jesus was white?

Question

why do nativity and christian illustrations depict christ as European? If he was isreali he was surely either olive complexion with curly hair or white/tan with curly black hair. why did they make jesus white and mary blonde?

seems very racist and unchristian

Answer 1

Most of the art that I've seen with such depictions is European in origin. Given that, it's natural that they'd picture Him with European features (they often painted using models, who were generally other Europeans). I've also seen African art with a black Jesus, and Hispanic art with a Hispanic-looking image of Mary. There are also renditions of the Asian Jesus, and a Native American version, too. Sometimes, it helps people feel closer to Jesus and other religious figures if they can identify with them culturally as well as religiously. In modern times, to be more accurate, increasingly more artists are giving Jesus brown skin, dark hair, and dark eyes in their art.

Answer 2

Jesus was a Jew. He was of an olive complexion, it really doesn't matter. I have never seen a painting of a blond Jesus. When most of those paintings were painted the artists were European and they used models of real people. They weren't well traveled way back then so they may not have known what skin color to make Jesus so they used the coloring of the model.I have an olive complexion and my Father is Jewish by blood and Christian by Choice. My Mother was 1/2 Cherokee and 1/2 white. It doesn't bother me about the paintings. The Bible said that God made man after his own image so the artists painted him that way. I don't think there was any racism meant at all.

Answer 3

Yes you are correct. But most nativity scenes were done in Europe in which the people projected their own ethnicity onto the stories they knew. Blond often being the ideal that's what happened. Modern day people still do this because they have seen what the earlier Europeans did and have that image burned into their minds. See.

Answer 4

I bet you can find racism in everything.

no Jesus was not white. He was mid-eastern looking.

Europeans made Jesus white...because it sold better when trying to persuade other religions christianity was better than their "Pagan" religions at gun point.

Simple as that. Not racist. Not unchristian. Just facts.

Answer 5

these were hollywood depiction's for the sake of entertainment, and so that the audience is not as threatened and turned off as they might be to the way he really looked, like a middle eastern jew who spoke aramaic, not english. a gentle serene looking middle aged caucasian man is easier to add up as the prince of peace and loved his enemies.

Answer 6

technically, Jews,Arabs,and other Semitic people are Caucasian. But i understand your question. Art is often based more on the culture of the artist than the historical facts

Answer 7

Bias and superiority (that is, *perceived* superiority.) But the phenomenon is not restricted to whites...

"The Ethiopians say that their gods are snub-nosed and black, the Thracians that theirs have light blue eyes and red hair." -- Xenophanes

Answer 8

Considering that the first church of christianity was the Catholic Church and it was the only game in town for ove 1000 years and that church was based in Rome, is it any wonder that the centerpiece of their godhead would be european in appearance!?

Answer 9

christians should know he was not white with light hair but every race will see him as one like them

Answer 10

i feel like ive heard this many times before, does it even matter?
we should stop calling him white and start calling him middle eastern i guess. there should be less arguments about his race and just accept him as your savior as you wish