Archaeologists in Spain have unearthed what they say is one of the earliest images of Jesus, 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, flanked by two men believed to be the apostles Peter and Paul, reports the BBC.
The news agency 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 at what was once the ancient town of Castulo, was likely used in religious services. Click the BBC link to see images. (A scientist, meanwhile, is hoping to resurrect King David’s wine.)