The discovery of a rare painting in a church that shows the face of “Jesus Christ” in an image that the world has never seen before
The painting was inside an ancient Byzantine church in the Negev Desert in Israel.
For some reason, the image of Jesus today is represented as a white-skinned person with a beard and long blond hair, and if we look closely at images of him created in ancient times, we find that he was represented in the image of a person who looks very similar to that iconic figure that appears in works of art. Western texts from the Renaissance era, such as the one by Leonardo da Vinci entitled “The Last Supper,” or the one entitled “Christ Crucified” created by Diego Valesquez, but archaeologists at the University of Haifa in Israel found a painting that highlights Christ in An image that the world has never seen before.
Unfortunately, long years of exposure to the hot sun caused damage to the painting, and all that remained of it were some lines and faded colors, but researchers confirm that something of great importance was present there at the site where it was found in one of the days.
“I was there at the right time, in the right place and at the right angle, and suddenly I saw two human eyes,” says Emma Mayan Fanar, head of the research team that discovered and examined the painting at the University of Haifa. “That was the face of Jesus,” she added. During his baptism he stares at us.”
Archaeologists were delighted with this discovery, which was made in the ancient Byzantine village of Shifta. Although the painting was found in a damaged state, experts at the University of Haifa in Israel were able to prepare a diagram of the face of Christ appearing on it, and these experts recently published their research. In Antiquity magazine .
This painting, which is believed to date back to the sixth century AD, shows Jesus Christ as a young man with short hair. The experts explained in their paper: “The face of Christ in this painting is an important discovery in itself,” and they continued: “It shows Christ with hair.” Short, an image that spread particularly in Egypt, Palestine and Syria, but later disappeared from Byzantine art.”
On the right is the original painting, and on the left is a reconstruction of Christ’s face prominent on it – Photo: Dror Maayan/Antiquity
The researchers also said in their research paper that this painting once featured a very important religious figure with short, curly hair, no beard, and a long nose, surrounded by the aura of holiness, and since the painting was found above a baptismal font in the shape of a cross, the researchers believe They feature the baptism of Jesus, which is a common scene in Christian art.
This painting was first noticed briefly in the 1920s, but now a lot of analysis has been done on it, and in their study, archaeologists at the University of Haifa explained that Christ in this painting was shown next to a larger figure, which they believe is a representation To (John the Baptist), they said in their research paper: “The location of the scene suggests that it relates to the baptism of Christ.”
The previous image is closer and higher resolution.
Experts described the discovery of this painting as very important, explaining that it historically precedes the religious depiction used in Orthodox Christian churches. They said: “This painting is the only scene of the baptism of Christ that dates back to the Holy Land before the “era of iconoclasm.” They added: “Hence, it can shed light on the Christian community in the Byzantine Shivta and Christian art in the region at the dawn of its history.”
But this modern image was not an ordinary image of Christ, as it appears that it may be the first of its kind in the “pre-iconoclastic period” of the scene of Christ’s baptism found in the “Holy Land,” as images of Christ in Israel in that era are considered rare. Very much, because several branches of Christianity, including the Byzantine Empire after the eighth century AD, believed that depicting religious icons was an insult to them and their worship. The authors of the study wrote: “Historical texts from the early sixth century AD included several debates about the appearance of the true face of Christ. “Including the way he cut his hair, and based on the science of iconography and saint studies, we believe that this painting was painted during the sixth century AD.”
In 2011, archaeologists discovered what they believed to be the oldest image of Christ, dating back to around the year 235 AD. Several works of art depicting Christ as an infant were also found along the Mediterranean coast. However, an image of Christ was found in Israel, the Holy Land itself. , from the sixteenth century, is considered exceptional in itself.
Source: websites