The Greek artos means bread, a loaf of bread, or food in general. It is one of the most common nouns in the Gospels, appearing in almost every Gospel narrative involving meals, miracles, or teaching about provision. In Jewish culture, bread was the staff of life — to share bread was to share fellowship; to break bread was to create covenant.
The theology of artos runs from manna to the Lord's Supper. Israel was fed with manna — 'bread from heaven' (Exodus 16:4) — anticipating the greater bread to come. Jesus teaches His disciples to pray, 'Give us today our daily bread (artos)' (Matthew 6:11) — dependence on God for daily sustenance. He multiplies bread for 5,000 (John 6:1-15) then declares, 'I am the bread of life (artos tēs zōēs); whoever comes to me will never go hungry' (John 6:35). The Lord's Supper (1 Corinthians 11:23-26) centers on broken artos as Christ's body given for us. The Emmaus disciples recognize the risen Jesus 'in the breaking of the bread' (en tē klasei tou artou, Luke 24:35). Bread is not incidental to the gospel — it is its embodied form.