Alexamenos graffito

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The Alexamenos graffito (Italian: graffito blasfemo, lit. 'blasphemous graffito', or graffito di Alessameno) is a piece of Roman graffiti scratched into the plaster of a wall in a room near the Palatine Hill in Rome, Italy, which has since been removed and is now located in the Palatine Museum. Often said to be the earliest depiction of Jesus, the graffito is difficult to date, but has been estimated to have been made around the year 200 AD. The image seems to show a young man worshiping a crucified, donkey-headed figure. The Ancient Greek inscription approximately translates to ''Alexamenos worships [his] god'', indicating that the graffito was apparently meant to mock a Christian named Alexamenos.

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