Is this the Oldest (extant) Represention of the Virgin Mary? - Asks the NY Times.

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Michael Peppard is an associate professor of theology at Fordham University and the author, most recently, of “The World’s Oldest Church: Bible, Art, and Ritual at Dura-Europos, Syria.” In this NY times article he reviews what we understand about this image in a Church in the Roman outpost of Dura-Europos, 

Peppard compares the image with others and concludes that the artist intended to portray Mary. The image was preserved by being buried in sand in the third century CE, in an attempt to strengthen the walls of the outpost against attack by the Sasanians.

 

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/31/opinion/sunday/is-this-the-oldest-image-of-the-virgin-mary.html?smid=fb-share