Moment in Church History: Alexamenos Graffiti

One of the earliest depictions, maybe the oldest!, of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ is a piece of graffiti that mocks a Christian named Alexamenos. Known as the “Alexamenos Graffiti”, it was found in the 1800’s in the excavation of a building that was once owned by emperor Caligula, the emperor in the years immediately following Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension.

The building was used shortly thereafter as a boarding school for boys and it is likely that the graffiti became inscribed on the walls of the building by one of the boys there, mocking his fellow student, Alexamenos.

The graffiti is the picture of a man with the head of a donkey who is hanging on a cross. Beside this character there is another who is raising his hand toward the cross and it is inscribed with the words “ALEXAMENOS CEBETE THEON” which is Latin for “Alexamenos worships his God.

There are potential reasons for the choice of the head of a donkey, it could have been outright mockery or based on a common misconception of the time that the Jews worshipped a God who was represented by a donkey. Whatever the reason, the intent of mockery is clear and the pagan society surrounding the early Christians viewed crucifixion as an immensely dishonorable way to die and to anyone who worshipped such a God who would allow himself to be killed by crucifixion was worthy of the worst ridicule.

Now, you may be thinking, why would I show you this blasphemous mockery? Why would I show how we have been mocked even from the beginning of our religion? How is it helpful?

Well, I think it’s helpful in a multitude of ways.

It helps us connect with our past.

We’re not alone and we have brothers and sisters who have faced everything we have faced!

We are part of a family! It is one of the glorious gifts that Christ has given us!

This is a family with ties throughout history and we can find that we have a people to belong to even when we feel alien to our surrounding time and culture!

It helps us realize that we’re not alone when we face mockery.

Realizing that Christians have faced mockery for more than a couple of years, but rather for millennia, thousands of years, helps us to be bold in our evangelism.

It helps us to take heart in knowing that a young man was known publicly for his faith and faced mockery for it.

Can we be at least strive to be as courageous as Alexamenos?

May Alexamenos, who is remembered for being mocked, be a grand encouragement to each of us to be bold in our willingness to witness to the things of Christ.