Earliest Known Images of Christ on Display at NYUThese images of Christ are not to be confused with any images that might happen to be on any fake metal codices.
Exhibition highlights religious coexistence and multiculturalism
By Laura Gilbert 9/20 7:20pm (New York Observer)
This Friday, the earliest known images of Christ, from the year 240, go on view in New York for the first time, and they aren’t where you might expect them to be. They are part of a remarkable exhibition at the relatively obscure N.Y.U. Institute for the Study of the Ancient World, a jewel-box of a museum on East 84th Street whose mission, according to exhibitions director Dr. Jennifer Chi, is “to break down preconceived notions of antiquity.”
“Edge of Empires: Pagans, Jews, and Christians at Roman Dura-Europos” does so with a vengeance, in presenting 77 objects from an excavation in Syria that fundamentally altered the understanding of art, culture and religion in the ancient world.
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Art and artifacts of stunning historical importance were uncovered. The paintings of Christ are part of a series of New Testament scenes that exhibition co-curator Dr. Peter De Staebler said are “the earliest dated Christian art in existence.” ...
Personally, I wouldn't say that I wouldn't expect to see such images (the real ones, that is) at the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World. But PaleoJudaica has been following the career of the Institute since its founding was announced back in 2006, so it is not "obscure"—not even "relatively"—to regular readers here.
Background on the exhibition and on Dura Europos is here and links.