What Did Jesus REALLY Look Like? | Decoded | MTV News

Our modern image of Jesus may be a bit skewed. The common depiction features long blonde hair, blue eyes, and fair skin. However, historical evidence suggests that this portrayal of the Christian savior has been purposefully altered. In this weeks episode, Franchesca discusses the reasons behind this change in appearance, and what Jesus may have actually looked like.

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[djspbb]

I never cared what Jesus looked like. Even when I was younger I knew that the Jesus that was in pictures was probably not how he looked. What is important to me is what he said and what he did.
Jesus could be revealed as a dwarf and it would not change how I feel about who he was.

[cloejarozenski]

If Jesus came back today, Republicans would have him racially profiled.

[ankitaminhas]

He’s from the middle east so that makes him brown.

[mahir]

Jesus was Arabian, he was not black. He was light skinned like any Palestinian/Syrian/Lebanese people. And again he was not black.

[BrieCheese]

Whitewashed Jesus really bugs me because people are sending a message that he wasn't good enough the way that he was. The son of God who probably had dark skin, dark curly hair, and a big nose, has be to changed in order to be acceptable.
Also, in case anybody comments with the "I'm not a Christian" stuff, whether Jesus did or didn't exist and whether he is the son of God is a different issue. But the people who believe that he is the son of God are the one who have historically whitewashed Jesus.

[RUdigitized]

He's Jewish. He's of the house of David.

[boggyre]

I don't care, i would pray to korean Jesus.
Why is it important for MUSIC TELEVISION?

[kenneyg.]

Examples of POC being white washed in history? The portrayal of Egyptians as being predominately white in film? Might be part of the reason why so many people don't think of Egypt as a part of Africa. Among other things.

[matthewholbrook]

I have always looked to MTV for theological information.

[islandgamer]

The modern image of Jesus is based off of Pope Alexander VI's son, Cardinal Cesare Borgia.

[justintime]

Scripture says skin like burned brass with wooly hair . It also says he looked like Jasper . Acts 5:30 says he was hung on a tree. Pay attention the world hated him .

[bosniantheolog]

Guys he was Middle eastern
Black long hair
Brown eyes
Like an arab
Beard

[riohosein]

No images. Period. That leads to idolatry!!!!

[dantheman]

I heard vikings were black.

Do an episode about that please!

[yousif]

Imagine caring about the skin color of God himself

[HelloWorld]

This is what the Bible says about Christ's attractiveness, "He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him.” ~ Isaiah 53:2. This image of a handsome Jesus is nowhere found in the Bible. Also, the 2nd commandments say we're not to have an image of God. That's why the disciples never drew a picture of Him or described his physical character to us.

[Sassy_Jones]

"Anything can be twisted and abused"

Lol mtv decoded knows all about that.

[TheBc]

I don't think it's necessarily bad that people changed Jesus to look like them. I mean, in parts of Africa, Jesus has been historically portrayed as a black man. People want Jesus to look like them, and that's been understandable I guess ... Until now. We now have comprehensive archaeology and history, and we know that (if Jesus was a real person, which historians have been debating for years) he most certainly was Semitic. So what gives, America?

[Call_Me_Rio]

I'm Black/Puerto Rican and Honestly saying Jesus is the same skin color as you wether it be black or white is biased we shouldn't care on what his skin color but appreciate him for everything he has done for us

[SibbTigre]

I have no objection to you asking the question. My response would be: He was a composite of Greek, Egyptian, Semitic and Hindu mythological figures.

But..

Imperialism and colonialism was shit and not a purely white phenomenon. To pretend otherwise is dishonest. But to further ignore history and ignore that "Republic" USA carried on with slavery long after the British Empire not only outlawed it, but began trying to block the slave trade is a rather nasty omission.

Of course, you also continue to ignore that every race has a history of enslaving not only other races, but also their own. Slavery is bad, we get it. But stop pretending it's "whites vs everyone else". It only makes your message objectionable when it should be food for thought!