What Did Jesus Look Like?
Can forensic scientists discover what Jesus looked like 2,000 years later? Their conclusions, and what the Bible says, might be surprising.
by Gary Petty
The title proclaims "The Real Face of Jesus" followed by "Advances in forensic science reveal the most famous face in history." This article, challenging the popular view of Jesus, didn't appear in a religious magazine, but was the lead story in the December 2002 issue of Popular Mechanics.
The article begins: "From the time Christian children settle into Sunday school classrooms, an image of Jesus Christ is etched into their minds. In North America he is most often depicted as being taller than his disciples, lean, with flowing, light brown hair, fair skin with light-colored eyes.
"Familiar though this image may be, it is inherently flawed. A person with these features and physical bearing would have looked very different from everyone else in the region where Jesus lived and ministered."
Can we know what Jesus really looked like? Classical European painters usually portray Him as tall and thin and with delicate, almost effeminate features. The Original African Heritage Edition of the King James Bible has a picture of Jesus looking like a man from Central Africa.
The image of Jesus in Popular Mechanics was based on information gathered by experts in forensic anthropology. Author Mike Fillon writes: "Using methods similar to those police have developed to solve crimes, British scientists, assisted by Israeli archeologists, have re-created what they believe is the most accurate image of the most famous face in history."
The summary of these men of science surprised many religious people. They concluded: "From analysis of skeletal remains, archeologists had firmly established that the average build of a Semite male at the time of Jesus was 5 ft. 1 in., with an average weight of 110 pounds. Since Jesus worked outdoors as a carpenter until he was about 30 years old, it is reasonable to assume he was more muscular and physically fit than westernized portraits suggest."
Read the full article at www.gnmagazine.org/issues/gn51/jesuslooklike.htm
Related Information on UCG Sites:
Table of Contents that includes "What Did Jesus Look Like?"
Other Articles by Gary Petty
Re-published from an earlier version
Jesus' human life:
- _Introduction (CJ)
- _Biblical Phrases and Terms for God's Special People
- _Baptized Into a Spiritual Body
- _A God Not Bound By Space and Time
- _The Church
- _Jesus' Family Connections
- _The God Who Became a Human Being
- _Did Jesus Have Long Hair?
- _A Sinless and Miraculous Life
- _The Messiah's Misunderstood Mission
- _Chapter 2: Preparing a People
- _God the Father
- _Why the Son of Man?
- _Was Jesus Christ Truly a Man?
- _Jesus Christ's Profound Example of Suffering
- _Jesus Christ: The Early Years
- _Profiles of Faith: Joseph and Mary: A Faithful Couple
- _Removing the Myths From Christ's Childhood
- _Are We Missing the Message of God?
- _Surprising Archaeological Find: Proof of Jesus' Existence?
- _The Da Vinci Code, Christianity and the Bible
- _Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene
- _The Jesus So Few Know
- _How Did Jesus Treat His Parents?
- _Biblical Phrases and Terms for God's Special People
- _We Read to Know We Are Not Alone
- _Follow Jesus Christ's Example of Commandment Keeping
- _The Book of James: An 'Epistle of Straw'?
- _The Word of God
- _The Good News of the Kingdom of God
- _The Feast of Unleavened Bread: The Lesson of Leaving Sin
- _Lazarus and the Rich man: Proof of Heaven and Hell?
- _Your Date With Destiny: Meeting the Real Jesus
- _Jesus' Teaching on God's Law
- _Jesus Christ: The Real Story - Introduction
- _What Did Paul Mean by 'Christ Is the End of the Law'?
- _A New Covenant for Transforming the Heart
- _Confusion Over Legalism: What It Is and Isn't
- _The 'New' Part of Jesus Christ's 'New Commandment'
- _Jesus Christ and the Sabbath
- _Was God's Law Abolished in the New Testament?
- _Truth as a Way of Life
- _Chapter 1: Preaching the Gospel
- _This is the United Church of God
- _Daniel the Prophet
- _The Fascinating Nature of God's Revelation
- _Christ's Parables and the Kingdom
- _A New Creation in Christ
- _Which Commandments Did Jesus Break?
- _The Real Gospel of Jesus Christ
- _The Lesson of Foot-Washing
- _Should You Keep the Festivals Jesus Observed?
- _The Global Economy and Jesus Christ's Return
- _Why People Don't Understand the Kingdom of God
- _Profiles of Faith: Mary and Martha: Lessons From Two Sisters
- _Could Jesus Christ Be Elected President?
- _What Is the Gospel Jesus Christ Taught?
- _America's Tragedies: What Would Jesus Christ Say?
- _Christianity Isn't For Wimps
- _What Religious Days Did Jesus Observe?
- _Questions and Answers - May/Jun 2004
- _Did Jesus Do Away With the Law?
- _Do You Know the Real Secret?
- _Christianity: Burden or Blessing to Mankind?
- _The Humor of Jesus Christ
- _Lessons From the Beatitudes
- _Follow Jesus Christ's Example of Commandment Keeping
Key Subjects Index
General Topics Index
Biblical References Index
Good News Magazine Index
Booklets and All Literature Index
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