What did Jesus look like?

I grew up in a Hindu family and I don't know much about Christianity; this is not about Jesus or his teachings; it's more about how assumptions become truth.

All the pictures and statues and crosses I have seen of Jesus depict him with long, flowing blonde hair, blue eyes, aquiline nose, and a classic long face. It's hardly likely that a semite born in Palestine two thousand years ago looked Scandinavian. I would guess this is true of many historical and mythical figures: they are gradually depicted the way that we think they should have looked like.

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Exactly! That's why I chose this picture for the room icon. Much closer to how I see Jesus in my mind's eye. 

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Karmarider and Nicole…

I am a Christian.  That being said, I must admit that I have trouble with the way that Jesus is depicted in pictures.  I think that he should be a much darker man with different features…I think that he is depicted the way that he is to appear more approachable, beautiful, whatever…I think it is a bit silly really.

I have resigned myself to the fact that one day, I will have a view of him up close and personal…until that day, I just see him as light, joy and wonderous love.

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You have such a sensible and practical approach, Missy. Thank you,

Love,

Nicole

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That's a wonderful representation, thank you, Dov.

Shalom,

Nicole

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Prolly somen like this :)

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No Comeliness / No Beauty.  It may be noticeable that when artists render their interpretations of the appearance of Jesus, they do so by employing every form of beauty they can.  Jesus is always depicted as a handsome man who has the physical appearance of that which any culture considers attractive and handsome.  Isaiah describes Jesus as quite plain, one who would not attract attention based upon his good looks.  When the Jerusalem Jews looked upon Jesus they would say, “certainly this man can be no king” simply because of His lack of beauty.  His hair and skin would be dark, a product of His Jewish lineage, and His skin was probably quite rough and mottled both from his mean upbringing and from the stresses of growing up in an arid and sunny region.


i think this is probably pretty accurate if he indeed existed as an historical person……


time magazine once did a pretty in depth story on this issue and the front cover showed hundreds of depictions of jesus from all the worlds ethnic groups who made the portraits look like themselves…..


not really just a jewish idea dov…….the hindu brahma is very similar……..


god is spirit,invisible,the hidden essence behind all things……


how god might be able to manifest as form is certainly an interesting spiritual hypothesis. and i don't mean a non-personal pantheism when i say that…….


the veda's say that god can manifest as an avatar…..


the christian's say that god manifested as jesus……..


the new agers say that we are all manifestations of god………


the atheists say we're all delusional:)


the ascended masters were quite frequently depicted with blonde hair and blue eyes…….the atlantean's also……..

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YW, Nicole :)
Rembrandt is one of my favorite artists :)

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You're right, this picture seems much plausible.

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He was defined by those who surrounded him, his appearance was not the point…was it?

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andrew, yes indeed and J, you have gone to the heart of the matter. We get so distracted by appearance as we were discussing in the What if Susan Boyle Couldn't Sing?  thread, that we totally miss the point. That's why I love your picture, J, because it shows the love Jesus had for children, and how they basked in that.

Peace,

Nicole

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God wraps people in unlikely packages on purpose sometimes. Susan Boyle rocked. Her voice is a gift from God, and so is her beautiful spirit. :)
Kidz rock, Jesus knew just where to hang out. I know u love kidz too Nicole.

and also…with you…

J :)

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He looked like most people who come from the area. He had dark skin, woolen hair. Some of the art that depicted Jesus (though about 300-400 AD) had him depicted similar to this. The art depicting Jesus changed as Christianity spread to northern europe. While many different religions are considered christian (mostly as a result of schisms within the Catholic church or of rulers who wished to be heads of their nation's religious order instead of taking orders from the Pope) Roman Catholicism has also undergone some changes to be more accessable to various cultures. An example of this include making people from various nations / cultures saints.

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J, those heart-notes are super, thanks. How can anyone not love kids? They are real and alive and shining.

Mr do you know about the Jesus Sutras? 

The Jesus Sutras, or the Lost Sutras of Jesus are early Chinese language manuscripts of Christian teachings brought to China during the 7th century by Alopen, a Nestorian bishop of the Assyrian Church of the East.The sutras date from between 635 AD, the year of Christianity's introduction to China; and 1005, when the Mogao Cave, near Dunhuang, in which they were found was sealed
from this interview with Thomas Moore:
In Taoism, if you read the Tao Te Ching and other sources, you find that one of the great teachings is that we really can't know as much as we'd like to know, and the things we think we know we don't: “He who speaks does not know and he who knows does not speak.” “The Tao that can be named is not the eternal Tao.”Within the Christian mystical tradition, Nicholas of Kucza, a mystical theologian from the early Renaissance, wrote several books about not knowing, about how important it was not to know-very close to the Taoist idea. But his thinking is not in the center of Christian thought at all. It's off on the side, with the mystics.If you dig deep enough, you'll probably find that these traditions are very close to each other, but the accents are very different. What we have to do with the Jesus Sutras in particular is see how these three religions can come together and make something quite beautiful.fromthis article by Martin Palmer:Now, what are the Four Essential Laws of the Dharma? 
The first is no wanting. If your heart is obsessed with something,
It manifests in all kinds of distorted ways. 
Distorted thoughts are the root of negative behavior …

The second is no doing.  Don't put on a mask and pretend to be what you’re not …
The effort needed to hold a direction is abandoned,
And there is simply action and reaction. 
So walk the Way of No Action.

The third is no piousness. And what that means
Is not wanting to have your good deeds broadcast to the nation.
Do what's right to bring people to the truth
But not for your own reputation’s sake.
So anyone who teaches the Triumphant Law,
Practicing the Way of Light to bring life to the truth,
Will know Peace and Happiness in company.
But don't talk it away. This is the Way of No Virtue. 

The fourth is no absolute. Don't try to control everything,
Don't take sides in arguments about right and wrong.
Treat everyone equally, and live from day to day.
It’s like a clear mirror that reflects everything anyway:
Green or yellow or in any combination-
It shows everything, as well as the smallest of details.
What does the mirror do? It reflects without judgment.

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Awesome, thank you, Nicole!

It is said that Jesus spread his healing techniques to the east.
Has been suggested his teachings brought about the practice of the ancient healing art of Reiki, “started” in Japan.

Long time ago! Who knows…the mysteries keep us interested, huh? :)

Thy will be done…….all we need :)

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And that picture of Jesus laughing, is awesome…awesome :)

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J, it's fascinating indeed to look into these ancient joinings of faiths. And I'm glad you like the picture of Jesus laughing! It makes much more sense to me than all those pictures where he looks dyspeptic :)

Hugs,

Nicole