Art depicts Jesus in a loincloth on the cross – the brutal truth is he would have been naked
- Written by: David Tombs, Howard Paterson Chair of Theology and Public Issues, University of Otago
The 5th-century Maskell panel showing Jesus in a loincloth.British Museum, CC BY-NC-SAWhen Jesus is shown on the cross, he is almost always depicted wearing a loincloth around his waist. We now know, however, this has more to do with artistic convention than historical accuracy.
Featuring a loincloth goes back to the first Christian images of the...