INRI

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A Crucifix with the INRI plaque attached, the Holy Spirit Church in Košice, Slovakia

A Crucifix with the stylized INRI plaque attached, the cornfields near Mureck in rural Styria, Austria

INRI is an abbreviation of the Latin phrase IESVS NAZARENVS REX IVDAEORVM, which translates to English as: "Jesus the Nazarene, the King of the Jews". It appears in the New Testament of the Christian Bible in the Gospels of Matthew (27:37), Mark (15:26); Luke (23:38), and John (19:19).

Many crucifixes and other depictions of the crucifixion include a stylized plaque or parchment, called a titulus or title, bearing the letters INRI, occasionally carved directly into the cross, and usually just above the figure of Jesus.

In the Gospel of John (19:19–20) the inscription is explained:

And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin. (King James Version)

Some Eastern Orthodox Churches use the Greek letters INBI based on the Greek text of the inscription on the cross, Ἰησοῦς ὁ Ναζωραῖος ὁ Bασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων. Some other change the title to ὁ Bασιλεὺς τοῦ κόσμου (the King of the World), not implying that this was really what was written, but that it is what should have been written. Also some other Eastern Orthodox Churches (such as the Romanian Orthodox Church) use the version INRI.

In Hebrew, the phrase is rendered ישוע הנצרת מלך היהודים (Yeshua` HaNatserat Melech HaYehudim/ IPA: [jeːʃuːɑʕ hɑnːɑʦeraθ meleχ hɑjːəhuðiːm]). It is possible that the titulus was written in Aramaic, the local vernacular, rather than Hebrew.

As Pilate was loath to crucify Jesus without justification, he used the standing Roman treaty with the Jews which allowed them limited self-government, see Iudaea Province for details. When the Jewish priests complained that Jesus was interfering with that self-rule by claiming to be the Son of God (see Sanhedrin Trial of Jesus), Pilate challenged him to deny that he was the "King of the Jews". Jesus did not deny the accusation. Pilate's reluctance to crucify Jesus, according to Christian texts, stands in contrast to his willingness to crucify countless thousands of other Jews and Samaritans during his rule.^[1]

Some believe that the justification for his crucifixion was his claim to an illegitimate title. However, John 19:21–22 KJV, alludes that Pilate rejected the charge that Jesus was crucified because he falsely claimed to be king and instead stated that Jesus was crucified because he was the King of the Jews. Thus, some Christians as early as the second century^[2] report that Pilate was convinced that Jesus was the Messiah. The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church regards Pilate as a saint (commemorated on June 25) based on a tradition of his conversion to Christianity and martyrdom, a beheading done by Albius under order from Tiberius Caesar.^[3] Most historians outside the Ethiopian church have rejected this tradition as spurious.

According to the Jesus Seminar, the cleansing of the temple was the cause of the crucifixion.

[edit] Related acronyms and concepts

For abbreviations of the name of Jesus, see Christogram, Ichthys.

For related concepts in Judaism, see Jewish Messiah and Jewish eschatology.

Within the Alchemical tradition, the phrase often holds a second meaning of the Latin phrase, Ignis Natura Renovatur Integra; that is, "Through fire nature is reborn whole".