Why was jesus protrayed as White?

Question

Surely he would have been Arab. Anyone got any ideas?

Answer 1

Most Europeans were illiterate after the Fall of Rome. Because books were extremely expensive, only the wealthy could afford to learn to read and own them. Churches were decorated with murals, mosaics, frescoes, and stained-glass windows depicting biblical scenes as a way to teach Christianity to the masses. Jesus was depicted as the Europeans looked: fair-skinned with dark hair. Early depictions were of a Jesus with short, dark hair and a baby-smooth face. The Byzantine Empire had the more well-known image of a bearded Jesus. As the decades passed, visual interpretations of Jesus would change with the times, and it was not uncommon for artists to place biblical events as happening in their own time.

The image of Jesus that we know best stems from the Renaissance. This was a period of new scientific growth and exploration as well as a time when people once again took interest in the stories of Rome and Greece. Jesus was outfitted with long, brown hair, a beard, and a white tunic with a red toga, harkening back to the Roman Empire. It's interesting how this image has lasted about 500 years.

When an artist reinvented Jesus for the 21st century as a clean-shaven black man, people were up in arms! Why? Because it wasn't close enough to the image people have of Jesus. Every culture that adopts Christianity will recreate Jesus in their likeness. The European Jesus is simply the best-known interpretation.

Answer 2

Well, Jesus was Jewish according to the flesh (Romans 1:3) and was descended from the tribe of Judah (Luke 3, Matthew 1). Arabs and Jews do have a common ancestor, Abraham.

As to why Jesus is portrayed as white or Caucasian, I don't know. But we have the promise in Scripture that one day we will see Him as He is!

Answer 3

Jesus was definitely Arab or black. The bible says he had dark skin and hair like sheep's wool. Europeans forced their religion on so many people and they thought they were the most advanced people on Earth so they naturally thought Jesus was white and their art reflected that.

Answer 4

He was a Middle Easterner (not Arab) and Hebrew by descent.

A lot of early Christian art, especially Byzantine and Russian icons, portray Christ with olive skin and very dark eyes and a beard.

Much of the later Christian art you see has a lot of Medieval and Renaissance influence. These Western artists were mostly caucasian and their ideal of Christ (the ideal man) matched the Western light-skinned ideal. They painted what they were familiar with and what the common conception of beauty was.

The primary aim of religious art is NOT realism, but the spiritual truths behind it. These truths are often portrayed in ways that to the realist might seem like "artistic license."

A good example of this is the early icons that show Mary holding Jesus in her lap, and he is child-sized but with adult features. Obviously, not realistic, but it is meant to show His divinity and wisdom even from His childhood.

Pax Vobiscum+

Answer 5

Not Arab, Jewish.
Artistic liscence by the artists especially the early masters.
Well before then, the church went from being largely believers that were previously Jewish, to gentile believers.

Answer 6

It would be hard to indoctrinate superiority over the brown skinned people of the world - if you had white skin and God was dark!!!

Answer 7

White, blond, blue eyes.... all he needs to be a perfect guy.
Can you imagine in the 19th century people reactions if god was Black, Asian or Native American?
I think jesus didn't existed because it can't be proved that his supposed father exists!

Answer 8

I don't think he would have been Arab because they hadn't spread to Palestine at that point in time. He would have almost surely been Semetic.

Answer 9

Most countries around the world portray Him in their own ethnicity. Art is not theology - its just art

Answer 10

While there might have been some middle ages artists who painted Him to appear caucasian, no one believes He was.