If you closed your eyes and pictured Jesus right now, what would you see in your mind’s eye? A man with long, flowing brown hair and a beard, with a halo of light around his head? While this is definitely a common image of Jesus – is it accurate?
How is Jesus described in the Bible, and how might it be different from our mental picture of him?
What did Jesus actually look like?
The Bible doesn’t give us a lot to go off with Jesus' physical appearance. However, there are a few passages that can give us an idea:
Isaiah 53:2
This verse is a prophecy about the coming Messiah, which we now know referred to Jesus. It doesn’t tell us specifically what he looked like, but it emphasizes that he had no striking physical features:
"My servant grew up in the Lord’s presence like a tender green shoot, like a root in dry ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him." Isaiah 53:2
Revelation 1:14-15
This passage recalls a symbolic vision of Jesus after his resurrection. It describes him in a glorified, heavenly state and doesn’t say anything about what he looked like when he walked the Earth.
"His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were like flames of fire. His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves." Revelation 1:14-15
These passages focus more on Jesus' mission and divine nature rather than a physical description. His appearance was never meant to be the focus – rather, it was his teachings, actions, and his role in God’s plan to rescue humanity.
How does the Bible describe Jesus?
Though the Bible doesn't give us specific information about Jesus' physical appearance, there are context clues we can use to piece together an image:
1. Jesus' likely ethnicity and physical build
There are a few things we can guess about what Jesus looked like based on his ethnicity:
Jesus was a Jewish man in first-century Palestine
Jesus was a Jewish man born in Bethlehem and raised in Nazareth, both located in the modern region of Palestine. Scholars generally agree that he would have had the typical features of a Middle Eastern man of that time: olive or brown skin, dark eyes, and dark hair.
Average height and build
Archaeological and skeletal evidence from the period Jesus was alive suggests that the average height of men was around 5’5”. Men at that time also tended to have a lean build, typical for someone who worked in manual labor like Jesus, who was described as a carpenter (Mark 6:3).
2. Jesus’ face and hair
Just like there are current hairstyles for men today, there were hairstyles that were more common and socially acceptable in Jesus’ time. Knowing this, we can guess Jesus probably had these characteristics:
Jesus likely had shorter hair
While many artistic depictions show Jesus with long flowing hair, it's more likely that men during that time kept their hair short. Paul, writing in 1 Corinthians 11:14, says, “Doesn’t nature itself teach you that it is a disgrace for a man to have long hair?” This verse probably reflects the socially acceptable expectations around the way men wore their hair at the time.
...and probably a beard!
You’d be hard pressed to find a Jewish man that didn’t have a beard during Jesus’ time. There’s also a verse in Isaiah 50 that refers to the Messiah’s beard being pulled out, which could imply that Jesus had a beard.
3. Jesus wore simple clothes
Jesus likely wore typical clothing of the time: a simple tunic with a cloak and sandals. His attire wouldn't have been flashy, but rather a reflection of his humble lifestyle and upbringing.
John 19:23, which recounts some of the details of the day Jesus was crucified, describes soldiers dividing up his seamless tunic, which indicates it was well-made but not extravagant.
4. Jesus' health and physical condition
Given that Jesus worked as a carpenter and frequently walked across long distances, it’s safe to assume that he was in good physical shape. Jesus was probably lean and muscular but not overly bulky. Manual labor would have contributed to his overall health, but life expectancy in the ancient world was shorter, and people aged faster due to harsh living conditions.
Focus on identity over appearance
While there’s no harm in curiosity, Jesus' physical appearance was not important to his followers or his teachings. The Bible doesn’t give us a lot of detail, perhaps because it’s not meant to be our primary focus. What Jesus accomplished on earth was far more important than what he looked like while doing it!
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Curious to learn more about the Jesus beyond his physical appearance? Check out 10 interesting facts about Jesus, or start our Bible Reading Plan that follows his time on Earth as recorded in the book of Matthew.
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