Jesus fresco found in ancient tomb sheds light on early Christianity

• Archaeologists in Turkey have unearthed a significant early Christian fresco depicting Jesus as the "Good Shepherd" with Roman features.
• The painting was discovered in August within a 3rd-century underground tomb near Iznik, a town historically pivotal for the Nicene Creed.
• The fresco portrays a youthful, clean-shaven Jesus in a toga carrying a goat, representing a rare and well-preserved example of Roman-styled Jesus in Anatolia.
• The Good Shepherd motif was a crucial symbol of protection and salvation for early Christians during a period of widespread persecution, predating the widespread adoption of the cross.
• The discovery, which also included the skeletons of five individuals, is seen as illustrating the transition from late paganism to early Christianity in the region.

IN FULL

Archaeologists discover rare painting of a clean-shaven Jesus