The Hinton St. Mary Mosaic, dated to the fourth century CE, may be the oldest depiction of Jesus in the western Roman Empire. Discovered in 1963 in Dorset, England, the mosaic was found inside what was assumed to be a wealthy Roman villa. Recent excavations have overturned that interpretation, though scholars continue to study the purpose of the building that housed the mosaic. The mosaic has a male bust framed within a central medallion. The robed figure inside has large eyes, a shaved face, and pulled-back hair. There are pomegranates flanking him and a chi-rho monogram behind his head (the […]
