Was Jesus white?

[BassDude726]

Christian art typically depicts Jesus as a tall white man with a beard (and a halo). However, based on where and when he was (supposedly) born, the real Jesus would more likely have been an Arabic or Semitic man, with dark features and dark hair. Why did the Christians decide to depict him as a white man if that is basically lying about the central figure of their religion?

 

[Bozo Erectus]

Better yet, how can many of them be anti semitic and at the same time, worship a Jewish person? If one buys into the whole 'son of god' thing then his race should be irrelevant anyway.

 

[The Last Conformist]

Well, the traditional depictions of Jesus in Western art go back to the middle ages, when few Europeans had much idea how mid-easterners looked like. Nothing mysterious there, really.

(Now, what colour are mid-easterners? They're mostly Caucasoid, so I guess "white" ...)

 

[FredLC]

Does it matter?

 

[BassDude726]

Actually many Europeans knew what they looked like. Up until the 700s, the Arabs occupied Spain and Portugal, and they were instrumental in European trade, especially in Italy. And you've seen the pictures of Jesus... they don't show him as white-ish, he's a snowman with a halo. Is this xenophobia on the part of the early Christians?

I think it matters. If such a central part of their religion is a lie, how can they believe the rest of it?

 

[Pointlessness]

Well, Jesus was Jewish, which is pretty close to white.

 

[BassDude726]

Not the ancient ones. They had lived in Egypt and then Israel for centuries. They were as dark as the Arabs back then.

 

[Laughing Gull]

a random artist's conception of what Jesus looked like:

LOL he looks more like the guy who fixed my car than the messiah.

 

[BassDude726]

Thats what I'm TALKIN' 'bout!

Work's over, time for me to go home where my internet connection sucks. I'll be back tomorry.

 

[Halcyon]

I think it's safe to assume that whatever the old boy was, he wasn't a pale, long-haired Anglo-Saxon. It's not possible. The mere latitude of the area entails beind a bit swarthy, and having long hair was 'unclean' at the time.

The above 'artist's impression' is doubtless far, far closer to whatever actuality you happen to prefer than the generic image you'll see on church windows and sick stains in Iowan motorway-side diners.

 

[Stile]

@Laughing Gull: That hair is wierd. What was that created with a magna-doodle? You know the one with the black filaments you drag overtop a chubby face. That rendition might be fairly accurate of James, Jesus' brother. Of course Jesus is only half Jewish on his mother's side. Judging from most art, God must be white.

 

[Azadre]

Isa was semetic. Rome basically destroyed Christianity when it decided to combine Roman polytheism with Isa's religion. Jesus alternate spelling the Je-Zeus. The halos, Roman sun god. The portrayal of God being a man with white hair, actually a portrayal of Zeus. Christmas, not the birth of this particular prophet but a holiday to celebrate spring. Easter, not the 'resurection' but to celebrate Norse Spirts. Anyway... No, Isa wasn't white.

 

[WS78]

Maybe he was an alien. Badly disguised.

 

[anarchywrksbest]

Jesus was a women.

 

[anarchywrksbest]

Maybe he was an alien. Badly disguised.

I've always thought the events in the Bible could be explained as an episode of Star Trek.

Ascension? Tranporters.
Pillars of fire? Phasers.
Heal the sick? Advanced medicine.

 

[shadowdude]

I've always thought the events in the Bible could be explained as an episode of Star Trek.

Ascension? Tranporters.
Pillars of fire? Phasers.
Heal the sick? Advanced medicine.

If that was true then when they tried to crucify him why didn't he pull out a phaser and kill them or simply say "scotty beam me up" ? but now were getting

To get back on topic yes Jesus was a jewish man so he really shouldn't be portrayed as being white. Excellent point BassDude

 

[NeoDemocrat]

I believe he was black . Don't know why, but there were black people in the middle east back then and he seems to possibly be one.

Not that it matters, Jesus is whatever people want him to look like for believers.

 

[Goober]

I am in a literal mood.

Technically humans cannot be "white". We are all slight shades of white, some have very, very heavy shades (or nearly black), others not so much. I think its called "pigments". Either way, according to history, Jesus allegedly came from Israel, and apparently was a Jew, so therefore he would be probably the typical human off colour of white, probably slightly brown.

 

[Lord Paul]

I believe he was black . Don't know why, but there were black people in the middle east back then and he seems to possibly be one.

Not that it matters, Jesus is whatever people want him to look like for believers.

Black? That's a strange thought.

 

[Pascal]

Jesus was a black woman