INRI

Above Jesus head on the cross his charges were written on a piece of wood called the Titulus:

Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews

In Latin: Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudaeorum 
(INRI; no, it doesn’t stand for I’m Nailed Right In)

In Hebrew: YESHUA HANOZRI WUMELECH HAIEHUDIM  (YHWH) in Hebrew writing this is: ישו של נָצְרַת המלך היהודים

In Greek: Iēsûs Nazōraêos Basileùs Iudaéōn

INRI

These four letters are probably the most recognizable ‘acronym’ throughout the entire Western Hemisphere and many parts of the entire planet Earth, especially where Christianity has been carried into. 

The ‘specialness’ and recognition ascribed to these four characters of the English/Latin alphabet isn’t unlike that of the “Tetragramatton”(‘YHWH’), the sacred and unpronounceable Name of the Lord God of Israel, revered by all the Jews.   Our God, the God of Moses’ name is I Am Who Am (YAHWEH)

This name is forbidden to be spoken or written in the Ancient Hebrew religion. In Hebrew and in Elvish the vowels are signs in front of the consonants they precede.  In writing, especially signs, they are often omitted.      So the forbidden name of God is written YHWH when it is written.  In our Christian Old Testaments we translate Yahweh as “The Lord” (Adonai).  The 23^rd Psalm really begins “Yahweh is my shepherd there is nothing I shall want….”  This is seen in the early Jerusalem Bible translations.   But the Hebrews would read “Adonai is my shepherd…”

The Gospels tell us that Pilate wrote the charges against Jesus and hung them over his head on the cross…In Hebrew, Latin and Greek.    Generally in a vertical fashion as Latin and Greek are read left to right and Hebrew is read right to left so vertical writing for signs removed this confusion in the ancient and Roman/Greek controlled Middle East.   So:

In Latin:

I esus

N azarenus,

R ex

I udaeorum

In Greek:

I ēsûs

N azōraêos

B asileùs

I udaéōn

And in Hebrew:

Y ESHUA

H ANOZRI

W UMELECH

H AIEHUDIM 

Pilate in ignorance or led by the Holy Spirit basically put a sign over Jesus head calling him, by name, the God of the Hebrews (and us). This is why, in the Gospels, the Jewish priests protested the sign, “Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews.  Pilate countered saying; “I have written what I have written”.   In my mind, he said, essentially: “It is what it is…..