WHAT DID JESUS LOOK LIKE?
John Stone
Many Christians claim they have seen Jesus or Mary ─ in the clouds; on tree stumps, on foods such as toast, cheese, salads, fruits; on fences; on office windows; on flood soaked drywall; and Mormons claim seeing him in their temples. This is actually comical because no one would know what Jesus or Mary looked like. Even more funny is that Catholics usually see visions of Mary while Protestants only see Jesus. Sadly, this is really pathetic because Jesus and Mary are fictitious characters; in no way were they historical beings.
The only images Christians have in their mind’s eye is what artists have conjured up as to what Jesus and Mary might look like. And this was dependent on the country and time the artist lived. Curiously, Jesus intoxicated Christians overlook the obvious, for example the Christian bible (New Testament) says absolutely nothing about Jesus’ appearance. Regarding Jesus:
· Did he have long hair or short hair;
· Was he tall or short;
· Was his skin dark or light;
· Was he clean shaven or did he have a beard; or
· Was he a medium build, olive skinned guy with medium length hair and a moustache?
Paintings of Jesus are simply artists' conceptions and nothing more. However they have tricked the minds of many into thinking they “know” Jesus; just as the pulpits has tricked the masses in believing that there was a Jesus and Mary.
These artists would never have painted Jesus looking Jewish (Semite), fat or as a midget or dwarf in size. Who is to say that those representations could not be just as valid? The church and artists knew that no one would follow an ugly looking leader, so they painted him strikingly handsome – a far fetch from the description of Isaiah 53:2 which Christians love to quote claiming it is about Jesus:
“… he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.” (Isaiah 53:2 King James Version)
Is it not strange that Christianity blatantly ignores this scripture that they claim is about their dead man-god and deliberately pictures him as looking handsome, pretty and attractive ― a very striking looking man. Throughout the ages, European and American art often depicts Jesus as a light-skinned man with reddish hair and blue eyes. Conversely, African art has depicted him as having dark skin while Asian art has depicted him as having Asian eyes. Yet, Christians having their “visions” claim they saw this black haired and black beard, white skin Jesus with a rather striking face, but failed to notice if he had short hair, or long hair, or if his beard was long, short, or if it bushy? The Mormons, have even officially portrayed “their” Jesus as a blond-haired, blue-eyed Aryan.
Almost every picture shows Jesus with nicely trimmed beard and long groomed hair. Wonder who his hair stylist was? However, this doesn’t match up with the famous Sallmon portrait of Jesus, which shows Jesus having blonde hair and beard, and having blue eyes. This is really strange, because history says that people from the area of Israel are dark skinned ― Semite.
All these painting of Jesus are simply dubbed “artistic freedom.” Each painter sees his Jesus in a different light. One has Jesus looking like a man from Sweden, with blonde hair and blue eyes; another pictures Jesus with a dark heavy beard. Some artists paint Jesus being fair skinned, while others paint his skin darker. Some artists paint Jesus with long hair and others with short hair. Some artists paint Jesus with Jewish curly locks called “payot.” However strange it may be, artists do not paint a Jewish Jesus.
What brings a smile to my face is when Christians say they have seen Jesus, or Mary. That statement is so silly ― all they are seeing is an individual artist’s version Jesus or Mary deeply embedded within their blind-faith religiholic delusional mindset. Take a look below, which is your Jesus?
Jesus #1 is the “official” Mormon Jesus of which there is a swirl of internet hoax whipped up about this picture. Supposedly the Mormon prophet at the time this work was commissioned, had the artist paint and repaint until he was satisfied that it was the “Savior's actual appearance.” Guess that “officially” rules out a Jewish Jesus or a black Jesus ─ after all, who could question a “prophet” ─ a Mormon “profit” at that (pun intended). Especially since the Mormons have declared that they are the only true church on earth. 1 That pretty much settles it doesn’t it boys and girls?
Since Jesus was Jewish and was supposedly holy, he would have observed Hebrew laws (the only scriptures in existence at that time). In doing so, he would have had payot (those long curls that hang in front of the ears of Orthodox Jews). According to Leviticus 19:27 and 21:5 in a reference to the hair between the head and the cheeks (side locks), it is forbidden to destroy the "corners" of the beard. But I have never seen a Jesus with any curly side locks.
How many pictures show Jesus observance of Hebrew laws by wearing Tzitzit (fringes attached to the corners of garments), or a Tallit (a shawl-like garment worn during morning services), or a Tallit Katan (a four-cornered poncho-like garment worn under a shirt).
Where
is any artist’s rendition of Jesus that makes him appear as he would have been
– as a Jew (Semite)? Evidently the artists of the past did not have Mel
Gibson’s anti-Semitic movie, “The Passion,” to guide them. Gibson’s Jews
had dark circles under their eyes and Judas had a hook nose and long chin. Take
a look at this picture of Jesus and Judas! Isn’t it strange that pictures of
Jesus don’t show that same Semitic features? Why not?
Some Christian historians described Jesus as being a tall man with chestnut-colored hair, parted in the middle, with short hair which turned up at the end. German painter L. Fahrenkrog, says, "Christ certainly never wore a beard, and His hair was beyond a doubt a closely cut.”
Dr. Jack Hyles in a sermon at the First Baptist Church of Hammond, Indiana. Told his congregation;
“The plain simple truth is that during the life of Christ, short hair was the acceptable style. That Jesus wore the conventional style of his day is proved by the fact that Judas had to kiss him to point him out to the soldiers. Had Jesus been somewhat different, as a long-haired freak, Judas could have simply told the soldiers that Jesus was the one with the long hair. This, of course, is not true, as Judas had to place a kiss on him in order to identify him.” 3
One possibility for a long-haired Jesus might be explained if he was a Nazarite who were generally thought to let their hair grow long. Dr Hyles continues on to debunk this possibility:
There is no such Scriptural evidence. Jesus was a "Nazarene" because He was from Nazareth, but He was not a "Nazarite," and he did not take the Nazarite vow.
Also, a Nazarite could not eat grapes or drink grape juice or eat anything made of the vine. (Numbers 6:2-4) But the author of Luke told of Jesus drinking the Passover wine.
“For I say unto you I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come." (Luke 22:14-18)
Likewise a Nazarite could not touch a dead body. Numbers 6:6,…Yet the authors of Mark and Luke wrote Jesus touched a dead body.
Long-haired Jesus pictures ─ very strange indeed, since even the inventor of Christianity, Paul, said long hair was a disgrace.
Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? (1 Corinthians 11:14 KJV)
Don’t you think it is amusing to say the least, that Paul’s declaration of “long-hair shame” never entered the minds of the early church fathers? But, then again the early church was so busy and overwhelmed just inventing Christianity; including this book or that; excluding 80 more; editing verses here; and adding verses there ─ this little detail (long-haired shame) slipped their attention. Shortly, Jesus portraits were being churned out willy-nilly, by then it was too late to make corrections; too late to give Jesus a haircut. So, in ignorance of their own scriptures, Christians believed whatever they were being told and shown ─ Paul's shameful Jesus was “in.”
If any Christian thinks they saw Jesus, they didn’t see a Jewish (Semite) Jesus. Perhaps this is the Jesus people see in their mind's eye.
Figure 1: Jesus?
Figure 2: Charlie Manson
Maybe, just maybe, these Christians who see Jesus or Mary had really seen Moses or Sarah. Why not? Because Christians don’t see Jews!
As I was writing this article, I paused to watch a TV show “My Name is Earl.” 4 This particular story was so appropriate because it simply sums up everything up in a nutshell.
Earl, his brother Randy, his ex-wife Joy and another friend Charlie were leaving a large retail story ― make it Multi-Mart ― when a security guard stopped the friend and asked him to open his jacket.
Joy turned to face the friend and asked, “Charlie, you are not still stealing are ya?”
Charlie says; No, I’m a Christian now” and opened his shirt to reveal a tattoo of a bearded long-haired man.
Joy asks, “Who is that?”
Charlie answers, “Jesus.”
Joy exclaimed, “It looks like Willie Nelson to me.”
The church has manipulated blind-faith sheeple for over 1,680 years ─ telling them what and how to think. The theologians, clergy, apologists and missionaries all want you to operate on the George Constanza rule; "Remember Jerry, it's not a lie if you really believe it's true."
Please think independently ─ refuse to be lead astray. There was no Jesus. There is no Invisible Man in the Sky. God is imaginary!
"Faith: Belief without evidence in what is told by one who speaks without knowledge." -Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914)
Footnotes:
1. Mormon Doctrine & Covenants; "... the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth, with which I, the Lord, am well pleased..." (D&C 1:30)
2. “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5: 17-19 KJV)
3. Pastor Jack Hyles, Pastor of First Baptist Church, Hammond, Indiana for over 42 years, Jesus Had Short Hair!
[http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Books,%20Tracts%20&%20Preaching/Printed%20Books/Dr%20Jack%20Hyles/jesus_had_short_hair.htm as retrieved on Feb 12, 2006 15:33:29 GMT ]
4. "My Name Is Earl," 2006-2006, Created by Greg Garcia; Starring Jason Lee, Ethan Suplee, Jaime Pressly, Eddie Steeples and Nadine Velazquez; Shown On NBC.
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