Why do we picture Jesus as looking European when he was obviously a dark -skinned Jew?

Question

Any movies you see portray him that way.

Answer 1

Actually, Christ was not a dark-skinned Jew.

Here's how Pontius Pilate described Him:

"A young man appeared in Galilee preaching with humble unction, a new law in the Name of the God that had sent Him. At first I was apprehensive that His design was to stir up the people against the Romans, but my fears were soon dispelled. Jesus of Nazareth spoke rather as a friend of the Romans than of the Jews. One day I observed in the midst of a group of people a young man who was leaning against a tree, calmly addressing the multitude. I was told it was Jesus. This I could easily have suspected so great was the difference between Him and those who were listening to Him. His golden colored hair and beard gave to his appearance a celestial aspect. He appeared to be about 30 years of age. Never have I seen a sweeter or more serene countenance. What a contrast between Him and His bearers with their black beards and tawny complexions! Unwilling to interrupt Him by my presence, I continued my walk but signified to my secretary to join the group and listen. Later, my secretary reported that never had he seen in the works of all the philosophers anything that compared to the teachings of Jesus. He told me that Jesus was neither seditious nor rebellious, so we extended to Him our protection. He was at liberty to act, to speak, to assemble and to address the people. This unlimited freedom provoked the Jews -- not the poor but the rich and powerful."

Your can read more Physical Descriptions of Jesus at the source below.

Answer 2

I've spent my whole life wondering the same thing, and why does the nativity usually look like they're all very white people and more than likely they wouldn't have been, because of the part of the world they lived in. It doesn't matter who he was descended from, his skin color was probably darker because he lived in the middle east. And I think the person who mentioned that europeans drew the early pictures of him that way is correct.

Answer 3

Because light-skinned Europeans were the ones in power and they rewrote history the way they preferred to view it.

Answer 4

So to make sure the lighter skin europeans influenced. Who cares if his skin is dark , light, white, or black for his the son of our Lord.

Answer 5

The Jesus you see in paintings today is the result of Medieval and Renaissance European artists imposing their own aesthetic sensibilities and sense of racial superiority onto someone from a different time and place who plays a key role in their religious beliefs.

If anything, as a Jewish resident of Ancient Israel, Jesus would have been all swarthy and Mediterranean - probably indistinguishable from any Arab. But paint a guy with pronounced features, olive skin, a hooked nose - what European would want to worship THAT? No, Jesus needs blond (or at least brown) hair, and a small straight nose, like a messiah is SUPPOSED to have.

And that's why the Jesus of popular culture looks the way he does, and nothing like how the actual historical Jesus would have looked.

Answer 6

Because the pictures of Jesus were all drawn by Europeans, and now that we have a specific image of him people are afraid to challenge it.

Answer 7

David G!!!
You stole my link!

I was going to link to that site!
I don't fully support everything that site promotes, but it is interesting in terms of theoretical theology.

Oh, well my answer then is, follow David G's link.

Answer 8

It is because the most popular pieces(like da vinci's last supper) were painted in Europe, and during a time when suggesting he wasn't white, wouldn't have been acceptable.

Answer 9

Because it's all propaganda and they can get away with anything they want as long as the people are desperately dependent. The sole purpose of religion is to unite and control people under one god.

Answer 10

Because we are humans and we are weak and we find it easier to just accept the common acceptance of things rather to question them.

The meek shall definitely inherit the earth ..............because they will just bow down and follow rather than stir up any thoughts of thier own.............If i was big and powerful I could take over them............think about where we are headed as humans.............the weak who listen to religious zealots will definitely take over they are scared to do otherwise.