Freethought & Rationalism Archive

daoist · 08-20-2002, 01:13 AM

(if this belongs in a different forum, i kindly ask a mod to move it)

i've done a little searching through the bible for references to Jesus' physical appearance, but i'm coming up empty. I was hoping that a few bible scholors here could point out some passages which mention what jesus looked like.

I've heard a rumor that the bible mentions something cryptically saying that jesus did not have white skin. I've also heard that the commonly accepted image of jesus is actually one of the popes (Innocent __ IIRC)...but after hours of googling, i'm coming up empty.

rumor? or are there any facts to this?

CX · 08-20-2002, 05:59 AM

Jesus' appearance is not described anywhere in the New Testament. Furthermore Jesus was a Palestinian Jew and would have looked nothing like the popular Renaissance portrayals we are all familiar with. In any case he most definitely would not have been "white" in the European sense. There was an excellent piece on PBS Frontline called something like "From Jesus to Christ". Dr. Mark Goodacre (of the NT Gateway and XTalk) was consulted and they produced a computer simulated image of Jesus. You can probably find it on the website.

Here's a pretty good picture based on scientific considerations:

Peter Kirby · 08-20-2002, 06:28 AM

The earliest allusion to the appearance of Jesus is in Tertullian, On the Flesh of Christ, ch. 9.

"Indeed it was from His words and actions only, from His teaching and miracles solely, that men, though amazed, owned Christ to be man. But if there had been in Him any new kind of flesh miraculously obtained (from the stars), it would have been certainly well known. As the case stood, however, it was actually the ordinary condition of His terrene flesh which made all things else about Him wonderful, as when they said, 'Whence hath this man this wisdom and these mighty works?' Thus spake even they who despised His outward form. His body did not reach even to human beauty, to say nothing of heavenly glory. Had the prophets given us no information whatever concerning His ignoble appearance, His very sufferings and the very contumely He endured bespeak it all. The sufferings attested His human flesh, the contumely proved its abject condition. Would any man have dared to touch even with his little finger, the body of Christ, if it had been of an unusual nature;, or to smear His face with spitting, if it had not invited it (by its abjectness)?"

best,
Peter Kirby

Tristan Scott · 08-20-2002, 08:47 AM

I thought Jesus looked like Robert Powell.

Ojuice5001 · 08-20-2002, 08:58 AM

I realize that the actual Jesus may or may not have had a beard. I really hope he did, because that lends legitimacy to the beard. I have always believed that a bearded face is the way God (Jupiter, nature, take your pick) intended it, and it is a damn shame that many employers (including mine, Publix) have a rule that mandates shaving it off. The full beard is one of the many good things that modern secularized-Christian society frowns upon. I'm all for trimming it, just as I am for getting a haircut, but there should not be folkways that strongly encourage shaving it off.

Boshko · 08-20-2002, 12:57 PM

I think the earliest pictures of jesus depict him beardless and with a wand he used to heal people.

Mageth · 08-20-2002, 01:06 PM

Why are you people wondering about what Jesus looks like, when we have actual <a href="http://www.jesusphotographs.org/" target="_blank">photographs</a> of him and his mother?

And what about the nice portrait photo taken of <a href="http://web.frontier.net/Apparitions/Ali.homepage.html" target="_blank">Jesus</a> by Sister Anna Ali?

Tristan Scott · 08-20-2002, 01:37 PM

Here are some <a href="http://members.aol.com/jesus316/pics.htm" target="_blank">cool Jesus pix</a>

Sojourner553 · 08-20-2002, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Tristan Scott:
<strong>Here are some <a href="http://members.aol.com/jesus316/pics.htm" target="_blank">cool Jesus pix</a></strong>

You mean Jesus was a Spaniard?

One of the last sane · 08-20-2002, 02:48 PM

Ojuice5001, couldn't you dream up some religion and say you are required by your religion to wear a beard?

08-20-2002, 01:13 AM	#1
daoist New Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Ames, Ia Posts: 1	Jesus: not a white guy with a beard? (if this belongs in a different forum, i kindly ask a mod to move it) i've done a little searching through the bible for references to Jesus' physical appearance, but i'm coming up empty. I was hoping that a few bible scholors here could point out some passages which mention what jesus looked like. I've heard a rumor that the bible mentions something cryptically saying that jesus did not have white skin. I've also heard that the commonly accepted image of jesus is actually one of the popes (Innocent __ IIRC)...but after hours of googling, i'm coming up empty. rumor? or are there any facts to this?

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08-20-2002, 05:59 AM	#2
CX Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Portlandish Posts: 2,829	Jesus' appearance is not described anywhere in the New Testament. Furthermore Jesus was a Palestinian Jew and would have looked nothing like the popular Renaissance portrayals we are all familiar with. In any case he most definitely would not have been "white" in the European sense. There was an excellent piece on PBS Frontline called something like "From Jesus to Christ". Dr. Mark Goodacre (of the NT Gateway and XTalk) was consulted and they produced a computer simulated image of Jesus. You can probably find it on the website. Here's a pretty good picture based on scientific considerations:

08-20-2002, 06:28 AM	#3
Peter Kirby Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: the reliquary of Ockham's razor Posts: 4,035	The earliest allusion to the appearance of Jesus is in Tertullian, On the Flesh of Christ, ch. 9. "Indeed it was from His words and actions only, from His teaching and miracles solely, that men, though amazed, owned Christ to be man. But if there had been in Him any new kind of flesh miraculously obtained (from the stars), it would have been certainly well known. As the case stood, however, it was actually the ordinary condition of His terrene flesh which made all things else about Him wonderful, as when they said, 'Whence hath this man this wisdom and these mighty works?' Thus spake even they who despised His outward form. His body did not reach even to human beauty, to say nothing of heavenly glory. Had the prophets given us no information whatever concerning His ignoble appearance, His very sufferings and the very contumely He endured bespeak it all. The sufferings attested His human flesh, the contumely proved its abject condition. Would any man have dared to touch even with his little finger, the body of Christ, if it had been of an unusual nature;, or to smear His face with spitting, if it had not invited it (by its abjectness)?" best, Peter Kirby

08-20-2002, 08:47 AM	#4
Tristan Scott Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Southwest USA Posts: 4,093	I thought Jesus looked like Robert Powell.

08-20-2002, 08:58 AM	#5
Ojuice5001 Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: A city in Florida that I love Posts: 3,416	I realize that the actual Jesus may or may not have had a beard. I really hope he did, because that lends legitimacy to the beard. I have always believed that a bearded face is the way God (Jupiter, nature, take your pick) intended it, and it is a damn shame that many employers (including mine, Publix) have a rule that mandates shaving it off. The full beard is one of the many good things that modern secularized-Christian society frowns upon. I'm all for trimming it, just as I am for getting a haircut, but there should not be folkways that strongly encourage shaving it off.

08-20-2002, 12:57 PM	#6
Boshko Regular Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Wesleyan University Posts: 361	I think the earliest pictures of jesus depict him beardless and with a wand he used to heal people.

08-20-2002, 01:06 PM	#7
Mageth Contributor Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Deep in the heart of mother-lovin' Texas Posts: 29,689	Why are you people wondering about what Jesus looks like, when we have actual <a href="http://www.jesusphotographs.org/" target="_blank">photographs</a> of him and his mother? And what about the nice portrait photo taken of <a href="http://web.frontier.net/Apparitions/Ali.homepage.html" target="_blank">Jesus</a> by Sister Anna Ali?

08-20-2002, 01:37 PM	#8
Tristan Scott Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Southwest USA Posts: 4,093	Here are some <a href="http://members.aol.com/jesus316/pics.htm" target="_blank">cool Jesus pix</a>

08-20-2002, 02:48 PM	#10
One of the last sane Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: hereabouts Posts: 734	Ojuice5001, couldn't you dream up some religion and say you are required by your religion to wear a beard?

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