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Truth is the verse you mentioned is too ambiguous to give a clue on the physical appearance of Jesus, and most probably does not even describe Jesus on his earthly form. The fact that Jesus is described with unrealistic attributes (as in the eyes) suggests this. And, some versions describe his entire head as white, which then enters in contradiction with the ridiculous theories of black Jesus.
The only possible reference to the earthly appearance of Jesus in the Bible is in an Old Testament prophecy, and everything it mentions is that he will not be a particularly attractive man.
Thus, we can assume that Jesus most probably looked like the average Levantine man, light tan skinned and dark haired / eyed. Not very different from a Syrian or Lebanese man today.
The only possible reference to the earthly appearance of Jesus in the Bible is in an Old Testament prophecy, and everything it mentions is that he will not be a particularly attractive man.
Thus, we can assume that Jesus most probably looked like the average Levantine man, light tan skinned and dark haired / eyed. Not very different from a Syrian or Lebanese man today.
And if yes is your answer, you are contradicting the same book of Revelation you used to "prove" the blackness of Jesus:
Revelation 21:8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
Revelation 21:8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
Isaiah 53 contains no references to Israel.
As for John 1:11, I think the verse may be probably misunderstood (I do not accuse you as I read it the same way as you). But I sincerely have some doubt regarding its meaning as we otherwise would enter in contradiction with the fact that the Apostles and many of his followers were Israelites.
As for John 1:11, I think the verse may be probably misunderstood (I do not accuse you as I read it the same way as you). But I sincerely have some doubt regarding its meaning as we otherwise would enter in contradiction with the fact that the Apostles and many of his followers were Israelites.
the Bibal schollars used Revelation 1:15 in their description of Jesus + the whooly hair.
but if we want to use outside sources, there's josephus and this is his description of Jesus:
a man of simple appearance, mature age, dark skin, small stature, three cubits high, hunchbacked, with a long face, long nose, and meeting eyebrows, so that they who see him might be affrighted, with scanty hair (but) having a line in the middle of the head after the fashion of the Nazireans, and with an undeveloped beard.
either way, both sources (Bible and josephus) say same thing = Dark Skin!
but if we want to use outside sources, there's josephus and this is his description of Jesus:
a man of simple appearance, mature age, dark skin, small stature, three cubits high, hunchbacked, with a long face, long nose, and meeting eyebrows, so that they who see him might be affrighted, with scanty hair (but) having a line in the middle of the head after the fashion of the Nazireans, and with an undeveloped beard.
either way, both sources (Bible and josephus) say same thing = Dark Skin!
i am not saying it is not impossible. but read this list. these include people who knew Jesus, Church Fathers, Theologians of that day, Historians of that day, plus Biblical descriptions. these are sources outside the Bible and Isaiah which is the Bible.
- 1. According to Hierosolymitanus, as well as John of Damascus, ‘the Jew Josephus’ recorded that Christ ‘was seen having connate eyebrows, goodly eyes, long-faced, crooked, well-grown.
- 11. According to Irenaeus, Christ was described as weak, unattractive and afflicted:
- 14. According to The Acts of John, John wrote of Christ:
- He (Christ) appeared to me again as rather bald-headed but with a thick flowing beard.…But he sometimes appeared to me as a small man with no good looks.
- 15. Saint Augustine states that Christ ‘appeared ugly (foedus, meaning ‘horrible, abominable’) to his persecutors.
- 16. Tertullian, denying that the appearance of Christ had any beauty, goes as far as stating that:
- The ignominy of the face (of Jesus) would roar (as a witness against the heretics) if it could.
- 17. In the Koran Christ is described as an ‘amazing thing’ brought forth by Mary.
- 18. Mandaean and Gnostic texts describe Christ as ‘something that was created in the womb of Mary’ and an ‘amorphous substance’ that Sophia (a figure based on the life of Mary, Christ’s mother) had given birth to, causing her to grieve at the sight of its imperfection. In another text this birth is further described as ‘something came out of her that was imperfect and different in appearance from her, for she had produced it without her partner. It did not resemble its mother and was misshapen.’ Sophia later repented ‘with many tears’ the wickedness that had occurred and the robbery that her son had committed. Christ’s reign of terror is described in full in Barbelo (see also accompanying article The Violent Messiah). Paul would later described himself as ‘one abnormally born’ (1 Cor 15:8), matching the descriptions presented above.
- 19. Christ anticipated that he would be taunted ‘Physician, heal yourself’ and at his crucifixion he was indeed taunted that while he saved others, he could not save himself. The statement about the physician healing himself suggests that Christ had to be healed, or in other words, he had a physical affliction or deformity of some kind.
- 20. Christ no doubt attempted to use the messianic promise of Isaiah 53 to convince his simple-minded followers that he was indeed their promised Messiah. Isaiah 53 dictated step by step what he should do to qualify as the Messiah, including that he should die and rise again from the dead. More specifically, Isaiah’s Messiah had to comply with the description
- He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
- which Christ evidently did.