A rare ancient medallion featuring an early image of Jesus Christ is on special display at Turkey’s Çorum Museum. It is considered one of the most precious artifacts in Çorum’s collection, as it is the only depiction of Christ Pantocrator ever discovered on ancient jewelry.
Christ Pantocrator is a Greek term meaning “almighty” or “all-powerful.” In iconography it refers to the popular depiction of Christ holding the Bible in His left hand and giving a blessing with His right. Christ Pantocrator is one of the first images of Christdeveloped by the early Church.
The oldest known example of Christ Pantocrator is an icon from St. Catherine’s Monastery at Sinai, dated to the 6th century. The medallion, however, is at least as old as the icon, dated at 1,500 years old.