Serious The Beauty of Christ

[Red Shambhala]

Interesting passage I just stumbled upon:

As quoted by Eisler, both Hierosolymitanus and John of Damascus claim that "the Jew Josephus" described Christ as having had connate eyebrows (unibrow) with goodly eyes and being long-faced, crooked and well-grown. In a letter of certain bishops to the Emperor Theophilus, Christ's height is described as three cubits (four feet six), which was also the opinion of Ephrem Syrus (320–379 AD), "God took human form and appeared in the form of three human ells (cubits); he came down to us small of stature." Theodore of Mopsuhestia likewise claimed that the appearance of Christ was smaller than that of the children of Jacob (Israel).

Christ's prediction that he would be taunted "Physician, heal yourself" may suggest that Christ was indeed physically deformed ('crooked' or hunch-backed) as claimed in the early Christian texts listed above. In fact, Justin Martyr, Tertullian, and Ambrose actually considered lack of physical attractiveness in Jesus as fulfilling the Messianic prophecy "Suffering Servant" narrative of Isaiah 53.

But, the more mainstream view, as expressed by Church Fathers Saint Jerome and Saint Augustine of Hippo, argued from a theological perspective that Jesus must have been ideally beautiful in face and body. For Augustine he was "beautiful as a child, beautiful on earth, beautiful in heaven". These theological arguments were further extended in the 13th century by Saint Thomas Aquinas in his Summa Theologiae based on his analysis of the Perfection of Christ, reasoning that Christ must have embodied every possible human perfection.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_and_appearance_of_Jesus

 

[Deleted member 12256]

Jesus always appears very white, when he shouldn't be , at least he should be tanned. But we don't know if he really existed, sorry but history > religion

 

[Red Shambhala]

Jesus always appears very white, when he shouldn't be , at least he should be tanned. But we don't know if he really existed, sorry but history > religion

There's this famous police sketch of him:

https://www.esquire.com/lifestyle/a40399/jesus-real-face/

An answer has emerged from an exciting new field of science: forensic anthropology. 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 human history.

Not sure - obviously - how accurate that might be.

But I found it interesting how there seem/ed to be these two theological branches: one arguing that the lamb of God who is supposed to suffer and die must have also been UGLY to make the point that God became very small and weak ... and the opposing branch argues that God, because he is God, must have been "ideally beautiful in face and body."

 

[Deleted member 12256]

There's this famous police sketch of him:

https://www.esquire.com/lifestyle/a40399/jesus-real-face/



Not sure - obviously - how accurate that might be.

At least it seems more legit for Jesus to look like this.