# Was Jesus allegedly handsome? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 24, 2004, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jesus-allegedly-handsome/230917 "2004-02-24T16:26:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jesus-allegedly-handsome/230917/1 "2004-02-24T16:26:05Z")
Any mention in the gospels of whether or not Jesus was a handsome or not particularly attractive man? ---
**Author:** ![dalovindj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/65b543/32.png) [@dalovindj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalovindj)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jesus-allegedly-handsome/230917/2 "2004-02-24T16:36:15Z")
Chicks dug him. . . ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jesus-allegedly-handsome/230917/3 "2004-02-24T16:40:57Z")
No, there is no reference to His physical appearance anywhere in the Gospels. Isaiah 53:2b, which is interpreted by many Christians as a prophecy of the Messiah (others disagree), says: > [@](#): > > He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, > Nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. So according to this, He was not a handsome person. But nobody knows. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jesus-allegedly-handsome/230917/4 "2004-02-24T16:45:05Z")
I heard he was hung… ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jesus-allegedly-handsome/230917/5 "2004-02-24T17:06:45Z")
What **Shodan** said. I’ve always been taught that he was about as average looking as one could possibly be. ---
**Author:** ![RandomLetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8edcca/32.png) [@RandomLetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandomLetters)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jesus-allegedly-handsome/230917/6 "2004-02-24T17:12:32Z")
[You might want to check out this thread.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=241278) ---
**Author:** ![Clear\_Air\_Turbulence](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@Clear\_Air\_Turbulence](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clear_Air_Turbulence)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jesus-allegedly-handsome/230917/7 "2004-02-24T17:22:40Z")
Wasn’t he bald? I saw this article about how all the oldest paintings of him show him bald on top, but they added hair later. ---
**Author:** ![dalovindj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/65b543/32.png) [@dalovindj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalovindj)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jesus-allegedly-handsome/230917/8 "2004-02-24T18:11:50Z")
I’m not just the creator of all things, I’m also a member. … ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jesus-allegedly-handsome/230917/9 "2004-02-24T18:15:00Z")
> [@Clear Air Turbulence](#): > > Wasn’t he bald? I saw this article about how all the oldest paintings of him show him bald on top, but they added hair later. None of the oldest paintings of Him were made by anyone who ever saw Him during His time on earth. So that doesn’t tell us anything either. Nothing is known about Jesus’ appearance. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jesus-allegedly-handsome/230917/10 "2004-02-24T18:21:36Z")
No cite for this, but I’ve heard that the image on the Shroud of Turin is the basis for the conventional image of Jesus with which we’re all familiar: long, ectomorphic face, narrow chin, high forehead, huge eyes, and, straight, slender, not-at-all Jewish nose. I’ve also read that artistic representations of Jesus, and especially of the crucifixion, were rare during the Roman Empire, and those that were done usually showed Jesus as a clean-shaven, square-jawed Roman. Jesus, of course, never sat for a portrait and probably would have considered it sinful to do so. Jews of his time never painted portraits or made busts of each other, that was all Greek and Roman and heathen and against the Second Commandment, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jesus-allegedly-handsome/230917/11 "2004-02-24T18:21:38Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > I heard he was hung… Yeah, like this! (Spreads arms as wide as he can) ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jesus-allegedly-handsome/230917/12 "2004-02-24T18:41:07Z")
Whether genuine or artificial, I think the Shroud represents an authentic tradition of JC’s appearance & I don’t see the face as particularly handsome or the nose as particularly narrow- he has basically a hangdog expression (understanding that he wasn’t having his best day _L_) rather like David Schwimmer (Ross on FRIENDS) or a Semitic Harry Dean Stanton. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jesus-allegedly-handsome/230917/13 "2004-02-24T18:47:42Z")
He was probably fairly good looking. Cult leaders generally are, on account of the charismatic thing goes a long way in recruiting. But I don’t think he looked anything like the North American/European depiction of him. I think he must have looked a lot more like Bin Laden than Brad Pitt. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jesus-allegedly-handsome/230917/14 "2004-02-24T19:45:03Z")
I recollect as how Muhammad describes meeting Jesus during his enlightening spiritual journey, and describes Him as being freckled. As “freckled” is universally recognized as the very epitome of human attractiveness, I think we can take this as fairly authoritative. Couldn’t swim, though. Had to walk. ---
**Author:** ![FordPrefect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e99b99/32.png) [@FordPrefect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordPrefect)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jesus-allegedly-handsome/230917/15 "2004-02-24T22:30:28Z")
> [@dalovindj](#): > > Chicks dug him. . . Whores paid money to hang out with him… ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jesus-allegedly-handsome/230917/16 "2004-02-24T22:50:02Z")
Whores gave him thier money? Careful, there. People have a hard enough time with Jesus as long haired hippy freak, but a pimp daddy? Whoaaa. ---
**Author:** ![Tir\_Tinuviel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@Tir\_Tinuviel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tir_Tinuviel)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jesus-allegedly-handsome/230917/17 "2004-02-25T00:06:55Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > No cite for this, but I’ve heard that the image on the Shroud of Turin is the basis for the conventional image of Jesus with which we’re all familiar: long, ectomorphic face, narrow chin, high forehead, huge eyes, and, straight, slender, not-at-all Jewish nose. And I’ve heard the Da Vinci looked an awful lot like this too… I guess that is another thread though. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jesus-allegedly-handsome/230917/18 "2004-02-25T02:50:41Z")
If I remember my Sunday school days correctly, Christian teachings make kind of a big deal about how Jesus _could_ have been born a wealthy prince but he chose to be poor, humble, etc. Choosing to be poor, humble, but _really fine-lookin’_ doesn’t seem very Christ-like, so I’d think that most believers would have to believe that Jesus was no better than average in the looks department. ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jesus-allegedly-handsome/230917/19 "2004-02-25T03:25:48Z")
> [@Lamia](#): > > If I remember my Sunday school days correctly, Christian teachings make kind of a big deal about how Jesus _could_ have been born a wealthy prince but he chose to be poor, humble, etc. Sounds more like Buddha to me. But I’m no religious scholar. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jesus-allegedly-handsome/230917/20 "2004-02-25T06:12:33Z")
> [@KidCharlemagne](#): > > Sounds more like Buddha to me. But I’m no religious scholar. Buddha _was_ born a wealthy prince. Jesus is the one who was born in a barn. God could, presumably, do whatever he wanted, so (within the context of the story) Jesus was born in humble circumstances by choice. Prince Gautama made a similar choice to renounce earthly riches, but not until he achieved enlightenment as a young man. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jesus-allegedly-handsome/230917.md?page=2)