Early Christians frequently adapted pagan iconography to suit Christian purposes. In the Early Middle Ages, Christians adapted elements of Aphrodite/Venus's iconography and applied them to Eve and prostitutes, but also female saints and even the Virgin Mary. Christians in the east reinterpreted the story of Aphrodite's birth as a metaphor for baptism; in a Coptic stele from the sixth century AD, a female orant is shown wearing Aphrodite's conch shell as a sign that she is newly baptized.
Early Christians adapted pagan imagery to Christian beliefs, particularly during the Early Middle Ages. They used elements of Aphrodite/Venus's iconography for figures like Eve, prostitutes, saints, and even Mary. In the East, they reinterpreted the story of Aphrodite's birth as a symbol of baptism.