Archaeologists in Turkey have uncovered a rare third-century fresco of the ‘Good Shepherd Jesus’ inside an ancient tomb at the Hisardere Necropolis in İznik, Bursa. The artwork, found on the north wall behind a raised burial platform, shows Jesus as a young, beardless man in a tunic carrying a goat across his shoulders, a depiction consistent with John 10:11. Turkish officials say it is the only known example of its kind outside Italy.
The tomb, part of a vast burial site dating from the second to fifth centuries AD, also features frescoes of a married couple and a symposium scene reflecting lingering pagan traditions. Experts say the imagery marks a transition from pagan to Christian beliefs in Anatolia, an early hub of Christianity after Jerusalem’s fall. Researchers believe the discovery will offer new insights into early Christian iconography and Roman-era burial practices.