Very Early Image of Christ from Hinton St. Mary, England

This afternoon I am reporting on one of the most important early Christian remains from the Roman Empire. In fact, the roundel is probably the earliest known mosaic picture of Christ.

The mosaic (8.1m x 5.2 m) formed part of a beautifully decorated pavement (side walk) which was found by accident in 1963. This was later lifted and transported to the British Museum in London.

Hinton St Mary (pop 227) is located about 125 miles SW of London. Interestingly, this village is just 10 miles north of Blandford Forum which is the site of a known Roman settlement . 

In the Roman Empire Christianity received legal status in AD 313 and became the official religion in AD380.  The mosaic has been assigned a date of the 4th century AD which is consistent with Rome's official recognition of Christianity.

Here is a video clip of the exhibit in the British Museum. Clicking on the icon in bottom right of the video will result in a full screen version.


 More information on Roman Britain can be found here.

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