A spectacular display of many of the greatest treasures of early Christianity from around the world, Picturing the Bible draws upon recent research and new discoveries to tell the story of how the earliest Christians first gave visual expression to their religious beliefs. This landmark exhibition includes major loans from the Vatican, the British Museum, the Louvre, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and many other international institutions. Among the highly important treasures are several that have rarely or never been lent before, including the Vatican collection’s gem-encrusted gold cross presented by the emperor Justin II to Pope John III in the late sixth century, and the fourth-century silver reliquary from San Nazaro Maggiore in Milan.

Picturing the Bible: The Earliest Christian Art