Archaeologists discover one of the earliest-known images of Jesus — and he's beardles

The Week ^ | October 9, 2014

[NYer]

Archaeologists have uncovered one of the earliest-known images of Jesus in the town of Cástulo in Andalusia, Spain. The image, engraved on a glass plate known as a paten, shows a beardless, short-haired Jesus.

The archaeologists estimate the 8.6-inch paten is from the fourth century C.E., and they suspect it was used to hold Eucharistic bread. The image shows Jesus in a philosopher's toga, along with two other — also beardless — male figures, whom researchers suspect are Peter and Paul, two of Jesus' apostles. All three of the men are depicted with halos. "The scene takes place in the celestial orb, framed between two palm trees, which in Christian iconography represent immortality, the afterlife, and heaven, among other things," the archaeologists said in a statement.

The paten is the earliest depiction that has been found in Spain, Discovery News reports, and it is "in an excellent state of preservation," with 81 percent of its original contents restored. The paten is now on display at the Archaeological Museum of Linares. --Meghan DeMaria

Early Image of Beardless Jesus Found: http://t.co/j5K0t20NFc pic.twitter.com/oTOH1GkgzS — Discovery News (@DNews) October 5, 2014

[Alex Murphy]

Don't base your image of the Inquisition on a Monty Python sketch.

Now there's an answer I didn't expect.

[SkyDancer]

Latin in AD no biggie. Doesn’t matter one way or other. I just see it more in liberal stuff than any other sources ...

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

Don't quit the day job.

[Jedidah]

If I were to draw a picture today of John Rolfe marrying Pocohantas in Jamestown — never having laid eyes on either of them — how accurate do you think the image would be?

Same for the 4th century whiskers, or lack thereof.

[DoughtyOne]

Evidence of an attempt to dislodge BC and AD from the English vernacular.

[jetson]

[Jedidah]

I think we won’t have to bother with shaving in heaven.

[ROCKLOBSTER]

... and among the atheist crowd, it’s ‘Common Era’.

I always tell them the Constitution mentions the little baby Jesus.

[Windflier]

Only Catholics paint halo’s

10 yard penalty for roughing the apostrophe.

[Windflier]

...beardles...

[aimhigh]

The most recent scholarship shows that the Black Legend is largely a myth

Turkey says the Armenian Death March is a myth. Modern day Nazis say the Holocaust is a myth. And now Catholics say the Holocaust is now a myth. Ya right

[ifinnegan]

Thanks to both of you.

I am not saying He didn’t have a beard.

I was looking for something more explicit from the NT.

But I think the prophetic verse you cited is all there is.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks NYer.

The archaeologists estimate the 8.6-inch paten is from the fourth century C.E...

Yes, I do make my own fun.

[Vigilanteman]

That too! Not a proud moment in RC history. The silver lining is that it drove many of the Huguenots to America, some of my ancestors included, and they became some of the key people in building this country.

[COBOL2Java]

Halo’s or Helmets as ancient astronaut theorists believe?.........

No, I think he meant only Catholics paint Halo's, but I have to imagine other faiths are involved in the artistry... :0)

[JudyinCanada]

I remember years ago seeing a pendant around the neck of our friendly neighbourhood grandma. It was a gold rectangle, about 2” x 1” and it had the face of Christ emboldened on it.

I told her that this was the first depiction of Jesus that I have ever seen that was believable, that actually struck me as being the real Jesus.

Grandma told me that the imprint was replicated from the shroud. That’s when, in my simple way, I decided it was authentic.

[COBOL2Java]

Inquisition courts were more fair than those of the kingdom of Spain, or any other contemporaneous European kingdom, Catholic or Protestant.

And they sure had some snappy choreography... :0)

[The_Reader_David]

This is not surprising. Many of the early depictions of Our Lord showed Him looking rather Roman, including beardless. In the East, at least, the preference for the familiar bearded depiction came from two sources — the Palestinian school of iconography, and the Icon-not-made-by-hands, which according to Holy Tradition Jesus made by pressing a cloth to His face in response to a request from King Abgar of Edessa, where the relic was preserved.

[Hatteras]

Palm trees in heaven?....

[Roger Kaputnik]

I agree. Beard or no beard it is the same as Toe-mae-toe / Toe-ma-toe. Does it really matter? How does His facial hair, or lack thereof, impact or affect His message of salvation?