Rediscovering Jesus: Beyond the Western Image

The image or depiction of Jesus Christ, the son of Mary, has always been a subject of curiosity. Where did this image come from? What is its origin, or rather, who is the person in this image? If he was a man who was born, raised, and lived here in the Middle East, why is he imagined by people all over the world as a white man with Western features? We always see him depicted in this way. Is this truly the accurate representation of Jesus, or does this image conceal a deception and a grand narrative?

From time to time, a new image of the face of Jesus Christ, the prophet of God, son of Mary, peace be upon him, spreads across social media. Websites and sources compete to present the "true" image of him, the most prominent of which is the one that recently spread through various applications depicting the face of Jesus, peace be upon him. What is striking is that most of these images contradict what has been ingrained in our minds through the information and images circulated, as well as Western films about Jesus. I mean the image embodied initially by the British actor Robert Powell in the famous 1977 film *Jesus of Nazareth*, followed by the American actor Jim Caviezel in the 2004 film *The Passion of the Christ*, in addition to many other Western actors, of course, with certain characteristics—I believe you can guess them: blond hair, blue eyes, and, of course, white skin. This stereotypical image of Jesus has become known and widespread around the world.

This particular image might lead some to believe that it originated from drawings dating back to the first centuries AD. However, a study published by the University of South Carolina proved the opposite of what is expected. This widely circulated image first appeared in 1940, only in the mid-20th century. The image was drawn and circulated by a commercial artist named Warner Sallman. This artist specialized in advertising art and commercial illustrations, and he partnered with two Christian companies that specialized in postcards, painted glass, Christmas calendars, and more. The man drew Jesus with long blond hair and blue eyes, and this image spread like wildfire, becoming the representation of Jesus' face.

However, depicting Jesus as a Western man is not a recent phenomenon. It dates back much further, to the era of the Roman Empire, with the spread of Christianity within it. Listen carefully: the beginnings of this analogy, or rather the story of the circulated image of Jesus, which Christian artists relied on from the early days of Christianity, go back to the time of Jesus himself, specifically to Saint Veronica—or rather, the Veil of Saint Veronica. The legend or story says that this saint wiped the face of Jesus during his crucifixion and took her veil home with her. Upon arriving and seeking to bless it with the blood and sweat of Jesus, she unfolded the veil and was surprised to see the image of Jesus imprinted on it. Thus, the face drawn on the veil became the sacred face, and this veil became a source of healing and blessing for saints and Christian emperors alike. From there, the image of Jesus spread through the centuries.

During the Roman era, specifically during the reign of Emperor Constantine, the image of Jesus with Roman features spread under the influence of the prevailing culture at the time. From there, the depiction of Jesus in this form continued through famous artworks, such as Leonardo da Vinci's *The Last Supper* and Michelangelo's famous paintings of *The Last Judgment* in the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican.

However, in recent decades, the scope of research and studies on the true face or actual appearance of Jesus has expanded, especially with the growing awareness among researchers and scholars about the lack of realism in the widespread image of Jesus. All sources, historical documents, and holy books confirm that the prophet of God, Jesus, son of Mary, was born and raised in Bethlehem on the land of his ancestral Palestine—meaning he was undeniably Middle Eastern. Therefore, the given depiction of his appearance is unrealistic, as it is clearly biased toward the West and Europeans.

In fact, researchers have stated that depicting Jesus as a European man was primarily motivated by the idea of promoting the superiority of the white race. Secondly, the goal was to gain Western sympathy and support for Christianity from the beginning of its spread. This is where studies and research began to expand. It was discovered that the oldest image of Jesus was found in beloved Syria, specifically at the archaeological site of the ancient city of Dura-Europos, located in the Syrian desert near Deir ez-Zor. In this image, which dates back to 235 AD, Jesus appears as a beardless young man walking on water. Then, in 2020, another image was discovered in one of the ancient Coptic tombs in Upper Egypt. This time, Jesus appeared as a young man with curly hair and a short robe, raising his hand as a sign of blessing. The stereotypical image began to change, and it became likely that the image of Jesus, peace be upon him, differs according to the civilizations that embraced Christianity. Just as he is depicted in the West as resembling a Western man with blond hair and blue eyes, in Africa, he is depicted as dark-skinned to black with curly black hair—in other words, embodying an African man. In China and the Far East, Jesus is depicted with yellow skin and narrow eyes. I think the reason is clear, isn't it?

To make matters worse, neither the Old nor the New Testament, nor the four Gospels, provide any description of the face of Jesus. This has left the door wide open for speculation. There is no specific image of Jesus' face or appearance, and everyone sees him as resembling themselves. Is it conceivable that science would not intervene in a matter of this magnitude? This is what happened with all the technological advancements that have allowed scientists to reconstruct any face they desire. Scientists have taken it upon themselves to investigate this matter. The scientific field responsible for this research is known as forensic anthropology, a highly advanced field often used to identify unknown or disfigured bodies by reconstructing their faces using various techniques.

Retired forensic expert Richard Neave from the University of Manchester in the UK was a pioneer in this field. The artist and expert, author of the book *Making Faces: Using Forensic and Archaeological Evidence*, managed to reconstruct the face of Jesus according to his vision. This expert, after studying a number of skulls belonging to Jews who lived during the time of Jesus, specifically in the Galilee region, was able to form an idea of Jesus' true face. These skulls were subjected to X-ray scans, and the images were then converted into 3D models. After extensive study of history, the Gospels, ancient inscriptions, and drawings, the images were transformed into plastic skulls. The expert began covering them with layers of clay, eventually reaching the outer skin and hair. After many attempts, the final result emerged—a face completely different from what Renaissance artists and others before and after them had depicted. The scientific result came as follows: Jesus had a broad face with dark eyes. This face resembles a Middle Eastern man, specifically men from the region where he was born, peace be upon him. In their own words and with their own science and technology, they refuted what their ancestors had promoted about the blond, Western-looking Jesus.

In my personal opinion, things are beginning to return to their correct and historically realistic state. I know an important question is on the minds of many of you: What about Islam? The topic concerns a prophet of God mentioned in our noble Quran. Is it conceivable that our noble religion did not address this matter? The answer comes directly from the words of our greatest Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, through the narrations of prophetic hadiths. Many hadiths describe the Prophet's account of Jesus, peace be upon him, after the famous Night Journey and Ascension, during which it is known that the Prophet met the prophets who preceded him in the heavens. It was reported that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "As for Jesus, son of Mary, he was a reddish man, between short and tall, with straight hair, a lot of hair on his face, as if he had just come out of a bath, and his head was dripping with water, though he had no water on him." In another narration: "I saw Jesus as a man of medium height, with a reddish-white complexion, and his head was straight." In yet another narration: "As for Jesus, he was reddish, with curly hair, a broad chest."

Islamic interpretations agree that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, described Jesus as a man of medium height, with a complexion tending toward redness, and in some interpretations, light brown, with a broad chest and flowing hair. This is a clear confirmation that he was not the blond, blue-eyed man. Despite this, and despite the explicit Western scientific statement, the West, with its various tools, still insists on planting the idea that Jesus, peace be upon him, is represented as a Western man. In my view, and in the view of the wise, this is a desperate attempt to affirm the superiority of the white race and the West in particular over other races.

Research and studies are still ongoing, and the results continue to reveal the falsity of Western history with its own tools. Much is still hidden, and the days, God willing, are capable of revealing the truth. Tell me in the comments which opinions you agree with and how you imagine the appearance of Jesus, son of Mary, peace be upon him. My friends, this was the topic of tonight. This particular topic, I believe, does not have a conclusive ending in the near future. The absence of historical documents from the time of Jesus and the lack of any actual description of his appearance from that era have complicated matters greatly. Everyone imagines Jesus in a way that suits their interests and culture. As for the West, it has tried and continues to manipulate the matter for its own benefit and the benefit of its principle of superiority over other human races. It seems that the West has forgotten or chosen to ignore that the Church of the Nativity, the birthplace of Jesus, peace be upon him, is in Bethlehem, that ancient Palestinian city, older and more rooted in history than all of their history. They want to erase the deeply rooted identity of Jesus in the land of Palestine. They are striving with all their might to obliterate the history of Palestine and its people. They want to attribute to themselves one of the greatest figures in history, even if it is for their own benefit. If they could, they would have tried to do the same with our greatest Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. But as the saying goes, "Water exposes the diver," and the denial has come from their own mouths and through their own scientists. Our information is clear and unambiguous, with no doubt in the words of our greatest Messenger. God willing, the days, research, and studies will prove his words, peace and blessings be upon him and his family and companions. The final word is that we are the origin, we are the history, and we are the cradle of civilizations and their source, whether they like it or not. Hold on to that and do not neglect the elevation and uniqueness of your history.