or young pigeons as a sacrifice. This was part of their worship.

Doves were also symbols for different goddesses in ancient cultures. For example, the Canaanite goddess Asherah and the Roman goddess Venus were sometimes shown with doves. This shows how important doves were as symbols in many old traditions.