Image of Jesus Christ on ancient coin

A small bronze coin dating from the first century is said to hold the only image of Jesus.

The coin is believed to depict a portrait of Jesus. Photo: SWNS.

For centuries, historians have debated the true portrait of Jesus. In one study, historian Ralph Ellis claimed that an ancient coin depicting a bearded man is the true image of Jesus, Mirror reported.

This coin was believed to depict the face of King Manu, ruler of the kingdom of Edessa, in what is now southeastern Türkiye. After nearly 30 years of research, Ellis has concluded that Manu and Jesus are the same person. He considers this to be one of the most important discoveries in modern history.

Historian Ellis studied the lives of these two men, then cross-checked all the recorded evidence and anecdotes. He believes that the striking similarities between them are no coincidence. If this is correct, the image on the coin would be the only known portrait of Jesus.

Jesus is the most depicted figure in Western art, but there is no accurate depiction of him in the Bible. The most familiar image of Jesus is a man dressed in white robes with long, flowing hair, believed to have appeared in the 6th century.

Portrait of Jesus Christ passed down from the 6th century. Photo: AP

"The traditional crown of the Edessan king, as seen on the coin, was woven from thorns. The fact that Jesus was the only criminal to wear a crown of thorns when he was led to his execution suggests he was associated with this king," Ellis asserted.

However, Ellis admits that his conclusions are controversial and contradict the traditional story of Jesus. Ellis faced a backlash when he published a book on the subject in the US in 2012. Critics pointed out many flaws in his theory, especially some inconsistencies in the timeline between the lives of Jesus and King Manu.

Ellis, however, remains confident in his assessment. "Any conclusion that contradicts the traditional story of Jesus that has been passed down for 1,500 years is subject to criticism," he said. "But from a historical perspective, there is a lot of evidence that Jesus and Manu were the same person."

According to Khoahoc.vn