The Shepherd

In early Christian art it was much more common to depict Christ as a young shepherd rather than the bearded, long-haired hippie we usually associate with him. In these fourth-century mosaics in the baptistery of San Giovanni delle Fonte in Naples there are four such examples of Christ the shepherd; here’s one of them. These 1600 year-old images give us a rare glimpse into the early years of the religion, just decades after the once illegal cult had become the religion of the empire.