Was Jesus Black?

[Flynn]

DLST

I didn't miss it, I just take it for granted that it's everybodies right to be born with whatever colour skin they want.

[LilMissPurrfect]

Was Jesus black or white?

uh? Neither?

According to what the Bible says as where He lived who His ancestors were etc, the most logical explanation would be that He probably had a "Mediterranean" or "Middle Eastern" skin color which is neither white nor black.

[Vinnie]

Interesting question this which spreads more light on how we think of ourselves than it does on the nature of God.

Logically given the area of the world he came from Jesus should have been semitic rather than truely negroid. The chance of him being a blue-eyed blonde are slim to none. What should be remembered is that the image of Jesus we have in our minds (the physical one not the spiritual one) will be garnered from those images that we have been exposed to over the course of our lives. Consider this one from the 17th century:


this is taken from an Ethiopian text and show a man who is far removed from the "traditional" (ie Western European) image of Jesus.
The Bible tells us that God made man in His own image. It may be true to say that we make God in our own image too.
If you look through biblical images from before the 19th century you will generally get a good idea of what the people wore and looked like at the time the book was made. Thus historians researching costumes in the 14th century will consult bibles made at that time.

Our image of Jesus is heavily influenced by the Victorians and their mass produced images many of which were produced for a propaganda purpose or to pander to the masses. Heck the guy was a carpenter can you really see him as having long hair to get caught up everywhere and nicesoft hands?

[sybarite]

It depends on who he took after, his mother or father. If he took after his mother, he would look like lilmisspurrfect described. If he took after his Father, who knows, but I bet he would be a really big guy.

[Itsnotgonnaspankitself...]

Originally Posted by Flynn

The reoccurring theme of the Christian religion is the absence of tangible proof.

The most important man in history Jesus Christ and no one thought to give a physical description of him.

Maybe it had some thing to do with Jesus saying don’t pray unto Graven Images. His disciples may have thought his actions painted his picture so there was no need to give a description.

Then again it may have been a good advertising gimmick at the time, if you don’t say what colour Jesus is then no one feels excluded by their on skin colour.

Well, like I said, most things in the Christian religion rely on faith not proof.

His skin can be different colours to different people and interpretations will be based on the colour of an individuals own skin pigment.

But you're speaking as a Christian...as a believer...or at least, that's how it comes across.

I'm saying, Jesus...the person...not the idea...was very possibly a Black man, and so maybe the Saviour of all mankind is a Black man. Then again, maybe not...maybe he's just olive-skinned, like an Iraqi...

And maybe he was just a dark-skinned carpenter...

But you're right....it *is* odd that nobody thought to jot down a description of the guy...

[squirt]

that was the whole point, he was a nobody, folks back then didnt care what he looked like, he was just another face in the crowd

[Itsnotgonnaspankitself...]

Originally Posted by sybarite

It depends on who he took after, his mother or father. If he took after his mother, he would look like lilmisspurrfect described. If he took after his Father, who knows, but I bet he would be a really big guy.

hmmm...good point, Syb...haha...and could you imagine having a Jesus-built chair on the Travelling Antiques Roadshow or something...haha...something somebody picked up at a garage sale...

[Vinnie]

Not really, if we had a good description then the message risks getting lost in the man. If we did not judge on outside appearances then the fact that Obama is black would not be remarked upon.

Look at how the Muslim faith forbids images of the Prophet for this very reason.

[Itsnotgonnaspankitself...]

Originally Posted by squirt

that was the whole point, he was a nobody, folks back then didnt care what he looked like, he was just another face in the crowd

but even later on...you'd think the Apostles would have jotted it down on an old-school papyrus Post-it note or something...

[squirt]

Originally Posted by Itsnotgonnaspankitself...

but even later on...you'd think the Apostles would have jotted it down on an old-school papyrus Post-it note or something...

in the grander scheme of things, it simply wasn't important, it didn't matter what he looked like, what mattered, ESPECIALLY to the Apostles, was what he did