Archaeologists discover early Christian fresco depicting Jesus in Turkey

Archaeologists in Turkey have discovered a third-century mural depicting Jesus as the good shepherd.

The mural, which remains in relatively good condition, is the centerpiece of a number of frescoes in an underground tomb in the Hisardere necropolis near the town of Iznik.

While Iznik might not be a familiar name to many, its ancient name, Nicaea, may be better known to Christians.

We would refer to the area as Anatolia not “Turkey” as Turks did not even arrive in the area for over 1,100 years after Christ.

And, yes, Anatolia was the major area of Paul’s mission to “the Gentiles”, and at a time when Greek was the major language in the area, alongside surviving indigenous languages like Luwian, Phrygian, Galatian (Celtic), Armenian, Isaurian, and Cappadocian. In Paul’s day Christianity spread mostly from Jerusalem, up through Syria and into Anatolia long before any major presence in Italy.

Islam spread into Indonesia through Muslim traders from India and Arabia and by later some Indonesian elites adopting Islam with that generating adoption of Islam by lower classes (to be “in sync” with ruling classes); but it was not spread by Arab or Muslim military conquest as it was in so much of the Middle East. Prior to Islam in Indonesia religion there was a mix of local beliefs with some import of Bhuddism and Hindu beliefs; and Islam there contains some ad mixture of those beliefs, just as Islam in Iran did not eradicate Zoroastrianism within it.

I'll have to read the archeology report to see why they think it's a representation of Jesus.
The art I saw in Rome which as I recall was from the same period, did not attempt to depict Jesus. They were examples of the idea of the Good Shepherd.
The shepherds were everything from a man with longer hair and a beard to children. All Christians knew that Jesus was not an actual shepherd so it was not surprising that there was no standard model for the shepherd.
Until I read something that says that this was an attempt to depict Jesus, I'll be skeptical that that's what this image represents.

Some thoughts on Hair. We don’t know how long Jesus was in captivity, since there was a lot of arguing among the Jewish elite and an indecisive Roman ruler. Could be enough time for longer hair, no cutting tools allowed. Short hair was easier to keep clean of lice and nits. Women with leisure or servants had time to comb long hair and clean out vermin. Judging from observation in urban areas with Negro population, some young women spend time doing this, even on their young boyfriends. The cutting or arranging part, thankfully not much vermin in our time.

Further thoughts on Hair, sanitation, and religion.

Discovery of germs in the 19th Century must have influenced customs including hair length, thus differences before and after the Civil War. Lack of fuel in desert areas probably influenced Jewish dietary and subsequently Muslim dietary laws. Pork and seafood were especially vulnerable to parasites and microbes. Mohamed was especially concerned with healthy practices. Praying 5 times a day required hand washing. Using the right hand for the communal food pot, and the left hand for toilet functions. This in particular meant cutting off the right hand was mostly a death sentence as it blocked much food access. Hair cover by scarves or turbines reduced picking up vermin from other people.

Business travel to far countries meant spending time to find product, arrange for transport and storage, and wait for shipping to be ready or available. Mosques became necessary in such business centers to keep the faithful maintaining their health preserving practices and the FAITH. One little known influence was that of Islam in Yemen. There was a concentration of the faithful there and after the Hajj, some Muslims went to Yemen for consultation and planning to spread the faith. After the great Krakatoa eruption (1883) in Indonesia, Muslim activists with Yemen connections urged the population to get rid of Dutch colonial rule, since they had lost the “mandate of heaven” for this rule. (Simon Winchester book reference, from memory)

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.