In a recent article in the journal Antiquity, scholars revealed their discovery of what they believe is an early depiction of Jesus. The image was found in the baptistery apse of a sixth century AD church located in the ancient village of Shivta in the Negev Desert. While it is fragmented, the depiction is of a young man's face, with short, curly hair, large eyes, and an elongated nose. Art historians recognize it as an early style of short-haired pictures of Christ that were popular in Egypt and Syro-Palestine. Remains of paint found in the apse suggest that the face was part of a bigger scene which may have contained other images. The article's authors conclude: "Thus far, it is the only in situ baptism-of-Christ scene to date confidently to the pre-iconoclastic Holy Land. Therefore, it can illuminate Byzantine Shivta's Christian community and Early Christian art across the region."
Off-site Links:
- https://www.timesofisrael.com/jesus-image-hidden-in-plain-sight-at-negev-church-is-one-of-earliest-in-israel/
- https://www.breakingisraelnews.com/117035/earliest-depictions-jesus-byzantine/
- https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antiquity/article/christs-face-revealed-at-shivta-an-early-byzantine-wall-painting-in-the-desert-of-the-holy-land/1D3584D4866168E6764035D5DE740781/
