Image Details

Mosaic of Jesus represented as the Sun-god with a nimbus behind his head irradiating seven rays and ascending to heaven in a chariot drawn by four white horses. The mosaic was discovered in recent excavations at the Vatican necropolis. The mosaic is dated between 200 A.D and 240 A.D. Accordingly, it is the earliest known Christian mosaic. The room in which the mosaic was found has been identified as a chapel built by a wealthy Roman to memorialize his deceased child. The figure in the mosaic is identified as Jesus because in the same chapel were found other clearly recognizable Christian scenes—the resurrection of Lazarus, the Good Shepherd, and a Fisherman (Jesus or Peter). This chapel was covered in 320 A D. by Constantine’s basilica of St. Peter. The light area on the bottom retains the impression of the mosaic although the stones themselves have fallen off.