Why Early Christians Gave Jesus a Magic Wand

Video Description

Why does Jesus appear to hold a magic wand in early Christian art? And what does that symbol really mean? This week, Dr. Robyn Walsh joins us to explore early Christian iconography, what the so-called “wand” represents, and how depictions of Jesus evolved from a youthful, beardless healer to the bearded teacher we recognize today. 👉 We’ll discuss: – What early Christian art tells us about Jesus – Why Jesus holds a rod or wand in ancient images – How Jesus’ beard became part of his divine image 📖 Read Dr. Walsh's article: (I’ve Got the) Magic Stick: The Virgus and Vitis in Roman Imperial and Early Christian Art https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/full/10.1086/735346 🔗 Resources & Links – For more on Dr. Walsh: https://robynfaithwalsh.com – To see more videos from Dr. Walsh: https://www.youtube.com/@bartdehrman – You can also join Dr. Walsh for a class on early Christian art in the Biblical Studies Academy: https://bibleandarch--ehrman.thrivecart.com/the-biblical-studies-academy/ ✨Become a Bible & Archaeology patron: http://www.patreon.com/bibleandarch 📚 Check out our 'Cities of the Bible' online class: patreon.com/bibleandarch/shop ✉️ Send us your questions: [email protected] 🌐 Everywhere you can find us: https://linktr.ee/bibleandarchaeology 🎙️ Credits Guest: Dr. Robyn Faith Walsh Produced and Edited by Jordan Jones Additional Contributions by Mary Kathryn Lichty The Bible & Archaeology podcast is made with support from Amanda Stone 🕒 Timestamps 0:00 Intro 2:29 What did Jesus look like? 7:26 How early Christians created a “Jesus style” 13:50 Jesus’ magic wand 22:17 How Jesus’ image changed over time 31:19 Why context matters: what early art reveals about faith