From: Was Jesus Black? Exploring the Appearance of a Historical Figure
evidencehistorical

Jesus was a Jewish man from the Middle East with typical Mediterranean features.

95% confidence

Jesus lived in the region of Galilee, part of ancient Judea, around 2,000 years ago. People there were Jewish and had features common in the Eastern Mediterranean region. Historical and archaeological evidence shows that people from this area usually had olive to darker skin, dark hair, and brown eyes. This matches the typical appearance of many modern Middle Eastern populations. So, Jesus would not have looked like the white European figures often seen in Western art.

Read the full exploration
What else is in this exploration
5 perspectives4 visualizations4 insights14 media resources8 rabbit holes
evidence
Scientific reconstructions based on skulls from 1st-century Palestine suggest Jesus had Middle Ea...
evidence
In many African and African-American communities, Jesus is often portrayed as black.
perspective
Scientists and historians look at archaeological and historical data to understand Jesus’s likely...
Sign up to unlock
Continue exploring
Was Jesus Black? Exploring the Appearance of a Historical Figure
Evidence, perspectives, rabbit holes, and more