NationStates Jolt Archive

Why is Jesus also depicted with very long hair? I am watching the History Channel and they show Him with long hair. I had never really thought of it before--why is the hair always long?

Because way back then cutting theire hair (or bathing and such) was not a main concern for them.

Cause he was a hippy.

Why is Jesus also depicted with very long hair? I am watching the History Channel and they show Him with long hair. I had never really thought of it before--why is the hair always long?

That was the way men wore their hair at the time.

More importantly, why is Jesus always depicted as white? You know thats impossible... right?

Because somewhere along the line, some artist decided to portray his as such, and just about every other artist from that point on that portrayed Jesus has given him long hair. I caught something on the Discovery Channel earlier that proposed that Jesus probably had shorter hair. Something more along the lines of a mini-Jew-fro.

That was the way men wore their hair at the time.

I'm not sure if that is true or not? Certainly they had sharp knives and sissors. And it seems like other people from that time are shown with short hair.

I'm not sure if that is true or not? Certainly they had sharp knives and sissors. And it seems like other people from that time are shown with short hair.
If I remember, we didn't get to see the Jesus in Ben Hur, but all the other men in that show had short hair; perhaps that Jesus did, too.

More importantly, why is Jesus always depicted as white? You know thats impossible... right?

I understand why that is done because those who protrayed Christ wanted Him to look like they did.

well, i guess i have everything i need to be jesus, long hair and white..

I understand why that is done because those who protrayed Christ wanted Him to look like they did.
Thats a very ethnocentric way to do things, don't you think?

I understand why that is done because those who protrayed Christ wanted Him to look like they did.
Or maybe it is symbolic of his luminous spirit? :)

well, i guess i have everything i need to be jesus, long hair and white..
You need a halo.

Because somewhere along the line, some artist decided to portray his as such, and just about every other artist from that point on that portrayed Jesus has given him long hair. I caught something on the Discovery Channel earlier that proposed that Jesus probably had shorter hair. Something more along the lines of a mini-Jew-fro.


This makes more sense to me. I wonder if there isn't some symbolic reason? Perhaps, the long hair represents purity, the female side/nature of Revelation/God?

Thats a very ethnocentric way to do things, don't you think?

Yes, it is! But that is what people do--shape events to fit their needs.

Jesus was believed by some scholars to be a Nasorean, a member of an ascetic Jewish sect. I think, but I'm not certain, that the Nasoreans wore their hair long. (That would also explain why he is often depicted in white robes...not merely for symbolic purposes, but because white robes were the required garb for Nesorean holy men.)

Let me do some digging and see what I find.

Alrighty guys, go take Western Civ 101 at your local community college RIGHT NOW. :)


Jesus is depicted as white because artists during the renasciannce (looks like i need to take spelling 101 lol) were paid by wealthy nobles to paint their image as jesus. During the period artists generally did not excercise much creativity and only painted what they were paid to.


ALSO: Few people in europe during the time had ever seen an arabic person, and they would NEVER believe that God came down as one of those filthy savage mongrels (not my opinion, thats how they were viewed back then)

We all know Jesus was black and had an afro. What white man has "wooly" hair?

Alrighty guys, go take Western Civ 101 at your local community college RIGHT NOW. :)


Jesus is depicted as white because artists during the renasciannce (looks like i need to take spelling 101 lol) were paid by wealthy nobles to paint their image as jesus. During the period artists generally did not excercise much creativity and only painted what they were paid to.


ALSO: Few people in europe during the time had ever seen an arabic person, and they would NEVER believe that God came down as one of those filthy savage mongrels (not my opinion, thats how they were viewed back then)

I understand that...but why the long hair?

Jesus was a nazarene, or nazarite, which was a group that had several rules.
these were the vows they took...

1. abstinence from wine and strong drink

2.refraining from cutting the hair off the head

3.the avoidance of contact with the dead.

when the period of continuance of the vow came to an end, the nazarite had to present himself at the door of the sanctuary with

1. a male lamb of the first year for a burnt-offering

2.an ewe lamb of the first year for a sin offering

3. a ram for a peace offering

after these sacrifices, the nazarite cut his hair, and threw it into the fire under the peace offering.

I hope that this helps you understand why he had long hair. It was because of the religious vows that he took, and when they were completed he could have cut his hair. However, since he was crucified, he probably at that time had not finished his vowed time, so he still had the long hair.

This article seems to have some good data on the subject...

http://www.tbaptist.com/aab/jesuslonghair.htm

We all know Jesus was black and had an afro. What white man has "wooly" hair?

Jewish people aren't usually black and don't have wooly hair. I was in Haifa this summer and the Jewish people there aren't black as we understand the word today.

Jesus was a nazarene, or nazarite, which was a group that had several rules.
these were the vows they took...

1. abstinence from wine and strong drink

2.refraining from cutting the hair off the head

3.the avoidance of contact with the dead.

when the period of continuance of the vow came to an end, the nazarite had to present himself at the door of the sanctuary with

1. a male lamb of the first year for a burnt-offering

2.an ewe lamb of the first year for a sin offering

3. a ram for a peace offering

after these sacrifices, the nazarite cut his hair, and threw it into the fire under the peace offering.

I hope that this helps you understand why he had long hair. It was because of the religious vows that he took, and when they were completed he could have cut his hair. However, since he was crucified, he probably at that time had not finished his vowed time, so he still had the long hair.

How do you explain turning water into wine?

Cause he was a hippy.


Tree-hugging, pot-smoking hippy indeed.



But actually, there has been an attempt to re-create a historical correct Jesus in France, based on anthropological from the middle east. Well, the result? He had short, dark hair, quite a big nose, and so didn't look like a northern european. It's pretty unlikely that Jesus had blue eyes and blonde hair, look where he was born and look at the people who live there today.

The blonde, blue-eyed Jesus is just a propaganda tool, nothing else.

Honestly, if he would have been like that? Poor kid would have had hundreds of sunburns.

How do you explain turning water into wine?

just because he turned water into wine doesn't mean he drank it. Also, many belive it was unfermented wine, tho this is just their belief. I think he turned the water into wine, but didn't drink it.

Cause he was a hippy.

Ah man, I was going to say that..LOL :D

Jewish people aren't usually black and don't have wooly hair. I was in Haifa this summer and the Jewish people there aren't black as we understand the word today.

Jesus was the first and only black Jew. See, back then the color of your skin didn't matter as much as it does today, you were judged by your character and actions rather than your appearance.

More importantly, why is Jesus always depicted as white? You know thats impossible... right?

Yeah, actually that is impossible.. not many people realize this but, today in modern times if you look at the people who still live in the land where "Jesus" was from their really tan to black in skin color. But of course people back then couldn't put a "dark jesus" on pictures and such, people would go into an outrage.

You need a halo.


yea, i do, go get me one

<sarcasm>
He had long hair because it looked cool. All the cool guys had long hair. Also, he was white because he was the Son of God, and god was obviously white because he was in charge of everything, this also being the reason he's a man (obviously the superior gender).
</sarcasm>

Or maybe it is symbolic of his luminous spirit? :)
Interestingly, in iconographic painting the lighting/shading on the faces are completely weird, but it's supposed to represent "inner" radiance. Well, I found it interesting.

That was a cute article...Baptists. "Preachers must make a stand against long hair?!"
My goodness.
My first question, does it matter? I don't really think Christ looked like a BeeGee, but again, who cares? The article that was posted is really biased and though touches on a few truths, it is just enough of religious fundamentalism to make it suck.
Yes, Jesus wasn't depicted with long hair in the early Christian catacomb pictures, why? Well, in my Art History Class at university this year, we studied early Christian art and found that it just looked very much like all the other art of the time. Jesus was depicted a Greek philosepher, beardless, short-haired, young.
No, He wasn't a Nazarite, totally different thing, though John the Baptist may have been. He was the Nazarene, or a person that comes from Nazareth.
White? Not imposible, but c'mon, the closest thing would have been the olive skinned Mediterrianian Roman soldiers. Black, probably not either, but more likely than white. Most likely, I dunno, Middle Eastern, I know, a stretch.
Why is he depicted all these different ways, because we don't have an original portrait of him, and so people have just made images that "REPRESENT" Him. Again, in that case and with that understanding, doesn't matter.
Did he have a beard? Check out most modern Orthodox Jews that you know, and make your own decision.

Again, I am not giving the definitive answer, but I am in pre-seminary, earning my undergraduate degree in Religious Studies, which includes study of Classical Greek, Biblical Hebrew and Aramaic, with an eye on Seminary, (M. Div.) and eventually a Doctorate in Systematic Theology (Th.D.)


WWJD
Amen.

Jesus was the first and only black Jew. See, back then the color of your skin didn't matter as much as it does today, you were judged by your character and actions rather than your appearance.

What about Sammy Davis Jr. ?

Don't get me started on Baptists or Catholics or religion that has an opinion and then tries to ram it down your throat as LAW. Discussing stuff like this becomes taboo and they insist on the last word. Can interpret or misinterpret at will and no-one better argue or they're damned to everlasting hell or whatever. Which sick perverted fool invented hell anyhow?

Discuss away - love this sort of discussion.

Don't get me started on Baptists or Catholics or religion that has an opinion and then tries to ram it down your throat as LAW. Discussing stuff like this becomes taboo and they insist on the last word. Can interpret or misinterpret at will and no-one better argue or they're damned to everlasting hell or whatever. Which sick perverted fool invented hell anyhow?

Discuss away - love this sort of discussion.

I think the question is why is Jesus protrayed with long hair?

But actually, there has been an attempt to re-create a historical correct Jesus in France, based on anthropological from the middle east. Well, the result? He had short, dark hair, quite a big nose, and so didn't look like a northern european. It's pretty unlikely that Jesus had blue eyes and blonde hair, look where he was born and look at the people who live there today.
That makes me wonder if Jesus wasn't perhaps butt-ugly by today's standards. Can you imagine the furor if artists began portraying him as such?

I think the question is why is Jesus protrayed with long hair?

You think correctly. Was there any doubt?

You think correctly. Was there any doubt?

There is a lot of doubt! Including self.

first of all u all are fucken dumbasses for saying that jesus is gay and so are all of u. U fagggggggggssssssssssssss :sniper:

Dear Jack:
I feel compelled to warn you that this kind of post is considered in very poor taste. If it happens again I will inform the mods.

first of all u all are fucken dumbasses . jesus is gay and so are all of u. U fagggggggggssssssssssssss :sniper: secondly jesus was not a jew

Jesus was a Jew by birth and by religion. He couldn't change religion right away even if he wanted to. Anyway like the Prophets of old he didn't want to change but reform it.
And no Jesus liked Mary and Martha (whose brother was Lazurus). This was why he was so close to them and raised Lazurus and cried at this news of death.
He is believed to have married 1 or both of them.

Some people think he liked Mary Magdalene, but he didn't in that way.

Its just Mary was the same name of both Magdalene and the sister of Lazurus. People confuse the two.

The man wore sandals, he preached peace and love, didn't have a regular job...he was a hippy.

The man wore sandals, he preached peace and love, didn't have a regular job...he was a hippy.
Um, he didn't need a regular job. he had his apostle fish for money or make fish give money. Would you work if you could make every fish you caught cough up money?

He taught peace and war, love and punishment, and wore sandle to be accurate.
He came not to bring peace but to split the man from his family with the sword. If a man can't choose him over his family that that is wrong. You should be willing to sell all you had and give it to poor if need be.

So, now we have Jesus portrayed as either George Harrison or Charles Manson ... interesting stuff....

:confused: I thought it was against Jewish law to cut his hair.

:confused: I thought it was against Jewish law to cut his hair.

We're way past that. Scroll up and read em =)

And George Harrison worked - so that's not a good comparison. Anyhow, you get the idea.

Thats a very ethnocentric way to do things, don't you think?

I dimly recall seeing a christian church in Japan (on TV) and they portrayed Jesus as looking Japanese! Might be an unreliable memory though!!!

It's part of the whole personal saviour thing. People identify with him and thus create mirror images of themselves, their culture, in how they portray him.

What he actually looked like - well now that's a whole different thing.

More importantly, why is Jesus always depicted as white? You know thats impossible... right?
Not at all he was a white guy thats why the Jews made fun of him they were jealous.
His whitness comes from his Holyness being God and all.

And you have proof that God is white huh?

Why is Jesus also depicted with very long hair? I am watching the History Channel and they show Him with long hair. I had never really thought of it before--why is the hair always long?

Jesus was depicted in the Bible as a Nazerene. Part of the Nazerene vows include not cutting the hair, like Sampson.

We all know Jesus was black and had an afro. What white man has "wooly" hair?
Hah thats a hurtful thing to say the Rastaheads hate the white god.

We all know Jesus was black and had an afro. What white man has "wooly" hair?

Tom Cruise in Batman

And you have proof that God is white huh?
I do because Adam was white and he was created in gods likeness so naananaananaanananana.

Jesus is also a Swing-Bowler(Plays Cricket)

Jesus was depicted in the Bible as a Nazerene. Part of the Nazerene vows include not cutting the hair, like Sampson.

Was it just that particuliar sect, or was it a general Jewish law?

Jesus was depicted in the Bible as a Nazerene. Part of the Nazerene vows include not cutting the hair, like Sampson.

You are thinking of the NAZARITE vows, not the NAZARENE. The nazarite vows include all of those things, but Jesus wasn't one, he was from a town called NAZARETH, making him a NAZARENE. You know, we covered this many posts ago.

Also, he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should despise him.
Isaiah 53:2b
WWJD
Amen.

Was it just that particuliar sect, or was it a general Jewish law?
Damn you Delilah
Why oh why Delilah-do da do do :p

We all know Jesus was black and had an afro. What white man has "wooly" hair?

Tom Cruise in Batman

Tom Cruise in Batman

OK, what is this about?
WWJD
Amen.

I do because Adam was white and he was created in gods likeness so naananaananaanananana
You're kidding, right?

Btw, the jews were and are white too. There are essentialy three kinds of men:
Europid (the "Whites")
Negroid (the "Blacks")
Mongolid (I will not call them "Yellows", because their skin isn't yellow)

As far as I know, the semitian tribes belonged to the first kind. So why should Jesus not be white?

That was the way men wore their hair at the time.

Actually, it was the style for men to have short hair at the time. Peter, at one point in the Bible, I can't recall the scripure right off the bat, calls long hair "unmanly." I don't thing Peter would say something like that if his lord was wearing long hair. Not only that, Jesus would have been short, had dark, leathery skin, and been very muscular; all as a result of being a carpenter. Jesus would not have been the tall, long-haired, fair-skinned white guy as portrayed by medieval and Renaissance artists. Jesus would have looked just like all the other Jews then. Hell, when the Romans came to arrests Jesus they needed Judas to be able to figure out which one he was.

He should always be depicted with a tan and stubbies. :)
Those artists just painted him like that because that was the style of painting at the time, you know. It has nothing to do with how he really looked.

http://www.ucgportland.org/popups/jc12.html

If I remember correctly, there are Christians of all colors - asian, black, white, and all shades of brown. I know it's politically expedient to think of all Christians as racist, but somehow they continue to believe in a tan/brown embodiment of God in all parts of the world. It doesn't seem to me like people need to believe in a God of their skin color, even if their movies are made by actors that speak their language, and so are often their color.

In the recent Jesus movie, the Mel Gibson one, the crew wanted to create an authentic-looking Jesus, so they put brown contacts in the guy's eyes, and gave him a larger nose and receded hairline, etc., until he looked more 'middle-eastern,' like many of the other bit actors in the movie. So here's an example of a movie which diliberately tried to make Jesus look less white and more accurate.

No clue about whether Jesus would've had long hair, though. I just thought it was funny that so many had the opinion that people won't follow a prophet of another ethnicity, or that the major churches conspire to keep Jesus's ethnicity a secret or some other bull----.

http://www.ucgportland.org/popups/jc12.html
Interesting link!
That must've taken some skilled Googling.
;)

I do because Adam was white and he was created in gods likeness so naananaananaanananana.

And how do you know that Adam was white ? Paradise had an mediterranean to African climate - which in turn suggests he was at the very least tanned[1] and quite possibly black. Which according to your reasoning would make the Lord black .. which KKK lovers of course cannot accept ;)

[1] Which fits nicely with the 'man of clay' interpretation of the story.

That was the way men wore their hair at the time.

Not really. People had been cutting their hair in the mediteranean region for thousands of years. Take a look at the statues of his Roman contemporaries. They all had short hair and most of them had shaven faces.

Sure you could argue that as an observant Jew he would have heeded Leviticus' injuctions against shaving and cutting hair, but plenty of depictions of Jesus among the Jews show Jesus with long hair and a long beard but everyone else with only trimmed beards and short hair.

Jesus with long hair and an unkept beard has more to do with prophetic figures not baring the traditional marks of culture and gender. Jesus couldn't have gone with the shaved head that monks go with because Egyptians at the time liked the shaved head. He would have been declaring himself an Egyptian rather than something above and beyond an observant Jew. He couldn't have had short hair because that would be declaring himself a man of Rome. More importantly WE would be declaring him to be such if we personified him that way.

It is something of an unspoken tradition that those with a claim to enlightenment remove marks of gender, or add marks of the opposing gender. That's why Buddhist monks shave their heads and hippie chicks stop shaving their armpits. Hippy guys grow long unkept beards AND hair, but then when it got co-opted as a corporate fashion trend guys would grow their hair down to their ears and shave their faces because the masses can't lay claim to enlightenment.

This is a silly argument.

You people should be wondering what color Isa's hair would be if he were anime.

Jesus had long hair because of tradition. Roman Catholics decided that's what he would look like, so the image stuck. Adam and Eve weren't white, neither was Jesus...they're just white traditionally because for the longest time the (white) Roman Catholic clergy had complete control over access to the Bible: If the pope said they were white and had long hair, well, who could argue with the pope? After hundreds of years of thinking that way, the image has stuck. And while it may be stereotyping or whatever, you have to realize that if everyone sees Jesus as this white, tall, thin, long-haired guy, sharing the gospel about a tan, leathery, muscular guy with short hair just isn't going to work.

To sum it all up, who cares what he looked like? You're missing the point entirely. It doesn't matter whether he was white or black or purple with yellow polka dots...You either believe in him or you don't.

The Roman leaders, governors, etc., such as Caesar, Pontius Pilate, and others, were wealthy and powerful and had servants to cut their hair regularly, shave their facial hair, and such. It was even a symbol of earthly power to have short hair and a shaven face. Jesus did not, nor did most Jews, and they had little need to do so even aside from Jewish customs or laws.

More importantly, why is Jesus always depicted as white? You know thats impossible... right?

There are certain historians who think that Mary might have been raped by a Roman soldier while traveling, hence Jesus' whiteness.

There are certain historians who think that Mary might have been raped by a Roman soldier while traveling, hence Jesus' whiteness.
That kinda defeats the purpose, doesn't it?

That kinda defeats the purpose, doesn't it?

Not really, only if you're a Christian. Plenty of non-Christians will tell you Jesus existed, there are actual Roman census records of his existance, but they will lay in contention the "miracles" he created.

Not really, only if you're a Christian. Plenty of non-Christians will tell you Jesus existed, there are actual Roman census records of his existance, but they will lay in contention the "miracles" he created.
Yeah, well, I am...I'd say more, but I'll avoid a pointless argument.

Why did Jesus wear long hair? Because he was a bad ass, that's why.

Jesus, and SImon peter, were metalheads. get over it people. if you can, in any way, prove my statement wrong-










dont try. that means you took it seriously, and are, therefore, an ASS.

a simple explaination. Jesus............was.................a................hippy

If you watch the movie Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter, he gets a haircut. :D

If you watch the movie Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter, he gets a haircut. :D

a movie like that just screams historical accuracy. is that a real movie anyway? sounds AMAZING.

Jesus had a fro. j/k. I don't know. It would be nice to meet him, though.

I believe the Roman Catholic Church has a lucrative advertising deal with Vidal Sassoon. As part of the shampoo related marketing deal, Jesus is portrayed with long-hair.

More importantly, why is Jesus always depicted as white? You know thats impossible... right?

It was a cultural thing in Europe. They also did the same thing to greek gods in their art too. They all make heros and gods look ideal, therefore white. Jesus, because He was selfless and because He lived on the streets, didn't worry about his looks I'm sure. Thats why I'm sure he was depicted with long hair and with a beard.

Hippies however didn't grow their because Jesus did (some may have done), they only grew their hair and wore eyesore discordant clothing to rebel and be the complete opposite of soldiers, who they saw to be bad.

Shoulders have shaved heads- Hippies have long hair
Soldiers have very straight boring colours- Hippies have outrageous eyesore colours
Soldiers are ordered- Hippies are free
Soldiers had morals- Hippies had none

Jesus had long hair because of tradition. Roman Catholics decided that's what he would look like, so the image stuck. Adam and Eve weren't white, neither was Jesus...they're just white traditionally because for the longest time the (white) Roman Catholic clergy had complete control over access to the Bible: If the pope said they were white and had long hair, well, who could argue with the pope? After hundreds of years of thinking that way, the image has stuck. And while it may be stereotyping or whatever, you have to realize that if everyone sees Jesus as this white, tall, thin, long-haired guy, sharing the gospel about a tan, leathery, muscular guy with short hair just isn't going to work.

The wierd thing is that for centuries the catholic church also had control over what was to be considered the proper hair style for ordinary people. There was even a big internal debate over what was the proper Christian style for the priests to wear. Christians in the south said that hair should be worn long because pagan priests in the south, particularly in Egypt, cut their hair short of shaved it. Christians in the north said that it should be worn long, because pagans in the north, where Catholicism was focusing most of its expansion efforts, wore their hair long.

Why would short haired and clean shaven become the encouraged style in a culture that claims that the ultimate ideal human is personified with long hair and a shaggy beard.

For that matter, why do conservative religious institutions like Bob Jones university and Pat Robertsons college encourage business atire in those who are supposed to be emulating a guy who wore nothing but a blanket and a pair of sandles.

That was the way men wore their hair at the time.
Actually, Jesus would have had short hair as the men at the time, especially the jewish men at the time kept their hair short.

The wierd thing is that for centuries the catholic church also had control over what was to be considered the proper hair style for ordinary people. There was even a big internal debate over what was the proper Christian style for the priests to wear. Christians in the south said that hair should be worn long because pagan priests in the south, particularly in Egypt, cut their hair short of shaved it. Christians in the north said that it should be worn long, because pagans in the north, where Catholicism was focusing most of its expansion efforts, wore their hair long.

Why would short haired and clean shaven become the encouraged style in a culture that claims that the ultimate ideal human is personified with long hair and a shaggy beard.

For that matter, why do conservative religious institutions like Bob Jones university and Pat Robertsons college encourage business atire in those who are supposed to be emulating a guy who wore nothing but a blanket and a pair of sandles.
Meh...they controled most of everything. Either way, blame the Catholics :D

Eh, I still say it really doesn't matter, and I don't see why anyone cares.

To the OP:

To break it down for you:

The current portrayal of Jesus Christ (the long curly brown hair, light skin, and beard) is actually a direct result of Leonardo DiVinci. Davinci's Jesus is the one that remains to this day. Some suggest that it is him drawing portraits of himself in his youth, as they are very similar in appearance.

He definately would not have been 'white', in what most people mean by the subject. He would have looked much like modern day Palestinians or other middle-eastern peoples, being of the same stock.

Jesus would have likely had long hair (kept back to prevent it getting in the way while planing wood), though, if he was called a nazarene, since part of the nazarene vow involved shaving one's head, spending a year in meditation, and never cutting one's hair again. His beard could have been trimmed though. It was likely a very dark brown or black (possibly just greying by the time of his death at 33).

Romans, were different. Roman custom was always to have very short hair on men. Which is why they are always shown that way in movies. These customs are where Paul gets his admonitions about appearance and dress later in the testament.

Jesus was a nazarene, or nazarite, which was a group that had several rules.
these were the vows they took...

1. abstinence from wine and strong drink

2.refraining from cutting the hair off the head

3.the avoidance of contact with the dead.

when the period of continuance of the vow came to an end, the nazarite had to present himself at the door of the sanctuary with

1. a male lamb of the first year for a burnt-offering

2.an ewe lamb of the first year for a sin offering

3. a ram for a peace offering

after these sacrifices, the nazarite cut his hair, and threw it into the fire under the peace offering.

I hope that this helps you understand why he had long hair. It was because of the religious vows that he took, and when they were completed he could have cut his hair. However, since he was crucified, he probably at that time had not finished his vowed time, so he still had the long hair.


So
#1 abstinance from wine ... yet he goes around turning wine into water
And off hand cant remember contact with dead people but possible breaking of #3

Not exactly a devout follower of the other traditions (at least for sure 1)