In the last year or so, I've become really interested in painting a more historically informed

Jesus.

Now, of course, I don't know what mortal Jesus looks like any more than any of you out

there listening.

But archaeology can tell us what average Jews in first century Roman Judea look like,

what clothing they wore, and style, and colors, what their houses and home life were probably

like, their pottery and utensils and food, working tools and animals that surrounded them.

In other words, archaeology can help me place Jesus in his historical Jewish context to

understand him and his teachings a little bit more clearly.

The problem is, I'm not an archaeologist who specializes in Roman Judea, but as God's

good grace would have it, one of my colleagues here at B.O.E. religion, Professor Matt Gray

is.

Dr. Gray is part of a team that within the last decade discovered a synagogue with a really

rare and fascinating religious art mosaic floor in a small little town off the sea of

Galilee, a town called Hukoke.

This intricate and beautiful mosaic floor from the fifth century shows biblical depictions

of Samson, Jonah, Noah's Ark, Pharaoh's army being swallowed up in the red sea, and

some snapshots of daily life and antiquity, including Fisherman at sea and craftsman

constructing a building, a profession which Jesus was likely employed.

Here's Professor Matt Gray talking a little bit about when they found this mosaic.

And one day towards the end of the season, Brian found something that none of us were expecting

going into this project, and that is that he's closer and closer to what we assumed was

...