A close comparison of Michelangelo’s self-portrait and the figure of Jacob in the Sistine Chapel reveals an astonishing truth: the biblical figure mirrors the artist himself. Broad nose, full lips, and swarthy features suggest Michelangelo was a swarthy Hebrew/Israelite man, subtly inserting his identity into his work while conforming to papal demands to depict biblical figures as white. This hidden self-portrait reveals both his genius and the personal struggle behind his masterpieces.