Rare painting of Jesus' face over 1,500 years old discovered
A 1,500-year-old painting depicting the face of Christ that has never been seen before has been discovered in a Byzantine church in Israel's Negev desert.
This is a new discovery by archaeologists in the ancient Byzantine village of Shivta (east of Nitzana, southern Israel). Although the painting only remains in small fragments, experts from the University of Haifa, Israel were able to sketch out the face in the painting. Their research was recently published in the journal Antiquity.
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| Although only small fragments remain of the painting, experts from the University of Haifa, Israel have been able to sketch out the face in the painting. |
The painting, estimated to date from the sixth century AD, depicts Jesus as a young man with short hair.
In their report, the scientists said: "The face of Christ in this painting is itself an important discovery, belonging to the iconography of the short-haired Jesus, which was particularly common in Egypt and Palestine, but disappeared in later Byzantine artworks."
The painting was tentatively identified in the 1920s, but has now undergone more thorough analysis. In their study, archaeologists from the University of Haifa explained that the image of Jesus is depicted next to a much larger figure, probably the apostle John the Baptist.
"The location of the scene – against the backdrop of a giant church cross – suggests similarities to the painting 'The Baptism of Jesus Christ,'" the study's authors said.
