An Early Painting of Jesus?

A painting of a man on the wall of an Egyptian crypt suggests to some archaeologists it may be Jesus.

Some Spanish archaeologists say they have discovered what they think could be the earliest depiction of Jesus ever found. Painted on a wall of a strange underground stone structure in Oxyrhynchus, an ancient Egyptian city about 100 miles south of Cairo, is a picture showing a young man with curly hair dressed in a short tunic. 

“He raises his hand as if making a blessing,” said Egyptologist Josep Padró, who has spent more than 20 years excavating in the area. “We could be dealing with a very early image of Jesus Christ.”

Oxyrhynchus was once dedicated to the worship of the Egyptian god Osiris, the god of the afterlife. However, the painting is from much later, perhaps between the 6th and 7th century A.D. To reach the underground rectangular crypt, Padró’s team had to remove more than 45 tons of stones. The structure measures about 26 feet long by 12 feet deep.

The archaeologists found five or six coats of paint on the walls, the last from the Coptic period of early Christianity. In addition to the image of the curly man, there were symbols and images of plants and inscriptions written in the Coptic language. Additional research is planned, and additional surprises might  be expected.

While we may never know if the image is that of Jesus, we do know the Bible is silent on what Jesus may have really looked like. Isaiah 53:2 does tell us: “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.” However, this description of Jesus in Isaiah’s prophecy seems to be of a beaten Jesus, “stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted” (Isaiah 53:4). Who could look very attractive while undergoing the beatings and other sufferings Jesus endured after his capture by the Roman soldiers?

In a 2008 review of a National Geographic special on Jesus, we wrote: “Jesus, however, was a Galilean. According to [Professor Jonathan L.] Reed, he would likely have had dark hair, a stubby beard, and fairly dark skin from being out in the sun. Would Jesus have had long hair? St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:14-15 says, ‘Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory?’ Draw you own conclusion.”

Perhaps there is so little about Jesus’ physical appearance in the Bible because God would much rather have us focus on what Jesus said and taught and not what he may have looked like. About His mission Jesus said, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). The full life Jesus wants to give us is an eternal life spent in heaven. It is available to all who want it, who repent of their sins and follow Jesus in faith. 

What Jesus looked like when He walked the earth may be a mystery now, but one day we will truly see Him as He is. “Then Jesus said, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?’” (John 11:40)

Reference: Rossella Lorenzi, “Early Image of Jesus Found in Egyptian Tomb,” Discovery News.

(Photo of Cristo Redentor or “Christ the Redeemer” in Rio de Janeiro, from Wikipedia, by Klaus with K)

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QUESTION OF THE DAY

What cat holds the record for being the largest living feline?

An adult male liger (lion-tigress hybrid) named Hercules stands 49 inches at the shoulder and weighs 922 pounds (418.2 kg). It lives in a wildlife reserve in South Carolina.

Source: Guinness World Records 

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