The Mysterious Ancient Description of Jesus

A fifteenth-century letter claims to be a firsthand account from a Roman official describing exactly what Jesus looked like. This document single-handedly shaped the traditional face of Christ in Western art.

For centuries, people believed this letter was written by a Roman governor who met Jesus personally. It provides vivid details about his hair color, eye shape, and even the sternness of his expressions. While historians have since debunked it as a clever forgery from the Middle Ages, the description became the blueprint for countless Renaissance paintings. It is a fascinating example of how a fake document changed how the world visualizes a religious figure.