Shivta - St. George (North Church) - Fresco depicting Christ's face (?) from the baptistery

A badly preserved fresco (estimated 6th century AD) in the baptistry chamber in the upper section of the apse possibly depicts two figures. One, a figure of a youth from the neck upwards, with short curly hair, large eyes, elongated nose, and prolonged face. The other, perhaps a figure surrounded by a halo. Traces of paint suggest a larger scene was depicted. Due to the location of the scene, it is suggested it was of the Baptism of Christ. In which case the two figures are Christ on the right and John the Baptist to the left. The Christ type that is suggested is interesting and seems to belong to earlier Christian depictions of Christ with a youthful face, short hair, and large eyes. Examples can be found around Egypt and Syro-Palestine before a new canon of depiction was established by the late Byzantine period (bearded with long hair). This discovery very well may prove to be the earliest pre-iconoclastic Baptism of Christ depiction in the Holy Land. Maayan-Fanar, Emma & Linn, Ravit & Tepper, Yotam & Bar-Oz, Guy. (2018). Christ’s face revealed at Shivta: an Early Byzantine wall painting in the desert of the Holy Land. Antiquity.