6 of the Oldest Images of Our Lord Jesus Christ

We don’t know what Jesus looked like.

The Bible doesn’t give a detailed description, and the earliest images of Jesus that we have today come from around the 3rd century. They vary fairly widely in how they depict Jesus, so they can’t necessarily be taken to be accurate.

But they are interesting to check out nonetheless.

Here are 6 of the earliest surviving images of Jesus. Enjoy!

[See also: 8 of the Oldest Images of the Blessed Virgin Mary]

1) Alexamenos graffito – 1st to 3rd century

Is this a depiction (albeit, a mocking one) of Jesus – perhaps even the oldest surviving image of Jesus? These questions are matters for debate about the Alexamenos graffito.

The image is carved in plaster on a wall in Rome and is dated to somewhere between the 1st and 3rd centuries. It depicts a man looking at a person with the head of a donkey that’s being crucified, and it says, “Alexamenos worshipping God.” It’s believed that this was intended to be mocking the faith of a Christian named Alexamenos.

2) The Good Shepherd – 3rd century

“The Good Shepherd” image is found in the St. Callisto catacomb in Rome and is believed to have been painted around the 3rd century.

[See also: 12 Amazing Christian Sculptures Made Entirely Out of LEGOs]

3) Adoration of the Magi – 3rd century

This is a picture of a cast of a sarcophagus that is in the Vatican museums. It shows the scene of the magi adoring the Christ child and is dated to the 3rd century.

4) Healing of the Paralytic – 3rd century

This painting is on the wall of the baptistry of a church in a (long abandoned) ancient city in Syria. It depicts the story of the healing of the paralytic found in Mark 2, and it is dated to the mid-3rd century.

[See also: 21 Mesmerizing Photos of the World’s Most Beautiful Churches]

5) Christ Between Peter and Paul, 4th century

Image detail of Jesus:

This appears in a cemetery in an imperial villa that belonged to Constantine and is dated to the 4th century.

6) Pantokrator – 6th century

This is the oldest surviving panel icon of Jesus, and it is found at Saint Catherine’s Monastery on Mount Sinai.

[See also: 13 Beautiful Non-White Depictions of the Blessed Virgin Mary]