A “lost Roman letter.” A supposed eyewitness to Jesus. Blue eyes, flowing hair, and a stately bearing reported to Caesar himself. The so‑called “Letter of Lentulus” has everything a viral headline craves—mystery, authority, and a portrait that feels uncannily like Western art’s favorite Jesus. Here’s a gripping run-through of what the letter says, how it shaped imaginations, and what historians actually know.
The Claim That Won’t Die
The story opens in a monastery: among old papers, a copy appears—purporting to be a dispatch from a Roman official, “Publius Lentulus,” to Emperor Tiberius. Inside is a lush description of Jesus Christ in near-portrait detail.
- The text’s allure: an “official report” to Caesar, the aura of state power, and an eyewitness tone.
- The headline moment: Jesus described with “intense blue eyes,” long hair parted “according to the fashion of the Nazarenes,” a noble, gentle countenance, and a calm, commanding presence.
- The hook: It reads like the template for the European bearded Christ—serene, tall, handsome—familiar from countless paintings.
What the Letter Actually Describes
If you read the Lentulus description as journalism, it’s cinematic:
- Face: “Noble and lively,” with grace that disarms and authority that steadies.
- Hair and beard: light to hazelnut hues, long, wavy, and carefully parted; a short, neat beard.
- Eyes: often rendered as blue or gray in later translations—an arresting, distinctly European flourish.
- Bearing: “Cheerful yet grave,” gentle in counsel, “terrible” in rebuke—the moral magnetism of a teacher who stills a room. Continue reading…
