In Early Image of Jesus, He's Got No Beard

Archaeologists in Spain find 4th-century engraving
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 3, 2014 4:35 PM CDT
Updated Oct 4, 2014 8:00 AM CDT
In Early Image of Jesus, He's Got No Beard
Stock image. See the BBC story for the newly unearthed engraving.   (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Jesus shaved. Archaeologists in Spain have unearthed what they say is one of the earliest images of him, but you wouldn't know it from a quick glance. The engraving on a glass plate from the 4th century depicts a short-haired Jesus without a beard; he's joined by two men believed to be the apostles Peter and Paul, reports the BBC. The Local reports that the plate is in fragments, and 81% of it has been recovered by the archaeologists.

The BBC picked up the report from two Spanish-language sites, including ABC.es, which writes of the plate: "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 9-inch plate, found at a dig site in what was once the ancient town of Castulo, was likely used in religious services to hold Eucharistic bread. The BBC has images. (A scientist, meanwhile, is hoping to resurrect King David's wine.)

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