Why is Jesus depicted as having long hair in popular western culture?

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the bible is very specific that men should have short hair, isn't it?
Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him, but if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her? For her hair is given to her for a covering.
1 Corinthians 11:14-15
Yes i understand about the skin colour issue, i was going to ask abou that tomorrow :)

This question is really about how the Nazerenes/Essenes viewed some of the old teachings.

I guess it also depends on the definition of long hair.
Many Christian sects frown upon anything other than very short hair on men and quote that particular verse.

My own hair is about the length that Jesus would have had and yet i get comments about cutting my hair :)

God bless you all for your observations and wisdom.
 
its in the 11th Chapter of I Corinthians
which specifically says "it is a shame for a man to have long hair"

Isaiah 7:20
In the same day shall the Lord shave with a razor that is hired, namely, by them beyond the river, by the king of Assyria, the head, and the hair of the feet: and it shall also consume the beard.


Ezekiel 5:1 And thou, son of man, take thee a sharp knife, take thee a barber's razor, and cause it to pass upon thine head and upon thy beard: then take thee balances to weigh, and divide the hair.

I think a great example of why men shouldn't have long hair is found in II Samuel when Absalom was riding a mule and got his hair caught in a oak tree, and Joab was told about it and he killed Absalom. It's in the 18th Chapter.

I don't believe Jesus had long hair it may have came down the edge of a shirt collar but no longer. Just my opinion
 
This comes from medieval art. In the times when the pictures you are describing were made, it was popular for men to wear their hair long. Throughout history, Jesus has been depicted as looking like an ordinary man of the same culture and race as the artist.

As for Corinthians, that applies to Corinthians -- Greeks in other words. In their culture, roughly 2000 years ago, men wore their hair short and women wore theirs longer and covered their heads. It was thought effeminate in that culture to wear long hair like a woman. The writer -- ostensibly St. Paul -- is expressing disapproval of those who do not conform to cultural norms. He didn't want Christians to stand out as looking other than ordinary. He's concerned that they maintain a proper appearance so as to be attractive to possible converts.

Jews in Judea didn't wear their hair the same way. St. Paul, who may not have actually written the letter in question, was a Jew.
 
He was of a sect of Jewish faith call A Nazarene. Some books also say he was an Essene. Both did not believe in cutting of the hair on a mans head. with the exception of Initiation into the sect.
Rev. TomCat
 
Are you looking at a picture book. I don't remember there being pictures of Jesus in the bible. Like it matters.
 
The length of hair we picture on Jesus is not really long like women’s hair. That length hair on men was probably considered short for that period of time in that part of the world.?
 
Because christianity in general is all based on people trying to shape the world around their personal views instead of reality, so anything they want to believe they try to pass off as real.
 
Think about it what are gonna cut your hair with back in those days, Barber clippers.
For crying out loud you can't even shave back then.

No technology, no electricity, and I'm pretty sure scissors weren't invented yet
 
It is a very confusing subject indeed

the first graven images of Christ are in Ancient Rome.

Maybe they did this to idealize Christ. They often pictured him as a youth.

If Jesus were to appear in dreams, i'm sure he would take about the form as we imagine him.
 
Really effective scissors and razors have only been widely available in the past 200 years or so.

What about Samson?
 
you need to read all the scriptures

the vow of the Nazarene
Num 6:5 All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no razor come upon his head: until the days be fulfilled, in the which he separated himself unto the LORD, he shall be holy, and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow.


Samson was one
Jdg 13:5 For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.

Jesus was raised in Nazareth
Mat 2:23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.

Luke 2:51 And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.

So because of the nazarene vow they gave him long hair.
 
Very little is offered of Jesus' appearance. We are told that he is not a handsome man, nor did he have any outstanding features, meaning that as a man he was ordinary. He looked no different from your average Jewish man of the time. However, the ressurected Christ is described by John in Revelation as being a blessed and beautiful creature, and so each nation has rendered their own "take" on what this means.

What Jesus' looked or looks like to us is superficial in the grand scheme of things. What's more important is how do we look to him?
 
Because that's not really Jesus, in reality.

That's Cesar Borgia: http://www.kalipedia.com/kalipediamedia/penrelcul/media/200707/18/hisfilosofia/20070718klpprcfil_74.Ies.SCO.jpg
 
Shh!!

You are not suppose mention that! They don't understand the fallacy of the bible.

You might as well be talking to a brick wall.
 
well maybe they didn't have scissors duh and who cares about the hair he is CHRIST it doesn't matter about the hair. he came on earth to save us.
 
tell that to the nazarites... their vow was their hair, it was to never be touched by a razor. long hair in the deserts and wilderness was encouraged im sure.
 
most cultures have religious icons in which the subjects are of their own race. you should be more concerned with the fact that he is often depicted as being white, with /brown/ long hair. you can google lots of images as example of different countries with both Jesus and Mary of their race. like so:
http://images.travelpod.com/users/happysheep/thumbnail.large.shangri-la-la.1198159020.chinese-mary-and-jesus.jpg

http://www.socialtheology.com/images/eucharist.jpg

http://www.copts.com/english1/wp-content/jesus111007_468x591.jpg

based upon the many childrens' films with Jesus and his miracles/teachings as the plot, I, personally, am convinced that the American view of Jesus is very similar to a hippie- emphasis on his teachings of peace, and brotherly love, anti-violence, and always advising people to follow God. (plus they make him act and sound like he's drugged up).
But in general, people depicted religious figures as similar as possible to themselves in order for the people of their race to relate to and follow them better and easier.
 
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