What Jesus really looked like (interesting)...?

Question

See here:

http://archives.cnn.com/2002/TECH/science/12/25/face.jesus/index.html

Isn't it funny how were all brought up to believe Jesus was this pure, sanctified-looking white guy with long hair and fair skin when in reality he probably looked more like an Arab than anything else..

I guess for centuries some people (i.e. Catholic Church) just didn't want to look at it from a realistic perspective because it would mean admitting that the Prophet of their religion was a dark-skinned, ordinary peasant who didn't speak English or Latin and lived in squalor.

That's far too undignified for the son of God; not to mention a dark-skinned Jesus would have been a slap in the face to all those Euro-centric cardinals and bishops who came from fairer lands.

Just wondering what you Christians all think of this...?

Is it insulting to believe that all the depictions and descriptions of your Prophet are most likely wrong; would you rather be ignorant to the truth or accepting of it?

(I realise the Bible doesn't explicitly describe Jesus but contemporary artwork and religious depictions almost always portray him as fair-skinned, long-haired and almost "divine" looking, like he couldn't have been an ordinary man)

Answer 1

Most people tend to envision Jesus as someone who looks like themselves.  It is not hard to understand how a European painter who had never seen anyone from the middle east to see them as European.  The Bible does not give any discription of him other than he was common.  In otherwords, a common Jew, whatever that may mean.  I personally have no problem with what he might have looked like.  Black, white, brown, yellow or anywhere in-between.  I do know that when I see him, I will know who he is immediately.  That is enough for me.

Answer 2

Scripture actually says He wasn't much to look at

Answer 3

that is based on the Shroud of Turin, which has been debunked as a medieval artifact

Answer 4

That's probably what he did look like.

As an atheist, I believe he was just an ordinary man.

He isn't the son of God or whatever...

And maybe he didn't even exist.

Answer 5

I'd hit that!

With a stick.

Answer 6

read  Apocalipsis  (revelation)  cap 1.  Thera are  a  thrue  description of Jesus .  

Hi We pray all the time to God in the name of Jesus. we pray for miracles. For mirackles in families, and sick people. We pray for the peace in the wordl, for the poor people. We pray for nations in war. We are praying for Rusian and georgia, we are praying for korea. and others.God answer the prays of his people. We have millons of testimonies about the power of God.

God, Jesus can protect you and your family. Read Psalm 91. Is a pray for protection for you. The angel of God have power and they are real. The power of God is big. He has all the power in the sky . Jesus is the kings of kings. His name uis powerfull. Reald thew histories in the Bible about the protection of God and psalm 121.

God is love He loves you. He is our father and author of Creation. The Bible is the word of God. Its perfect. It contains the pure truth of God . Jesus loves you and he has one miracle for you in this day. Jesus gives his live in the crooss for you and your salvation.Only pray ... Jesus i need you.i need your help and your light in my life and my hearth. Jesus have peace and love for your live. Read the Bible, and look the wise principes of life about the love, the famili, the miracles.

In the movie of Tom Hanks Rescue of Soldier Ryan many soldiers gives his life for one man. For his salvation. Jesus gives his blood in teh crooss for you. I think thgis act is important. God bless you. sincerely luis guillermo  

Answer 7

Isaiah 53:2 says prophetically "he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him."  In other words, he was really, really plain and average-looking.

You could probably figure out what Jesus looked like by searching for pictures of modern-day people from the Judah or Galilee region.  They actually used locals in the Jesus Film as extras and they were very ordinary-looking Arabs.

I do think it's insulting to Christians to portray Him as white-skinned and red-haired, but it's not a big deal to me because what's more important is what He was on the INSIDE.

Answer 8

No matter how he looks like hes loving and merciful and that makes him so much better then what he is in the outside.But what a change to the other pictures I've seen. I just can wait to see him when he have the judgment day. I hope all pictures are wrong.

Answer 9

He looked like any other jew or middle easterner of his time.  skin darkened due to expousure to the sun, and better fit than most images seen around since he was a carpenter prior to His last three years.  Carpenters at that time did not had power tools to cut or drill on wood.  They had to put more muscle on the job.

Answer 10

If you read the biography of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska,a Polish holy nun- known as Saint Faustina. who died in 1938 age 33yrs

She had visitations from Christ on many occasions,Jesus also tells her to record his message, who predicted the war to come [1939-1945] as she wrote in her diary's,

Our lord asked Faustina to paint in true likeness of the divine mercy [jesus] with two rays a pale and a red one

coming from his chest. That's the famous Divine Mercy picture depicted throughout the world.

Many miracles have been attributed to her devotion of the Divine Mercy

certain prayers offered up to Christ.  

To read her diary's the dialogue conversation she had with Jesus

he predicted,   man will turn away from god but his forgiveness will be merciful to the most scarlett of souls.

The image of Jesus is the picture painted called the Divine Mercy

Answer 11

Uh...that wasn't the Catholic Church nor did they claim whatsoever that he was White. European painters pictured Jesus as being White because they were with blue, green, etc. colored eyes - Africans pictured Jesus as Black, etc. It was their depiction and their depiction only, whether people chose to believe it or not.

I have never believed Jesus was White or Black. Since He was middle-eastern, it would only make sense that He had an olive skin tone, darker longer hair (since that was the trend), darker skin but not Black. Even closer - more Lebanese looking or Palestinian looking.  

Scripture in the Bible did not emphasize what he would look like because it simply did not matter. We needed a Savior and Jesus was sent down, regardless of looks.

FYI Testa Sifone, there has been historical evidence of Jesus' existence from non-Christians, dating very far back.

Answer 12

Appearances are deceiving. We are not our bodies.

Answer 13

This suffices for the beloved of Christ Jesus:

Isaiah 53:2  He grew up before him like a tender shoot,

and like a root out of dry ground.

He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,

nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.



Isa 53:3   He was despised and rejected by men,

a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.

Like one from whom men hide their faces

he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Answer 14

Well, there's still the question of whether he existed at all.  But it is interesting.  Popular Mechanics though?  lol!

Answer 15

I believe you are wrong.   There are historical accounts of descriptions of what Jesus looked like and if this  all American white girl was taken to Jerusalem and set in the middle of a town of

Jewish peoples, you couldn't pick me out in that crowd.  The ten "lost" tribes that left Israel  and migrated north and left Judah are peoples that eventually settled in Great Britain, Canada, Sweden, and this good Ole USA.  We are now called Caucasians because of our ancestors , the ten tribes that migrated north, crossed over the Caucus Mt's and called Caucasians.

Answer 16

In different parts of the world, artists used their talents to paint what they thought He might look like. The artists made Him look like their own peoples. All thru Europe you have different artists in different times painting their own concept of our Lord. It is called artistic license. The Church never told them "this is what we want you to paint" In the Eastern Churches, Orthodox and Catholic, you will find many different renditions of Him looking quite middle eastern. The closest icon to the truth is probably the one that Luke painted on a board. It has been copied many times. Tradition says that Luke was guided in the image of our Lord by Mary, who was still living at the time.

Answer 17

Why is his appearance even an issue?

Isn't the content of a person's character more important than the color of their skin?

Isn't his message the theme that should be examined?

After all Einstein wasn't famous his bushy hair and mustache.

Answer 18

I doubt it, and Jesus was not a prophet, He is, was and always shall be the inspiration of the Prophets, The Most High, God the Son the Judge of all creation.

I am a very devout Catholic and I have to say the image made me laugh a little. I don't believe for a second Christ had blond hair and blue eyes, but I do believe that He was probably very handsome, tall, dark and handsome, that is olive complexioned but not daffy looking. Olive doesn't mean ugly it means olive.

If you think about it, olive is the perfect skin tone, good protection against the sun naturally. I mean I am white and I was not made for the sun I burn bad, but olive skin stays nice in the sun maybe darkens but not burned.

I think I saw this article then too and I highly doubt that is what Christ looked like.

No disrespect to our Lord and Savior intended here, I think the article is bull. Oh yeah...... it doesn't matter to me what He looks like, actually I take that back, I would love to really know for sure, but I have a good idea. I do think we have some art and some truly special pictures that depict Christ in His true humanity, but we will never really know until we meet Him and at that point I wouldn't really be worried about it either.

Answer 19

Personally I like the look I get from people when I tell them that if I saw Jesus I would /not/ convert, but rather question my sanity as no on knows what the man even looked like lol.

Answer 20

I always thought of him as Middle Eastern looking.  He had to be very average or they wouldn't have had to pay someone to point Him out.

edit

He also had to look old for His age, He died in is thirty's yet the priests said this about Him

John 8:57

Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?

Answer 21

Hmmmmm..... Vot prefers this representation

http://www.watchtower.org/e/20011115/art...

Answer 22

No problem accepting it at all. Jesus would have looked like any middle eastern man of the time. Dark features, thick set, etc.

Many modern images of Christ are based upon the Turin Shroud which we know was a forgery. This is why so many images of Jesus are incorrect.

Answer 23

In the  age of people who "Worship" models, rock stars, and good looking idiots. I'm sure its a huge disappointment.

I don't think its insulting to think he was  or wasn't much to look at.

Abraham the patriarch of the Hebrews and Arabs was dark skinned.

I've known Yahshua was Semitic for years.

I think its insulting for people to think you have to be beautiful to be accepted.  

Answer 24

he also had to b pretty strong since his earthly dad was a carpenter. he had to carry a lot of wood and trees and stuff. but ya he probably looked like he was middle eastern.

Answer 25

lol that picture always makes me laugh, as if anyone can generate and replicate the face of God.

here is what Jesus looks like from now and forever,

Among the lamp stands there was someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash around his chest. His head and his hair were white like wool, in fact, as white as snow. His eyes were like flames of fire, his feet were like glowing bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of raging waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp, two-edged sword. His face was like the sun when it shines with full force. Rev 1:13

19:12  His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many royal crowns. He has a name written on him that nobody knows except himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word of God.

10:1 And I saw another mighty angel (messenger) come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire: and he had in his hand a little book which was open. He placed his right foot on the sea and his left on the land; and he cried out with a loud voice, as when a lion roars; and when he had cried out, the seven peals of thunder uttered their voices. Then the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his right hand to heaven, He swore an oath by the one who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and everything in it, the earth and everything in it, and the sea and everything in it. He said, "There will be no more delay. In the days when the seventh angel is ready to blow his trumpet, the mystery of God will be completed, as he had made this Good News known to his servants, the prophets."

His face- like the sun that sees all that is under it.

His voice- heavier than the sea.

His eyes- able to judge what stands in fire and what falls

His hair- white like wool, bleached by the perfect blood that poured from His brow.

His garment- the glory cloud His children followed in the desert.

His feet- made to glow by the pathways of h**l, He proceeds to make judgement, to trample the wicked.

His name- the Word of God- we wont ever be able to know Him completely.

His crown- a manifold rainbow diadem, Jesus the Herald of the covenant and it's Keeper.

His robe- dipped in blood that we may never forget the payment, He rides to make war against the lawless.

His Word- the oath. Heb 6:13 For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself.

His wrath- avenging like that of a lion. remember the prophet that went against God's command and was left by the wayside.

Answer 26

It's doubtful that there ever was a real jesus. Historians have found no conclusive evidence for his existence, and he's likely cut and pasted together from older myths.

Answer 27

I am a christian. I'm not a very strong christian, but i don't believe that jesus looked like that. Its possible he did. But personally, I don't really care what he looked like because it doesn't have much to do with religion itself. I suppose it helps to be able to make religious artwork and to paint a mental picture. Everybody's mind portrays jesus a little bit different, and i think that's cool. What matters most is what jesus did here on earth and the sacrifices he made for us.

Answer 28

"This new conceptualization of Jesus is based in large part on the work of Richard Neave, a medical artist retired from the University of Manchester in England."

And that's probably about all it is.  It's all speculation.

Answer 29

Are you just finding this out??? --that jesus was dark skinned?????  well, congrats... better late than never....he was  a short swarthy dark haired Jew, remember?  The stuff you see in art, is just that----art

He wasn't blonde, he wasn't tall, and we aren't even sure that he wasn't several people....Jesus was as common a name as is Robert, or Bill.  And people didn't all read, nor write Hebrew.  And as well, parts of the bible were written decades after his death....

Do more history hon... fascinating stuff

Answer 30

This picture is about 6-7 years old....

Answer 31

The shroud of turin wasn't Jesus'. Jesus' covering thing was described differently. Anyway, no one knows what Jesus looks like! Jesus was a Jew so he was most likely dark skinned. This question, or the link you gave us doesn't prove anything. It just proves you got false information.