Endnote 3 – The Two Faces of Jesus

Theodoric also built a baptistery some distance from Sant’Apollinare Nuovo, with a mosaic program modeled on the earlier “Orthodox” baptistery (the Neonian Baptistery). All that is left of the decoration of the “Arian” baptistery, however, is a medallion showing the baptism of Jesus and the ring of processing apostles just below. The Jesus image here is significantly different in appearance from the Jesus in the Orthodox baptistery. As in the miracle mosaics from Sant’Apollinare Nuovo, the Jesus of the Arian baptistery has no beard, while the earlier Jesus of the Orthodox baptistery (presuming the restorers kept the original facial type) was a bearded, older-looking figure. See Robin M. Jensen, “What Are Pagan River Gods Doing in Scenes of Jesus’ Baptism?” BR 09:01.