Current Events > In the old Jesus days did they imagine God as an old white guy?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I know Jesus being white was a creation of Italian renaissance painters so just wondering if it's the same with god

When someone tells me to imagine god, its usually 50/50 if its either a really old white guy or a ball of light considering he has no physical body.

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Nope. Just Google Jesus iconography. You'll get art that makes him look white going back a lot earlier than the Renaissance and in places far removed from Italy.* Although, he may have had non-white features with white skin in those artworks.

*I am a humanities student. I should know these things.

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Probably not considering Jesus wouldnt have been very white looking

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I believe physical depictions of God the father in general are a relatively late addition.


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I think people only saw a white light back then

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The Bible describes God as looking like Ken Jeong. By name.

Honestly, people should try actually reading it.

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Considering in the "days of Jesus", where Jesus was located, there weren't many "white people" for his followers to even know what a white person looked like.

A lot of people (and Mel Gibson) don't want to admit it, but there's a better chance Jesus looked like Osama Bin Laden, and less like Jim Caviezal.

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bigblu89 posted...

Considering in the "days of Jesus", where Jesus was located, there weren't many "white people" for his followers to even know what a white person looked like.

Israel was under Roman governance during Jesus' time. They surely knew what white people looked like.

Not to mention much of the New Testament was written in Greek

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You ever notice how jesus has ripped abs. Must be all the walking. But doesnt explain how he has guns tho.

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God doesn't have a shape in "old days"

Old man god is essentially a creation of Michaelangelo.

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SauI_Goodman posted...

You ever notice how jesus has ripped abs. Must be all the walking. But doesnt explain how he has guns tho.

Must get lonely out in the desert.

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The skill and talent of artistry back then was a luxury only few were able to do. Heavily subjective and often open to interpretation.

In the old testament of the bible, God was a bush on fire. These were stories told generation after generation until they complied it all in a super collection.

Old white guy? Back then Artists living the life and intrepreting their visual art for those that didnt have the luxury to paint God. It was blaphemy. Yet, people made their own beliefs and gave God a face.

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Daniel 7:9
As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire.

Ezekiel 1:26-28
And above the expanse over their heads there was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like sapphire; and seated above the likeness of a throne was a likeness with a human appearance. And upward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were gleaming metal, like the appearance of fire enclosed all around. And downward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness around him. Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking.

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Foppe posted...

And upward from what had the appearance of his waist

I love that God is so far outside of human comprehension that someone directly observing Him has a hard time committing 100% to describing Him as having a waist.

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HylianFox posted...

Israel was under Roman governance during Jesus' time. They surely knew what white people looked like.

Not to mention much of the New Testament was written in Greek

How "white" were Greek and Italian people back in 20 AD?

Answer: Not very.

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Xavier_On_High posted...

Must get lonely out in the desert.

The guy was a carpenter, long before power tools existed.

The only things Old Testament I remember description wise were that He had a face you couldn't look upon or you'd die.
And I believe Moses could see Him from behind and it still caused some crazy stuff.
So He has a face, and a back (at least whatever physical form He chooses to portray Himself with)

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HBOSS posted...

The skill and talent of artistry back then was a luxury only few were able to do. Heavily subjective and often open to interpretation.

In the old testament of the bible, God was a bush on fire. These were stories told generation after generation until they complied it all in a super collection.

Old white guy? Back then Artists living the life and intrepreting their visual art for those that didnt have the luxury to paint God. It was blaphemy. Yet, people made their own beliefs and gave God a face.

So they actually didn't anthropomorphize god, he was something completely different back then.