Who started the Jesus with long hair idea?

[Bijou_Drains]

Many paintings show Jesus with long hair and a beard. Was there a reason that started?

A super religious guy one time told me true Christians knew that he did not really look like that.

[tapu]

I’d have suggested Andrew Lloyd Weber, but yeah, I guess it does predate him.

Did men of that time have long hair?

[Bijou_Drains]

Some people think it was hard to cut hair back then so long hair was very common.

[XT]

Well, the earliest depiction of Jesus, according to this, was 6th century AD…so, it goes back at least that far. My WAG is that basically he’s depicted that way because that’s how most people from that part of the world were back then…or, at least back as far as at least the 6th century. I believe there are also descriptions in the Bible (or perhaps in other writings) that talk about him having a beard, though I don’t know about the long hair part.

ETA: This has a part that may or may not be true:

The Problem of the life passion of St. C? us, and the external appearance of Jesus possessed but minor interest for the Church Fathers, although the Catholic Acts of the Holy Apostles ascribe to him an olive complexion, a beautiful beard, and flashing eyes. Further details are first found in a letter to the Emperor Theophilus attributed to John of Damascus (in MPG, xcv. 349), which speaks of the brows which grew together, the beautiful eyes, the prominent nose, the curling hair, the look of health, the black beard, the wheat-colored complexion, and the long fingers, a picture which almost coincides with a hand-book on painting from Mt. Athos not earlier than the sixteenth century. In like manner, Nicephorus Callistus, who introduced his description of the picture of Christ (MPG, cxlv. 748) with the words, “as we have received it from the ancients,” was impressed with the healthful appearance, with the stature, the brown hair which was not very thick but somewhat curling, the black brows which were not fully arched, the sea-blue eyes shading into brown, the beautiful glance, the prominent nose, but brown beard of moderate length, and the long hair which had not been cut since childhood, the neck slightly bent, and the olive and somewhat ruddy complexion of the oval face. A slight divergence from both these accounts is shown by the so-called letter of Lentulus, the ostensible predecessor of Pontius Pilate, who is said to have prepared a report to the Roman Senate concerning Jesus and containing a description of him. According to this document Christ possessed a tall and handsome figure, a countenance which inspired reverence and awakened love and fear together, dark, shining, curling hair, parted in the center in Nazarene fashion and flowing over the shoulders, an open and serene forehead, a face without wrinkle or blemish and rendered more beautiful by its delicate ruddiness, a perfect nose and mouth, a full red beard of the same color as the hair and worn in two points and piercing eyes of a grayish-blue.

[Bijou_Drains]

I remember back in the 60s some guys would say “Well, Jesus had long hair so it must be OK for men”

[kenobi_65]

@tapu

I’d have suggested Andrew Lloyd Weber, but yeah, I guess it does predate him.

According to this article, it may have been the influence of the image of the Shroud of Turin, which “reappeared” around 525 AD (and which is around the time that depictions of Jesus started having long hair and a beard):

Early images of Jesus (from the third century on) usually depict him a young, beardless, short-haired youth, as seen, e.g., on a fifth century sarcophagus (stone coffin) in the Istanbul Museum–or in Jesus the Good Shepherd, an early painting in the Roman catacombs. Yet, French Shroud investigator Paul Vignon, even at the beginning of the twentieth century, pointed out that in Byzantine images in the sixth century a new image of Jesus’ face appears, strikingly like that found on the Shroud of Turin. Vignon noted carry-over facial features such as: owlish staring eyes, a forked beard, two strands of hair falling down from the part, a raised right eyebrow, and so on

This picture, in the article, shows a short-haired, cleanshaven Jesus from a Roman catacomb, then longhaired / bearded images from the 6th and 11th centuries:

[Thudlow_Boink]

One theory I’ve heard is that it’s due to confusion between the word “Nazarene” (meaning someone from Nazareth, used of Jesus) and “Nazirite” (a Jew who made a vow to, among other things, refrain from cutting his hair).

[Defensive_Indifference]

I can’t vouch for this – http://www.quora.com/Why-was-Jesus-depicted-with-long-hair – but it claims that the long hair look started in the 4th century. It says the Roman painters of the era wanted to make him look like a classical philosopher, who were typically portrayed with long hair and a beard. When Christianity became the official religion, according to the link, the long haired depiction gained steam and eventually became the dominant image.

No idea if this guy knows what he’s talking about, but it sounds plausible to me.

[RivkahChaya]

There is something called a “Nazarite,” which is a Jew who has taken a vow to, among other things, not cut his hair, and not drink wine. It’s not really clear how times when drinking a certain amount was a mitzvah was handled, and some people believe the Nazarite vow originally involved simply not ever getting drunk, as opposed to never drinking at all. However, as described in Numbers 6:1-24, there’s no ambiguity.

Samson was a Nazarite, according to midrash, and that was why he had long hair.

The gospel writers chose to interpret a word that wasn’t entirely clear in Aramaic to Greek-speakers as meaning that Jesus was from the Nazareth area of Galilee, and in English rendition, it has come out “Nazarene,” but quite a lot of Aramaic scholars think there was an oral tradition predating the gospels, that Jesus had taken a Nazarite vow. The purpose of the vow was to separate the Nazirite from the rest of the population, so it would make a certain amount of sense for Jesus to have dabbled in it, because it appears he dabbled in just about every fringe movement, from the Zealots, to John the Baptist’s movement, and some that are not named in the gospels, but are hinted at by some quotes attributed to Jesus, before starting his own movement.

If he were keeping a Nazirite vow for at least part of his ministry, he would have had long hair, and it’s possible he encouraged it among his followers who traveled with him, so they may have been “that long-haired group.”

I’m not saying I believe this, so I’m not prepared to vigorously defend it, but it’s one theory out there.

[Musicat]

@kenobi_65

According to this article, it may have been the influence of the image of the Shroud of Turin, which “reappeared” around 525 AD (and which is around the time that depictions of Jesus started having long hair and a beard):

The first record we have of the Shroud of Turin is the 13th Century, and all dating techniques agree with that date, including Cecil:

Most people, and certainly most scientists, have accepted the idea that the shroud was made not long before it was first put on display in 1357.

[Terr]

Jesus was a Jew. His religion was Judaism. Leviticus 19:27: “Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard”.

Some Modern Orthodox authorities interpret it that you can shave, but not with a razor (scissors or electrical shaver are ok). Most Hassidic Orthodox, I think, consider full shave forbidden by any means. AFAIU, during Jesus’ time, Jews solved the dilemma by just having beards and, although “corners of your head” can in modernity be satisfied by leaving long sidelocks (pe’ot), it was probably easier to just have long hair.

[Sefton]

There have been claims that the image of Jesus used throughout the Renaissance was based on that of Cesare Borgia, who wore his hair long. There’s certainly a likeness, but to the best of my knowledge, the claims have never been proven true or false.

[Spoke]

Paul was a contemporary of Jesus, and he apparently had strong feelings against long hair:

“Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him?” I Corinthians 11:14

It would seem very odd for Paul to write that if Jesus was known to have long hair.

The first known depiction of Jesus (dating from 235) appears to show him with short hair.

Another 3rd-century fresco from Rome also depicts him with short hair.

All of which makes it seem that the depiction of Jesus as having long hair is just an artistic convention which developed at some later date and bears no relationship to his actual coiffure.

[Wendell_Wagner]

This 1940 painting is the most famous picture of Jesus:

Head of Christ

Many people still think of it when they are asked what Jesus looked like.

[Czarcasm]

@Bijou_Drains

Many paintings show Jesus with long hair and a beard. Was there a reason that started?

A super religious guy one time told me true Christians knew that he did not really look like that.

Did he happen to mention what “true Christians” thought Jesus did look like?

[MoodIndigo1]

@Spoke

Paul was a contemporary of Jesus, and he apparently had strong feelings against long hair:

“Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him?” I Corinthians 11:14

It would seem very odd for Paul to write that if Jesus was known to have long hair.

The first known depiction of Jesus (dating from 235) appears to show him with short hair.

Another 3rd-century fresco from Rome also depicts him with short hair.

All of which makes it seem that the depiction of Jesus as having long hair is just an artistic convention which developed at some later date and bears no relationship to his actual coiffure.

Paul was not a contemporary of Jesus. The only meeting he is said to have had with Jesus was a vision, on the road to Damascus, after Jesus died. By convention he is considered an apostle, but he was not one of “the” 12 apostles.

Regarding the rest of your post, I agree that it’s likely an artistic convention, as he usually is of the roughly same physical type of the people in the country where the work of art is done.

[Sage_Rat]

@Spoke

Paul was a contemporary of Jesus, and he apparently had strong feelings against long hair:

“Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him?” I Corinthians 11:14

It would seem very odd for Paul to write that if Jesus was known to have long hair.

Paul never met Jesus.

[fridolph]

I don’t know who started that idea of Jesus with long hair. Since nowhere in the bible that describe his look.

[Miller]

@Wendell_Wagner

This 1940 painting is the most famous picture of Jesus:

Head of Christ - Wikipedia

Many people still think of it when they are asked what Jesus looked like.

I’m pretty sure this one is significantly more famous.

[MrDibble]

@Sefton

There have been claims that the image of Jesus used throughout the Renaissance was based on that of Cesare Borgia, who wore his hair long. There’s certainly a likeness, but to the best of my knowledge, the claims have never been proven true or false.

While Borgia did look like trad Longhair Jesus (LHJ), lots of other guys at that particular time did. I think it comes down to artists painting models who had that look.

I mean, have you checked out Albrecht Dürer’s self portraits ? Totally LHJ. Also, probably the hottest Renn artist. Ladies…

Although, having said that, at some point prior to the Rennaisance, LHJ became the standard already - High Medieval Books of Hours have LHJ even when they’re from societies where shorter was the fashion, like the Burgundian bowl cuts of Charles the Bold’s milieu.