Icon

An icon (from the Greek language: εἰκών, eikon, "image") is an image, picture, or representation which has a religious meaning. It is a sign or a likeness that stands for a real object or person. Although the word icon can be used for images of other religions, it is most often used to describe a painting on a wooden panel that has been done in the Orthodox Christian tradition, and may also be used for carved ivory panels and panels of silver or gold. These icons show a holy being such as Jesus, Mary, a saint or an angel. They also show scenes from the Bible such as the Crucifixion and scenes from lives of the saints. In Orthodox Christianity an icon is thought of as a window through which a person can get a view of God's truth.