A group of archaeologists has discovered a representation of Jesus Christ dating from the sixth century AD. C.
Extremely rare that differs from the traditional Christian image. The finding took place on a wall of an ancient church in Shivta located in the Negev desert in southern Israel, according to a study by researchers at the University of Haifa and published in the journal Antiquity.
‘Face’ of Jesus Christ Uncovered in 1,500 Year Old Church in Israel https://t.co/vhu96m0NjJ pic.twitter.com/I496vbphpt
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In the painting you can see a face of Jesus without a beard and an elongated nose, short curly hair and large eyes. Also, next to this is another longer face with a halo but not very visible.
According to specialists, the image of Christ is part of a larger scene that represents the episode of the baptism of Jesus in which the other figure belonged to John the Baptist.
According to the researchers, the representation of Jesus Christ with short hair was widespread in Egypt and the Mediterranean Levant (where nowadays Syria and Palestine are located) in the early Byzantine art, but disappeared in the later one.
'Jesus' face' uncovered at ancient church in the Israeli desert ~ https://t.co/Y60goGqhBn pic.twitter.com/amB0iYFcTl
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Archaeologists emphasize that this is a very important finding that can expand knowledge about early Christian art in the region.
