They made Hamilton a hero. He was the complete opposite of the Founding Fathers’ ideal decentralized government. The Marxists love a centralized “democracy” that puts a yoke on every man, woman and child.
Tsarion is off the wall into occult symbolism, sidereal astrology, and Atlantis, among other things. He's one of the last people I'd look for real history from.
The Irish themselves say they came from Egypt, one of their stopovers in their long journey. Have you read "Irish Pedigrees, or The Origin and Stem of the Irish Nation" by John O'Hart? Or any of the ancient writings? You can get the genealogy charts in "Chronicle of the Kings and Queens of Britain" by David Hughes, in Vol. 2, starting on Page 94.
A wide variety of sourcs, including many many original sources like the one you just provided.
a lot of things in life sound like BS until you look deeply into them. that's why we're all here. none of us are finished having our beliefs challenged. you don't have to pay attention to symbolism, but there are people who do on both sides of this larger conflict.
I wouldn’t say you “missed it” 🤣 but she literally on a live show talking to Will Smith straight up started to ask him about his feeling of her being nasty with her boyfriend. Aweful.
No white people did it, that's why we established intricate supply chains, encampments and trading outposts that eventually flourished into dominant cities... oh no wait that was beavers.
Slaves? Yeah people just sailed up to a harbor and said "I'll take 200."
I saw the trailer for this shitshow the other day. The black actress who plays Cleopatra isn't even attractive or interesting, which I thought would be two requirements to play that role. The rest of the cast looks like the Department of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at your local community college. The left has made movies and TV shows and even cartoons and art so ugly, gross, dark, and unappealing. Whenever I'm in the mood to watch anything these days, which is rare, I just put on something from decades ago when the actors could act, they had a spark about them, and the movies told a story.
The funny thing about Cleopatra is that according to everyone writing about her, she wasn't a knock-out beauty at all; at best, she was pretty enough, but she intelligent, cultured, witty, multilingual, and the first Ptolemy ruler who spoke Egyptian (up to that point, spoke Greek in court and for business). She also had the people's touch and was a blast at parties.
Tl;dr: she was one of history's first instances of "... but she has a great personality!".
Yup. I'd roll my eyes but deal with it if the diversity hire here was at least charismatic, but we can't get that lucky, can we?
Another studio was working on a Cleoptra film of their own recently, and the word got out that Gal Gadot was their choice. I wasn't thrilled with that either. Gal is too beautiful and too limited of an actress.
It’s commonplace now where 100 pound women routinely beat the shit out of multiple biker dude types (usually white men) in movies and shows. Of course there are bad-ass women out there but they are really breaking the laws of physics in most cases. It sends a dangerous message to young women as they attempt to reshape your beliefs in what is normal. Most people have no idea about what violence really is.
I was thinking about that the other day while watching The Kingsmen. That was a really smart way to introduce a powerful and fearsome female villain. Literally, just add a single character trait and they go from "super inclusive girl power" to "actually enjoyable character."
They won't allow investigations into the greatest Egyptian mysteries of all time. The head antiquities guy will go to his grave not allowing research that might disprove his pet ideas.
I can't wait until we have a biblical Esther as an "afro-wearing Black woman". Oh wait, would the executive producer Jada Pinkett-Smith dare take on such hallowed ground? Nah, I don't think so. Who does Jada Pinkett-Smith really work for?
For some reason, this is one of my major pet peeves, when I see Cleopatra, Nefertiti, or any other non-black ancient Egyptian depicted as black. I almost threw a fit once in one of those "African Art" stores in the mall years ago. Talk about cultural appropriation.
Thread title misleading. Nothing's has been "blocked". Some lawmakers have called for banning Netflix, but have not been successful yet. They need to keep up their efforts if they are to "block" like the thread title would convey to someone invested in this news. Carry on.
What ethnicity do you think these historical texts are describing?
The only physical description of Jesus that does exist is from a copy of a letter from the Roman consul Lentulus to the Roman Emperor Tiberius. This document was discovered in a Monastery with copies of other ancient documents.
In his letter, Lentulus describes the condemned man named Jesus of Nazareth as having: "...a noble and lively face, with fair and slightly wavy hair; black and strongly curving eyebrows, intense penetrating blue eyes and an expression of wondrous grace. His nose is rather long. His beard is almost blonde, although not very long. His hair is quite long, and has never seen a pair of scissors.....His neck is slightly inclined... His tanned face is the color of ripe corn and well proportioned. It gives the impression of gravity and wisdom, sweetness and good, and is completely lacking in any sign of anger."
THE testimony of secular history regarding what Jesus looked like is strongly influenced by several factors. These account for major differences in the way he has been depicted in art.
Two factors are the culture of the country and the time period in which the art was done. In addition, the religious beliefs of the artists and those who commissioned them affected how Jesus was portrayed.
Over the centuries, famous artists, such as Michelangelo, Rembrandt, and Rubens, lavished considerable attention on Christ’s physical appearance. Often embellished with symbolism and mysticism, their works have greatly influenced the general perception of what Jesus looked like. But on what were their interpretations based?
What Secular History Says
Works of art predating Roman Emperor Constantine, who lived from about 280 to 337 C.E., often depicted Jesus as a youthful “Good Shepherd” with either short hair or long, curly hair. But of this the book Art Through the Ages says: “As a theme, the Good Shepherd can be traced back through [pagan] Greek Archaic to Egyptian art, but here it becomes the symbol for the loyal protector of the Christian flock.”
In time, this pagan influence became still more pronounced. “Jesus,” the book adds, “could be easily identified with the familiar deities of the Mediterranean world, especially Helios (Apollo), the sun god [whose halo was later given to Jesus and then to the “saints”], or his romanized eastern aspect, Sol Invictus (the Unconquered Sun).” In a mausoleum discovered beneath St. Peter’s in Rome, Jesus is actually portrayed as Apollo “driving the horses of the sun-chariot through the heavens.”
This more youthful form, however, did not last very long. Adolphe Didron, in his book Christian Iconography, states what happened: “The figure of Christ, which had at first been youthful, becomes older from century to century . . . as the age of Christianity itself progresses.”
A 13th-century text pretending to be a letter by a certain Publius Lentulus to the Roman Senate gives a description of the physical appearance of Jesus, saying that he had “hair of the hue of an unripe hazel-nut [light brown] and smooth almost down to his ears, but from the ears in curling locks somewhat darker and more shining, waving over (from) his shoulders; having a parting at the middle of the head . . . , a full beard of the colour of his hair, not long, but a little forked at the chin; . . . the eyes grey . . . and clear.” This unauthentic portrait subsequently influenced many artists. “Each period,” says the New Catholic Encyclopedia, “created the type of Christ it desired.”
What was true of each period was also true of races and religions. Religious art from the missionary fields of Africa, the Americas, and Asia portrays the long-haired Christ of the West; but at times “native features” have been added to his appearance, the encyclopedia notes.
The Protestants have also had their artists, and these interpreted Christ’s appearance in their own way. F. M. Godfrey, in his book Christ and the Apostles—The Changing Forms of Religious Imagery, states: “Rembrandt’s tragic Christ is an emanation of the Protestant spirit, sorrowful, ghostly, severe, . . . an image of the inward-looking, self-denying Protestant soul.” This is reflected, he says, in “the paucity of His body, the abnegation [self-denial] of the flesh, the ‘lowliness, pathos and solemnity’ with which [Rembrandt] conceived the Christian epic.”
However, as we shall now see, the frail, halo-encircled, effeminate, melancholy, long-haired Christ, which often appears in Christendom’s art, is not accurate. In reality, it is a far cry from the Jesus of the Bible.
The Bible and Jesus’ Appearance
As “the Lamb of God,” Jesus was without defect, so no doubt he was a fine-looking man. (John 1:29; Hebrews 7:26) And he certainly would not have worn the permanent look of melancholy given to him in popular art. True, he experienced many distressing events in his life, but in his general disposition, he perfectly mirrored his Father, “the happy God.”—1 Timothy 1:11; Luke 10:21; Hebrews 1:3.
Was the hair of Jesus long? Only Nazirites were not to cut their hair or drink wine, and Jesus was not a Nazirite. So he no doubt had his hair neatly clipped like any other Jewish male. (Numbers 6:2-7) He also enjoyed wine in moderation when in the company of others, and this reinforces the thought that he was not a cheerless person. (Luke 7:34) Indeed, he made wine by performing a miracle at a wedding feast in Cana of Galilee. (John 2:1-11) And he evidently wore a beard, which is attested to in a prophecy concerning his suffering.—Isaiah 50:6.
What about Jesus’ complexion and features? They were likely Semitic. He would have inherited these features from his mother, Mary, who was Jewish. Her ancestors were Jewish, in the line of the Hebrews. So Jesus would probably have had a complexion and features common to Jews.
Even among his apostles, Jesus apparently did not stand out as being very different physically, for Judas had to betray him to his enemies with an identifying kiss. Thus, Jesus could readily blend in with the crowd. And he did, for on at least one occasion, he traveled unrecognized from Galilee to Jerusalem.—Mark 14:44; John 7:10, 11.
Some conclude, though, that Jesus must have been frail. Why do they say this? For one thing, he needed help to carry his torture stake. Also, he was the first to die of the three men who were impaled.—Luke 23:26; John 19:17, 32, 33.
Jesus Not Frail
Contrary to tradition, the Bible does not describe Jesus as being frail or effeminate. Rather, it says that even as a youth, he “went on progressing in wisdom and in physical growth and in favor with God and men.” (Luke 2:52) For the better part of 30 years, he was a carpenter. That does not seem to be an occupation for one of slight or weak build, especially in that era, when there were no modern laborsaving machines. (Mark 6:3) Also, Jesus drove the cattle, the sheep, and the money changers out of the temple and overturned the tables of the money changers. (John 2:14, 15) This too suggests a manly, physically vigorous person.
During the last three and a half years of his life on earth, Jesus walked hundreds of miles on his preaching tours. Yet, the disciples never suggested that he “rest up a bit.” Rather, Jesus said to them, some of whom were tough fishermen: “Come, you yourselves, privately into a lonely place and rest up a bit.”—Mark 6:31.
Indeed, “the whole evangelical narrative,” says M’Clintock and Strong’s Cyclopædia, “indicates [Jesus had] sound and vigorous bodily health.” Then why did he need help to carry his torture stake, and why did he die before the others who were impaled with him?
One key factor is extreme distress. As the time of Jesus’ execution neared, he said: “Indeed, I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and how I am being distressed until it is finished!” (Luke 12:50) This distress grew to “agony” on his final night: “Getting into an agony he continued praying more earnestly; and his sweat became as drops of blood falling to the ground.” (Luke 22:44) Jesus knew that mankind’s prospects for eternal life depended upon his integrity to the death. What a weight to carry! (Matthew 20:18, 19, 28) He also knew that he would be executed as an “accursed” criminal by God’s own people. Thus, he was concerned that this could bring reproach upon his Father.—Galatians 3:13; Psalm 40:6, 7; Acts 8:32.
Following his betrayal, he suffered cruelty upon cruelty. In a mock trial conducted well after midnight, the most senior officials in the land ridiculed him, spat on him, and hit him with their fists. To lend a facade of legitimacy to the night trial, another trial was held early the next morning. There Jesus was interrogated by Pilate; then by Herod, who, along with his troops, made fun of him; and then by Pilate again. Finally, Pilate had him scourged. And this was no ordinary whipping. Said The Journal of the American Medical Association about the Roman practice of scourging:
“The usual instrument was a short whip . . . with several single or braided leather thongs of variable lengths, in which small iron balls or sharp pieces of sheep bones were tied at intervals. . . . As the Roman soldiers repeatedly struck the victim’s back with full force, the iron balls would cause deep contusions, and the leather thongs and sheep bones would cut into the skin and subcutaneous tissues. Then, as the flogging continued, the lacerations would tear into the underlying skeletal muscles and produce quivering ribbons of bleeding flesh.”
Clearly, Jesus’ vitality would have been ebbing well before he buckled under the weight of the stake he carried. In fact, The Journal of the American Medical Association stated: “The physical and mental abuse meted out by the Jews and the Romans, as well as the lack of food, water, and sleep, also contributed to his generally weakened state. Therefore, even before the actual crucifixion, Jesus’ physical condition was at least serious and possibly critical.”
Is His Appearance Important?
From Lentulus’ spurious written portrait to the works of famous master artists to modern stained-glass windows, Christendom seems enamored with that which captures the eye. “The exceptional evocative power of the image of Jesus Christ should be preserved,” said the archbishop of Turin, custodian of the controversial Shroud of Turin.
Yet, God’s Word deliberately omits such “evocative” details of Jesus’ appearance. Why? They would likely distract from that which means everlasting life—Bible knowledge. (John 17:3) Jesus himself—our very model—‘does not look upon,’ or regard as important, “men’s outward appearance.” (Matthew 22:16; compare Galatians 2:6.) To stress Jesus’ physical appearance in the absence of any mention of such in the inspired Gospels is to oppose their very spirit.
Old genealogies say that Cleopatra was one of the ancestors of Jesus, so He had a combination of Jewish and Greek DNA. He would not be black, but He would be a shade of brown, mostly from being outdoors a lot walking from town to town. The paintings I've seen in churches don't give Him white white skin, but more of an olive.
Not a race, but a people group, descendants of Judah. So there is a DNA difference. Then the "name stealers" moved to Germany and picked up the religion. Those are the fake Jews, who aren't related to the real Jews.
BTW, Jesus could speak all languages.
All of us are part Semitic. Most of central Europe's men have Y-DNA that goes back to central Asia, including their descendants, such as I do.
No one feeds me anything..I read and think for myself.
I expect you do the same.
It is written That there is nothing new under the sun.
Euro men fall for women of different races readily
Continental Euros especially go after Asiatic/African women.
With all that has been written and spoken about the amazing beauty of Euro women, it would be pointless to travel thousands of miles chasing after another Euro.
That would make no sense to a thinking man.
Last I checked ,
Euros are smart people.
This is my take on this subject.
I'm waiting for a production of "Porgy And Bess" with an all-white cast.
Nice! 😁😆😆😆😆😆😆🤣
...and with all the dialog and lyrics in proper English. "Bess, you are my woman now... you are, you are."
Especially after what they did to “ Hamilton”???? I can hear the Rrreeeeeeeee!!!
They made Hamilton a hero. He was the complete opposite of the Founding Fathers’ ideal decentralized government. The Marxists love a centralized “democracy” that puts a yoke on every man, woman and child.
"It's not necessarily so..."
That's the ticket.
"I'm waiting for a production of "Porgy And Bess" with an all-white cast."
We'll see that one right after the HBO production of The Martin Luther King Story, starring Jack Black.
An all-ginger cast, to rub it in.
Did you know that some of the Egyptian pharaohs had red hair? It lends credence to Irish history that says they came from Egypt.
incorrect, the migration was from ireland to egypt. check out michael tsarion's "the irish origins of civilization "
Tsarion is off the wall into occult symbolism, sidereal astrology, and Atlantis, among other things. He's one of the last people I'd look for real history from.
The Irish themselves say they came from Egypt, one of their stopovers in their long journey. Have you read "Irish Pedigrees, or The Origin and Stem of the Irish Nation" by John O'Hart? Or any of the ancient writings? You can get the genealogy charts in "Chronicle of the Kings and Queens of Britain" by David Hughes, in Vol. 2, starting on Page 94.
There was even an old record about it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nN5UBStTi5M
Tsarion is extremely well sourced. he may come to conclusions you disagree with, but he presents his reasoning very well.
This message board also deals with symbolism, astrology, and sometimes Atlantis. We are seeking truth, not what has been presented as truth.
Astrology just happens to be utter BS.
Tsarion can have a ton of sources, but that doesn't say a word about the quality of the sources. They might all be wingnuts as well.
A wide variety of sourcs, including many many original sources like the one you just provided.
a lot of things in life sound like BS until you look deeply into them. that's why we're all here. none of us are finished having our beliefs challenged. you don't have to pay attention to symbolism, but there are people who do on both sides of this larger conflict.
Oooh, I like it... maybe with Irish accents too.
Where do I sign up
The Jeffersons starring that guy from Napoleon Dynamite and Melissa McCarthy
They are furiously rewriting history. WOMAN KING, NOT SLAVE KING ECT...
WE WUZ KANGZ
WE WUZ DA JOOS AS WELL AN SHIET
Get fucked Jada 🖕
She does. By her kid’s friends. 🤮 and then shares it on social media.
Better keep her name out of your mouth, or the demented prince of belair will slap you silly.
It’s gotta be rough—being cuckold and having mind games played on you in a public arena. Some witchcraft going on in that house!
What? What did I miss
I wouldn’t say you “missed it” 🤣 but she literally on a live show talking to Will Smith straight up started to ask him about his feeling of her being nasty with her boyfriend. Aweful.
Lmao. HIS WIFES BOYFRIEND.
Of course blacks in Africa enslaved themselves
No white people did it, that's why we established intricate supply chains, encampments and trading outposts that eventually flourished into dominant cities... oh no wait that was beavers.
Slaves? Yeah people just sailed up to a harbor and said "I'll take 200."
Technically……..
I saw the trailer for this shitshow the other day. The black actress who plays Cleopatra isn't even attractive or interesting, which I thought would be two requirements to play that role. The rest of the cast looks like the Department of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at your local community college. The left has made movies and TV shows and even cartoons and art so ugly, gross, dark, and unappealing. Whenever I'm in the mood to watch anything these days, which is rare, I just put on something from decades ago when the actors could act, they had a spark about them, and the movies told a story.
The funny thing about Cleopatra is that according to everyone writing about her, she wasn't a knock-out beauty at all; at best, she was pretty enough, but she intelligent, cultured, witty, multilingual, and the first Ptolemy ruler who spoke Egyptian (up to that point, spoke Greek in court and for business). She also had the people's touch and was a blast at parties.
Tl;dr: she was one of history's first instances of "... but she has a great personality!".
Yes, that's all true, which is why I think this actress was a horrible choice, regardless of her race. She appears to have the charisma of a brick.
Yup. I'd roll my eyes but deal with it if the diversity hire here was at least charismatic, but we can't get that lucky, can we?
Another studio was working on a Cleoptra film of their own recently, and the word got out that Gal Gadot was their choice. I wasn't thrilled with that either. Gal is too beautiful and too limited of an actress.
Makes sense, she was incredibly inbred.
She was also the 7th so named Cleopatra
And the coochie game was out of sight!
It’s commonplace now where 100 pound women routinely beat the shit out of multiple biker dude types (usually white men) in movies and shows. Of course there are bad-ass women out there but they are really breaking the laws of physics in most cases. It sends a dangerous message to young women as they attempt to reshape your beliefs in what is normal. Most people have no idea about what violence really is.
I was thinking about that the other day while watching The Kingsmen. That was a really smart way to introduce a powerful and fearsome female villain. Literally, just add a single character trait and they go from "super inclusive girl power" to "actually enjoyable character."
Which character was that?
Valentines henchwoman. The chick with the swords for legs.
Arabs can be some of the most kind and hospitable people, but if you do anything to mock their culture and history, they can anger very quickly.
Egyptians live in Africa so they certainly know the difference between Greek and African.
I lived in the Arab Gulf for 17 years and visited Egypt a few times. You don't know what you are talking about.
Dhahran, perhaps?
When do we get Ryan Gosling as Malcom X? Shove it back in their wokefaces
I hear Nicholas Cage needs money and is doing any movie he can. I'm sure he could do Malcom X.
Yes.
No we need him to play Old Dirty Bastard.
Never occurs to these leftist idiots how racist it is to deny someone's actual race.
How dare you! Keep the Queen's name out yo mouth!
Weird, because they've never been interested in the truth before.
How so?
They won't allow investigations into the greatest Egyptian mysteries of all time. The head antiquities guy will go to his grave not allowing research that might disprove his pet ideas.
Someone should remake Roots and cast Colin Farrell as Kunta Kinte. There were more Irish slaves anyway.
Obviously those Africans are just racist
I can't wait until we have a biblical Esther as an "afro-wearing Black woman". Oh wait, would the executive producer Jada Pinkett-Smith dare take on such hallowed ground? Nah, I don't think so. Who does Jada Pinkett-Smith really work for?
👹The same forces that made her very, very publicly turn her successful, talented, A-list husband into a cuckold.👹
I can't wait until I see the reaction to my George Washington Carver biopic!
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio in the title role!
For some reason, this is one of my major pet peeves, when I see Cleopatra, Nefertiti, or any other non-black ancient Egyptian depicted as black. I almost threw a fit once in one of those "African Art" stores in the mall years ago. Talk about cultural appropriation.
Remake Tarzan - with a jogger swinging tree to tree. Call it "Cheeta's Son". Not raysis.
Maybe she will be taken down a peg when Will Smith’s involvement in Epstein Island comes out. Why is it they always want to rewrite history?
Netflix presents: Washington, the story of a legend.
https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fanswersafrica.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2016%2F05%2FBlack-Napoleon.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=a265534281c305e9a8afb51daffaf0b70fa8462b64dce8c59365fcf1109921ad&ipo=images
Damn it, Zahi 😓
MARXISTS THAT WANT TO CHANGE HISTORY!! I hope it flops. Thank you EGYPT for standing against the Marxists.
Git fake Cleopatra out yo muthafuckin mouf!
Nope. She’ll stay right where she is
Can't wait for the black Tarzan depiction 😂😂😂
First Kevin Hart and now this looool
They probably never heard of the Ptolemaic dynasty
Wow. The first time Egypt's Dept. of Antiquity wasn't trying to hide the truth. Color me shocked.
Thread title misleading. Nothing's has been "blocked". Some lawmakers have called for banning Netflix, but have not been successful yet. They need to keep up their efforts if they are to "block" like the thread title would convey to someone invested in this news. Carry on.
This is as bad as the white Jesus depiction folks lived with for years lol...
What ethnicity do you think these historical texts are describing?
The only physical description of Jesus that does exist is from a copy of a letter from the Roman consul Lentulus to the Roman Emperor Tiberius. This document was discovered in a Monastery with copies of other ancient documents.
In his letter, Lentulus describes the condemned man named Jesus of Nazareth as having: "...a noble and lively face, with fair and slightly wavy hair; black and strongly curving eyebrows, intense penetrating blue eyes and an expression of wondrous grace. His nose is rather long. His beard is almost blonde, although not very long. His hair is quite long, and has never seen a pair of scissors.....His neck is slightly inclined... His tanned face is the color of ripe corn and well proportioned. It gives the impression of gravity and wisdom, sweetness and good, and is completely lacking in any sign of anger."
Source: https://www.agapebiblestudy.com/documents/Jesus_What%20did%20He%20look%20like%20.htm
It's as bad as John Wayne playing Genghis Kahn
I never knew that. Thank you for that.
What Did Jesus Look Like?
THE testimony of secular history regarding what Jesus looked like is strongly influenced by several factors. These account for major differences in the way he has been depicted in art.
Two factors are the culture of the country and the time period in which the art was done. In addition, the religious beliefs of the artists and those who commissioned them affected how Jesus was portrayed.
Over the centuries, famous artists, such as Michelangelo, Rembrandt, and Rubens, lavished considerable attention on Christ’s physical appearance. Often embellished with symbolism and mysticism, their works have greatly influenced the general perception of what Jesus looked like. But on what were their interpretations based?
What Secular History Says
Works of art predating Roman Emperor Constantine, who lived from about 280 to 337 C.E., often depicted Jesus as a youthful “Good Shepherd” with either short hair or long, curly hair. But of this the book Art Through the Ages says: “As a theme, the Good Shepherd can be traced back through [pagan] Greek Archaic to Egyptian art, but here it becomes the symbol for the loyal protector of the Christian flock.”
In time, this pagan influence became still more pronounced. “Jesus,” the book adds, “could be easily identified with the familiar deities of the Mediterranean world, especially Helios (Apollo), the sun god [whose halo was later given to Jesus and then to the “saints”], or his romanized eastern aspect, Sol Invictus (the Unconquered Sun).” In a mausoleum discovered beneath St. Peter’s in Rome, Jesus is actually portrayed as Apollo “driving the horses of the sun-chariot through the heavens.”
This more youthful form, however, did not last very long. Adolphe Didron, in his book Christian Iconography, states what happened: “The figure of Christ, which had at first been youthful, becomes older from century to century . . . as the age of Christianity itself progresses.”
A 13th-century text pretending to be a letter by a certain Publius Lentulus to the Roman Senate gives a description of the physical appearance of Jesus, saying that he had “hair of the hue of an unripe hazel-nut [light brown] and smooth almost down to his ears, but from the ears in curling locks somewhat darker and more shining, waving over (from) his shoulders; having a parting at the middle of the head . . . , a full beard of the colour of his hair, not long, but a little forked at the chin; . . . the eyes grey . . . and clear.” This unauthentic portrait subsequently influenced many artists. “Each period,” says the New Catholic Encyclopedia, “created the type of Christ it desired.”
What was true of each period was also true of races and religions. Religious art from the missionary fields of Africa, the Americas, and Asia portrays the long-haired Christ of the West; but at times “native features” have been added to his appearance, the encyclopedia notes.
The Protestants have also had their artists, and these interpreted Christ’s appearance in their own way. F. M. Godfrey, in his book Christ and the Apostles—The Changing Forms of Religious Imagery, states: “Rembrandt’s tragic Christ is an emanation of the Protestant spirit, sorrowful, ghostly, severe, . . . an image of the inward-looking, self-denying Protestant soul.” This is reflected, he says, in “the paucity of His body, the abnegation [self-denial] of the flesh, the ‘lowliness, pathos and solemnity’ with which [Rembrandt] conceived the Christian epic.”
However, as we shall now see, the frail, halo-encircled, effeminate, melancholy, long-haired Christ, which often appears in Christendom’s art, is not accurate. In reality, it is a far cry from the Jesus of the Bible.
The Bible and Jesus’ Appearance
As “the Lamb of God,” Jesus was without defect, so no doubt he was a fine-looking man. (John 1:29; Hebrews 7:26) And he certainly would not have worn the permanent look of melancholy given to him in popular art. True, he experienced many distressing events in his life, but in his general disposition, he perfectly mirrored his Father, “the happy God.”—1 Timothy 1:11; Luke 10:21; Hebrews 1:3.
Was the hair of Jesus long? Only Nazirites were not to cut their hair or drink wine, and Jesus was not a Nazirite. So he no doubt had his hair neatly clipped like any other Jewish male. (Numbers 6:2-7) He also enjoyed wine in moderation when in the company of others, and this reinforces the thought that he was not a cheerless person. (Luke 7:34) Indeed, he made wine by performing a miracle at a wedding feast in Cana of Galilee. (John 2:1-11) And he evidently wore a beard, which is attested to in a prophecy concerning his suffering.—Isaiah 50:6.
What about Jesus’ complexion and features? They were likely Semitic. He would have inherited these features from his mother, Mary, who was Jewish. Her ancestors were Jewish, in the line of the Hebrews. So Jesus would probably have had a complexion and features common to Jews.
Even among his apostles, Jesus apparently did not stand out as being very different physically, for Judas had to betray him to his enemies with an identifying kiss. Thus, Jesus could readily blend in with the crowd. And he did, for on at least one occasion, he traveled unrecognized from Galilee to Jerusalem.—Mark 14:44; John 7:10, 11.
Some conclude, though, that Jesus must have been frail. Why do they say this? For one thing, he needed help to carry his torture stake. Also, he was the first to die of the three men who were impaled.—Luke 23:26; John 19:17, 32, 33.
Jesus Not Frail
Contrary to tradition, the Bible does not describe Jesus as being frail or effeminate. Rather, it says that even as a youth, he “went on progressing in wisdom and in physical growth and in favor with God and men.” (Luke 2:52) For the better part of 30 years, he was a carpenter. That does not seem to be an occupation for one of slight or weak build, especially in that era, when there were no modern laborsaving machines. (Mark 6:3) Also, Jesus drove the cattle, the sheep, and the money changers out of the temple and overturned the tables of the money changers. (John 2:14, 15) This too suggests a manly, physically vigorous person.
During the last three and a half years of his life on earth, Jesus walked hundreds of miles on his preaching tours. Yet, the disciples never suggested that he “rest up a bit.” Rather, Jesus said to them, some of whom were tough fishermen: “Come, you yourselves, privately into a lonely place and rest up a bit.”—Mark 6:31.
Indeed, “the whole evangelical narrative,” says M’Clintock and Strong’s Cyclopædia, “indicates [Jesus had] sound and vigorous bodily health.” Then why did he need help to carry his torture stake, and why did he die before the others who were impaled with him?
One key factor is extreme distress. As the time of Jesus’ execution neared, he said: “Indeed, I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and how I am being distressed until it is finished!” (Luke 12:50) This distress grew to “agony” on his final night: “Getting into an agony he continued praying more earnestly; and his sweat became as drops of blood falling to the ground.” (Luke 22:44) Jesus knew that mankind’s prospects for eternal life depended upon his integrity to the death. What a weight to carry! (Matthew 20:18, 19, 28) He also knew that he would be executed as an “accursed” criminal by God’s own people. Thus, he was concerned that this could bring reproach upon his Father.—Galatians 3:13; Psalm 40:6, 7; Acts 8:32.
Following his betrayal, he suffered cruelty upon cruelty. In a mock trial conducted well after midnight, the most senior officials in the land ridiculed him, spat on him, and hit him with their fists. To lend a facade of legitimacy to the night trial, another trial was held early the next morning. There Jesus was interrogated by Pilate; then by Herod, who, along with his troops, made fun of him; and then by Pilate again. Finally, Pilate had him scourged. And this was no ordinary whipping. Said The Journal of the American Medical Association about the Roman practice of scourging:
“The usual instrument was a short whip . . . with several single or braided leather thongs of variable lengths, in which small iron balls or sharp pieces of sheep bones were tied at intervals. . . . As the Roman soldiers repeatedly struck the victim’s back with full force, the iron balls would cause deep contusions, and the leather thongs and sheep bones would cut into the skin and subcutaneous tissues. Then, as the flogging continued, the lacerations would tear into the underlying skeletal muscles and produce quivering ribbons of bleeding flesh.”
Clearly, Jesus’ vitality would have been ebbing well before he buckled under the weight of the stake he carried. In fact, The Journal of the American Medical Association stated: “The physical and mental abuse meted out by the Jews and the Romans, as well as the lack of food, water, and sleep, also contributed to his generally weakened state. Therefore, even before the actual crucifixion, Jesus’ physical condition was at least serious and possibly critical.”
Is His Appearance Important?
From Lentulus’ spurious written portrait to the works of famous master artists to modern stained-glass windows, Christendom seems enamored with that which captures the eye. “The exceptional evocative power of the image of Jesus Christ should be preserved,” said the archbishop of Turin, custodian of the controversial Shroud of Turin.
Yet, God’s Word deliberately omits such “evocative” details of Jesus’ appearance. Why? They would likely distract from that which means everlasting life—Bible knowledge. (John 17:3) Jesus himself—our very model—‘does not look upon,’ or regard as important, “men’s outward appearance.” (Matthew 22:16; compare Galatians 2:6.) To stress Jesus’ physical appearance in the absence of any mention of such in the inspired Gospels is to oppose their very spirit.
Old genealogies say that Cleopatra was one of the ancestors of Jesus, so He had a combination of Jewish and Greek DNA. He would not be black, but He would be a shade of brown, mostly from being outdoors a lot walking from town to town. The paintings I've seen in churches don't give Him white white skin, but more of an olive.
Not a race, but a people group, descendants of Judah. So there is a DNA difference. Then the "name stealers" moved to Germany and picked up the religion. Those are the fake Jews, who aren't related to the real Jews.
BTW, Jesus could speak all languages.
All of us are part Semitic. Most of central Europe's men have Y-DNA that goes back to central Asia, including their descendants, such as I do.
You don't believe that yourself. Thanks for the laugh tho...
Yes I do. I'm a professional genealogist and know how varied skin color can be in just a couple of generations.
No one feeds me anything..I read and think for myself. I expect you do the same. It is written That there is nothing new under the sun. Euro men fall for women of different races readily Continental Euros especially go after Asiatic/African women. With all that has been written and spoken about the amazing beauty of Euro women, it would be pointless to travel thousands of miles chasing after another Euro. That would make no sense to a thinking man. Last I checked , Euros are smart people. This is my take on this subject.