A first-century statue of Jesus allegedly crossed the sea

Devotion to the Good Jesus of Matosinhos finds its origins in an ancient legend. According to this account, Nicodemus fashioned this effigy of the crucified Christ in the year 124 before throwing it into the sea to escape religious persecution. The icon eventually washed up on the shores of Matosinhos, in Portugal, giving rise to an immense fervor that later spread to Brazil across 23 cities.