THE PHOENIX – This wonderful bird was recently rediscovered with the publications of the Harry Potter books.  The phoenix, often is depicted as eagle-like and was famous in legends of ancient times. The ancients believed the phoenix lived for five hundred years, after which it was consumed in a fire kindled by its own wings, only to rise again as a baby chick and to grow back to a glorious bird from its own ashes.  This symbol was natural for Christians founders to adopt the phoenix legend to the doctrines of Christ’s resurrection and life-everlasting.  Today you can view this symbol in mosaics of the Roman and Byzantine churches.