Expert: Sal - 3/25/2007

Question
Dear sal,

                  hello I have a question I read that Jesus Christ, He is a semite that he has dark skin and dark brown eyes and black hair like the arabs? And since he was born in Bethleham, Israel in 4 or 7 AC that makes him a Galilean. So If he is a Galilean and raised in Nazereth didnt he have long hair and a beard or did he have short hair like the gospels because Jesus said if a man has long hair it is a shame unto him but if a woman has Long hair it is a glory to her. So did he have long or short hair and a beard that is the question :-D Thanks and I turned 21 on March 24th!

Answer
Hello Jacqueline:

The quote you are thinking of is not from Jesus, but rather from St. Paul. It is found in 1 Corinthians 11:14-15. St. Paul was speaking of church discipline and not making a statement that men must have short hair and women must have long hair.

Jesus did not look like a arab because he was not an arab. He probably looked like a Israeli. They have lighter skin than an Arab, generally speaking. Jesus probably had dark hair and eyes as is common to that area of the world. We know from the Holy Shroud of Turin that Jesus did have a beard and long hair.

Thanks and God Bless,
Sal