The physical appearance of Jesus of Nazareth, does not emphasis on race. Let us glorify the heavenly body of Jesus than to accurately describe his appearance when on earth. Whether he was black or white. This has been a long debate by theologians from early on in the history of Christianity. Some people would debate that he is primarily white in the West, and black in Sub Saharan Africa. Every race wants Jesus to have their colour. Historians and scientists depict that he most likely had olive skin. The lineage of King David brings about dispute about the nature of Jesus' physical connection to the Jewish people. And so what skin colour or race are the Jews? Judah from whom King David and Jesus Christ descended, was Syrian) and Egypt. To hide the Christ child, we are told his family fled with him to Egypt but pre-Arab Egypt was a society of dark-skinned Africans. Jesus was black has raised eyebrows in some quarters. By Giles Wilson
BBC News Online Magazine. Last Updated: Wednesday, 27 October 2004, 15:34 GMT 16:34 UK
Is Jesus black? Of course! Is he white? Certainly! Is he Asian, Oriental, Arabic, Latino, Aboriginal or Native American in appearance?
 Blue-eyed Robert Powell, left, and brown-eyed Jim Caviezel
 A traditional Jesus, left, and the BBC's image of what he might have looked like. "The hair was the easiest - there's a reference in Paul which says it's disgraceful for a man to wear long hair, so it looks pretty sure that people of that period had to have reasonably short hair. The traditional depictions of Jesus with long flowing golden hair are probably inaccurate."
Theologian James Cone writes about the black Jesus: December 22
"The 'raceless' American Christ has a light skin, wavy brown hair, and sometimes – wonder of wonders – blue eyes. For whites to find him with big lips and kinky hair is as offensive as it was for the Pharisees to find him partying with tax-collectors. But whether whites want to hear it or not, Christ is black, baby, with all of the features which are so detestable to white society." Cone believes it is important for black people to view Jesus as black:
"It's very important because you've got a lot of white images of Christ. In reality, Christ was not white, not European. That's important to the psychic and to the spiritual consciousness of black people who live in a ghetto and in a white society in which their lord and savior looks just like people who victimize them. God is whatever color God needs to be in order to let people know they're not nobodies, they're somebodies."
For Augustine all he concluded was that he was "beautiful as a child, beautiful on earth, beautiful in heaven." 1 Samuel 16:12 "And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. And the LORD said, "Arise, anoint him, for this is he." - Holy Bible; English Standard Version. The word given as "ruddy" in the above version of the verses from 1 Samuel is translated as "red-haired" in the Bible in Basic English. Revelation1:13–16 depicts Jesus in an heavenly form. Full of vague poetic imagery, 1:13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks [one] like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. 1:14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; 1:15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and His voice as the sound of many waters. 1:16 And He had in His right hand seven stars: and out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and His countenance [was] as the sun shineth in his strength. (KJV translation) |
back to top
