The image experts are eager to examine more closely.
The image on the small leaden page may be of a bearded young man with flowing curly hair, possibly with a crown of thorns on his brow. After lying for nearly 2,000 years hidden in a cave in the Holy Land, the fine detail is difficult to determine.
But if genuine, this could be the first-ever portrait of Jesus Christ, possibly even created in the lifetime of those who knew him.
The extraordinary picture of one of the recently discovered hoard of up to 70 lead codices found in a cave in the hills overlooking the Sea of Galilee is one reason Bible historians are eager to examine the ancient artifacts. The tiny booklet is a little smaller than a credit card and is sealed on all sides, with a three-dimensional representation of a human head on both the front and the back. One appears to have a beard and the other is without.
Beneath both figures is a line of undeciphered text in an ancient Hebrew script. One of the booklets appears to bear the words ‘Savior of Israel’ ~ one of the few phrases so far translated.
Click here for the complete article.
At some point, we have to ask ourselves whether what we're reading really falls under the domain of 'history' or whether it's better categorized as 'sci-fi'.
ReplyDeleteKnowing what I know about the polytheistic foundation of the Jesus legend, most notably its many solar-cult motifs, I'd personally classify this as Christian-driven sci-fi. It does a disservice to both science and faith.