When did they start depicting Jesus with long hair, and why?

Question

Especially given the fact that the NT says that long hair is shameful for a man, it seems odd that they started depicting Jesus with long hair.

Answer 1

JESUS is portrayed by artists who live within a particular cultural milieu. Ethnic accuracy is not a requirement of faith. The artists present an image that is familiar and acceptable to the people whom they live among. The appearance of Jesus does vary subtlely, depending on where in the world he is portrayed and when a rendering of his appearance was created. I somewhat doubt that his mother, Mary, was a blond of European extraction... but some of the artists were. -

Answer 2

I don't know. It's never stated how long his hair was. I don't remember reading long hair is shameful to a man either. I'd like the scripture please. I really don't believe God is as petty as some make him out to be. It's definitely not a commandment. I find most of it to be common sense, good ways to live a better life kind of things. To all those who asked about the white thing. I guess it was a white man who depicted him as white. He was Jewish, not white. If you read in the bible. That's why Moses was buried so no one could find his body, and there are no representations of God, or prophets (other than what man has decided to make), God does not want us worshiping False idols. Even a picture of him, is not him.

Answer 3

Jesus likely had long dark hair that was somewhat similar to dreadlocks or tight curls. He probably had darker skin and dark eyes. Artists renditions of Jesus are only that...they tended to depict Jesus as if he were from their culture. And, in a way, that is true, but it is not an actual depiction of which we truly have none. Sad.

The Ol' Hippie Jesus Freak
Grace and Peace
Peg

Answer 4

A good theory is in the book "the davinci code." It basically states that when Christianity was born the painters and sculptors at the time were used to rendering art in the form of another god...Zeus. Since people at that time were still worshiping Zeus, the people who developed Christianity decided to make their new god (Jesus) with the same likeness to convert more people.

Answer 5

Jesus was a Nazarene. Bible thumpers will tell you that means he came from Nazareth but it doesn't. A Nazarene was a scholar that was a vegetarian who did not cut their hair or their beards. Jesus had nothing to do with the NT

Answer 6

In India a Yogi has long hair and beard. It is said that Jesus had gone to Tibet and later returned to Jerusalem.

Answer 7

The practice of a nazirite vow is part of the ambiguity of the Greek term "Nazarene" that appears in the New Testament; the sacrifice of a lamb and the offering of bread does suggest a relationship with Christian symbolism. While a saying in (Matthew 11:18-19 and Luke 7:33-35) attributed to Jesus makes it doubtful that he, reported to be "a winebibber", was a nazarite during his ministry, the verse ends with the curious statement, "But wisdom is justified of all her children". The advocation of the ritual consumption of wine as part of the Eucharist, the tevilah in Mark 14:22-25 indicated he kept this aspect of the nazarite vow when Jesus said, "Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God." The ritual with which Jesus commenced his ministry and his vow in Mark 14:25 and Luke 22:15-18 at the end of his ministry, do respectively reflect the initial and final steps (purification by immersion in water and abstaining from wine) inherent in a nazirite vow.

Nazarite vows do not appear to have been understood by the Gentiles, nor are they even mentioned in patristic writings; therefore, some look to "nazarite" rather than "of Nazareth" or "the Nazarene" for the origin of these Hebrew/Aramaic epithets for Jesus. This conclusion is based in part on the prophecy in Matthew 2:23 that says of Jesus, "And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene." It is doubtful that the prophets had actually said 'Nazarene', rather than 'Nazarite', because reference bibles state that the prophecy cited in Matt. 2:23 is in reference to Judges 13:5-7 concerning Samson's description as "a Nazarite to God from the womb to the day of his death". In addition, there is no word translated ‘Nazarene’ or any reference to a city of 'Nazareth' in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament). Furthermore, although Luke 1:13-15 describes John the Baptist as a Nazarite from birth, John implied that Jesus was holier than he in Matthew 3:13-15, which says, "Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him". Thus Jesus was baptized, immersion in water being a fulfillment of the nazarite vow.

A permanent nazirite is allowed to cut his hair once a year if the hair is bothersome. A Samson-like nazirite is a permanent nazirite and is not enjoined to avoid corpses.


vow required the man or woman to observe the following:

Being a nazirite:
Abstain from wine, wine vinegar, grapes, and raisins;
Refrain from cutting one's hair and beard;
To avoid corpses and graves, even those of a family member.

So my view would be that Jesus was following this vow.

Answer 8

another question is when did they start depicting Jesus as white.

Answer 9

And when did Jesus start to appear as a blue eyed white guy?

Answer 10

Maybe the artists weren't very good at painting ears, but could paint hair.