Twelve. The number is no accident: it echoes the twelve tribes of Israel, and Jesus himself sets it when he calls his first companions. Among them are four fishermen from the Sea of Galilee, a tax collector, two Simons, two Jameses, and a Judas who comes to a bad end. An apostles emoji would have its work cut out: picturing such a mixed crew without leaving anyone behind.
Christian art solved the problem centuries ago by giving each of them an emblem. Peter holds the keys, Andrew his X-shaped cross, James the Greater the scallop shell of the pilgrims to Santiago, Bartholomew the knife of his martyrdom. On cathedral doorways you can spot them by these objects long before you read their names. After Judas betrayed Jesus, the Acts of the Apostles even tell how the Eleven cast lots to choose his replacement, Matthias. The team was determined to stay at full strength.
For now, we make do with 🐟 and 🔑 to nod at the “fishers of men.” You can do better: a boat with twelve figures squeezed into it, a net about to burst, or a small set of emblems, one per apostle, so everyone can find their patron saint. If the idea appeals to you, the form is waiting just below.
There’s no proposal yet!
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