# Where did the classic "look" of Jesus originate?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-classic-look-of-jesus-originate/452657>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 12, 2008, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-classic-look-of-jesus-originate/452657 "2008-06-12T04:36:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Neur0mancer\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/46a35a/32.png) [@Neur0mancer\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neur0mancer_1)\
**Post date:** [June 12, 2008, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-classic-look-of-jesus-originate/452657/1 "2008-06-12T04:36:39Z")

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Why do all classical Western depictions of Christ portray him as thin, long-haired, and short-bearded?

He’s portrayed that way in pre-Renaissance iconography, so the origin must be older than the 1300s.

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**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\
**Post date:** [June 12, 2008, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-classic-look-of-jesus-originate/452657/2 "2008-06-12T05:16:12Z")

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Some interesting discussion in a previous thread: [Did Jesus really have long hair?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=424879&highlight=image+jesus)

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**Author:** ![Two\_and\_a\_Half\_Inches\_of\_Fun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea666f/32.png) [@Two\_and\_a\_Half\_Inches\_of\_Fun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_and_a_Half_Inches_of_Fun)\
**Post date:** [June 12, 2008, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-classic-look-of-jesus-originate/452657/3 "2008-06-12T05:23:09Z")

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[QUOTE=Neur0mancer.]  
Why do all classical Western depictions of Christ portray him as thin, long-haired, and short-bearded?

He’s portrayed that way in pre-Renaissance iconography, so the origin must be older than the 1300s.  
[/QUOTE]

It goes back to at least the 6th or 7th century.

> **[Christ Pantocrator](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christ_Pantocrator#Icons_of_Christ_Pantocrator)**
>
> In Christian iconography, Christ Pantocrator (Ancient Greek: Χριστὸς Παντοκράτωρ, lit. 'Christ the Almighty') is a specific depiction of Jesus. Pantocrator or Pantokrator (.mw-parser-output .tooltip-dotted{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}lit. 'ruler of all'; normally translated as 'almighty' or 'all-powerful') is derived from one of many names of God in Judaism.
> The Pantocrator is largely an Eastern Orthodox, Eastern Catholic or Eastern Lutheran theological conception and is less common und...