serious answers only please and if I could get an answer without a bible verse, an i'll pray for you or any negativity. Truth is I've always just wondered how christians can actually take the image of jesus and mary so seriously when that could not possibly be what they looked like.
So why don't they picture jesus and so forth as the dark olive or black skinned people that they were?
2006-10-22 17:04:57 · 15 answers · asked by crisis 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Simply put it is that people are making a graven image, a false representation of who they were. Jesus and Mary are both Jews, and thus not white but rather look like any other Jew, they were not in anyway extraordinary in appearance, and we have no way of knowing what Christ looked like in His incarnate body. However if you want to imagine what Chist looks like, the bible says He is light unaproachable, the Glory of God in its fullness and if we were to see His face we would die. Many people commit idolatry by not representing Jesus(God) as portayed in the bible.
2006-10-22 17:14:04 · answer #1 · answered by HisWordHisWillHisWay 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
When tend to identify with historical figures in the way that we can best imagine them. But, you're absolutely right. Jesus, probably had very dark, black, possibly curly hair and beard with olive/tan skin tones. He was not as whimpy as Hollywood has portrayed him in the past because he was in the construction industry.
Many have said that Jesus and his father were carpenters. The word used in the original Greek language is the Greek word "technon." That word could apply to any number of different trades. The thing is that when you go to Palestine, you find that there is not much wood at all but there is a lot of rock. In Jesus's day, only the very wealthy could afford houses with a lot of wood. Most houses were made with rock. So, the truth is that Jesus and his father were probably masons rather than carpenters. So, how does that Greek word get translated as "carpenter"? Because, the King James translators lived in Enland where there was plenty of rain and plenty of trees, thus plenty of wood. Jesus and his Dad still could have been "carpenters" but it's not likely. Same thing applies to how we develop pictorial concepts of Jesus.
Peace.
Hesed.
2006-10-23 00:20:59 · answer #2 · answered by Hesed 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I've seen many statues of Jesus, Mary and saints as black, darkened skin like Arab and some oriental. It depends on the person's own race and what type of statue they want or how they see them. But you are right in that they were dark skinned because "whites" didn't exist then. They are Jews, Egyptians, Africans, Romans and Arabs. They had darker skin. But also remember that Jesus was born to a jewish woman so He would have taken on her skin color and she was a little darker than "white". So we know they weren't black or egyptian.
2006-10-23 00:12:41 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
In my church we have pictures of Jesus with light blond straight hair, high cheek bones and green eyes. I DON'T THINK JESUS WAS FROM SCANDANAVIA BUT THAT'S WHAT HE LOOKS LIKE HERE!!
He also looks like he's been to a hair and facial salon which they didn't have back then. But if he was portrayed in my church as having darker hair and skin/tan like we know he obviosly did, I think people would walk out or take down the paintings immediately. I know it's sad, but true.
2006-10-23 00:26:03 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
the church for the longest time was Eurocentric. BUt that is starting to change. There are black Jesus' eskimo Jesus' and so forth. we all want to see ourselves int he story. but yes if it is Jesus' true look you are after.. well you can't have it, but he definately would have looked like a Jewish man
2006-10-23 00:10:13 · answer #5 · answered by free_indeed2000 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A lot of the res ions is that they are not educated own the bible....And a lot of people go by what they here from others...In order to get the truth is you get it your self...Seek it and you will find it ..Another res ion I have heard is that they painted him to be hansom...Instead of the dark skin...In others word it was what was in .....You no the in thing.....
2006-10-23 00:23:40 · answer #6 · answered by patricia 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I agree. I didn't think he robed himself in white skin. Jesus was in the middle east. The people who paint him white are also the people who paint him with long hair. They even paint him on the cross....clothed.
2006-10-23 00:25:20 · answer #7 · answered by Jill With Christ 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Every culture portrays them as similar to themselves. Last Christmas I went to see a big collection of manger scenes from around the world. It was very interesting to see them portrayed as European, African, Japanese, Polynesian, etc. But of course everyone knows their actual ethnic background.
2006-10-23 00:12:04 · answer #8 · answered by PaulCyp 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
This was discussed at an old, country church I attended as a young child. Some people thought we were blasphemous for bringing this up. Weirdos.
2006-10-23 00:10:22 · answer #9 · answered by I'm Still Here 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What is the point of asking the question?. Since the official church moved to Europe, it was natural for europeans (that now became christians) to look at Jesus as theirs. Remember they worshipped idols before, so when they forfeited them for Christianity, they needed someone as a symbol of their new religion, one that looked like them.
2006-10-23 00:12:11 · answer #10 · answered by seek_fulfill 4 · 1⤊ 2⤋