Archaeologists have uncovered another significant finding that is deepening understanding of the origins and spread of Christianity, including what experts regard as one of the finest preserved images of Jesus Christ ever discovered.
The artwork, portraying a youthful Jesus as the “Good Shepherd,” was unearthed inside an underground burial chamber near Iznik, the historic city of Nicaea in northwestern Türkiye.
The region is renowned as the birthplace of the Nicene Creed, a foundational statement of Christian belief that played a pivotal role in shaping the faith.
The Nicene Creed was adopted in A.D. 325 when the area formed part of the Roman Empire. During that era, Christians were frequently subjected to persecution, making the newly discovered painting an important window into the religious life and practices of believers during a turbulent period.
The mural depicts a clean-shaven Jesus dressed in a toga and carrying a goat across his shoulders, with the animal’s head resting on his left side. Four additional goats are shown grazing among stylized flowers and vegetation at his feet.
Scholars say the painting is among the few known examples from Anatolia—modern-day Türkiye—in which Jesus is portrayed with distinctly Roman characteristics.
Before the cross emerged as Christianity’s most recognizable symbol, the image of the Good Shepherd served as a powerful representation of the faith. The motif was widely associated with themes of salvation, divine guidance and protection.
First identified in August 2025, the cave painting has been described as the best-preserved depiction of Jesus as the Good Shepherd discovered to date. According to The Independent, lead archaeologist Gulsen Kutbay said the artwork is likely the “only example of its kind in Anatolia.”
The tomb contains more than just the remarkable Jesus image. Its curved interior walls are decorated with paintings of birds and plants, alongside portraits of noble men and women who appear to be accompanied by slaves.
Eren Erten Ertem, an archaeologist with the Iznik Museum, told The Independent that the murals reflected “a transition from late paganism to early Christianity, depicting the deceased being sent off to the afterlife in a positive and fitting manner.”
Excavations within the burial chamber also led to the discovery of human remains. Anthropologist Ruken Zeynep Kose reported that the skeletons of five individuals were recovered from the site.
While the condition of two of the skeletons made age determination impossible, researchers identified the remaining individuals as two young adults and a six-month-old infant.
Professor Candida Moss of the University of Birmingham, a leading authority on early Christianity, told The Independent: “The large number of recent early Christian archaeological discoveries in Turkey are of very substantial significance.”
She added: “Anatolia – what is now Türkiye – was in many ways the cradle of early Christianity.
“The region – visited by the apostles Peter and Paul and other very early missionaries – is of huge importance in the religion’s early history.”
Highlighting the region’s broader historical importance, Professor Moss further stated: “And, of course, when Christianity became the official religion of the empire, the Romans moved their capital from Rome to what is now Istanbul.”
