Is an icon of Christ without a cross in the halo Orthodox Christian?

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See the Catholic Encyclopedia: Halos were used in art among the pagans long before the Christian Era. In the monuments of Hellenic and Roman art, the heads of the gods, heroes, and other distinguished persons are often found with a disc-shaped halo, a circle of light, or a rayed-fillet.

This iconography was later adopted as a sacred symbol by both Buddhism and Christianity. In time, Christians also used the halo symbol not only for Jesus but also to distinguish the saints from other people present in the art.

Because it dates back to pagan times, the halo began without a cross, so you should see earlier (and even later) depictions of Jesus without a cross in the halo, but medieval artists began to merge the two symbols for greater visual effect.

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