Leonardo Da Vinci's The Last Supper is one of the most famous and admired paintings in the world.
The painting portrays Jesus and his disciples at their final meal before he was crucified. The popular painting depicts the reactions of the apostles after Jesus predicted that one of them would betray him.
Ever since the painting was unveiled by Da Vinci, it has been subject of countless reproductions and interpretations. Even today, fascinating new theories arise and force us to question everything we've been previously told about the 15th century artwork.
One of these theories claims that Jesus and Judas' figures were modeled after the same man at two different stages in life.
According to the story, Da Vinci took about 7 years to complete the art piece while living in Milan. During this time, he used real people as models for the figures in the painting but finding someone with the face and personality that resembles Jesus proved difficult.
After a long search and holding auditions for over 100 men, he finally found a young man, Pietri Bendinelli, whose features reflected beauty and innocence. The Italian painter completed Jesus' portrait within 6 months but things got even harder - he needed a face for Judas.
After years of looking, he found a man on death row in Rome whose criminal and sinful demeanor was deemed perfect to portray Judas. When the two men met, the prisoner recognized Da Vinci and asked if he remembered him. The artist didn't recognize the prisoner but after a short exchange, the man revealed that he was the same model that posed for Jesus' portrait 7 years prior.
If you're questioning the credibility of this account, you're certainly not alone. Snopes classifies this story as false, citing a few documentary evidence. But you can be judge after you listen to the entire story in the clip below.