WHY IS JESUS DEPICTED IN DIFFERENT WAYS?

No physical description of Jesus is found in the Bible.

He's typically depicted as Caucasian in Western works of art, but has also been painted to look as if he was Latino or Aboriginal.

It's thought this is so people in different parts of the world can more easily relate to the Biblical figure.

The earliest depictions show him as a typical Roman man, with short hair and no beard, wearing a tunic.

It is thought that it wasn't until 400AD that Jesus appears with a beard. 

This is perhaps to show he was a wise teacher, because philosophers at the time were typically depicted with facial hair.

The conventional image of a fully bearded Jesus with long hair did not become established until the sixth century in Eastern Christianity, and much later in the West

Medieval art in Europe typically showed him with brown hair and pale skin.

This image was strengthened during the Italian Renaissance, with famous paintings such as The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci showing Christ.

Modern depictions of Jesus in films tend to uphold the long-haired, bearded stereotype, while some abstract works show him as a spirit or light.

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