For those who would like to have a clearer idea of how Jesus looked, here at
the end of the gospels we point out that image which can be regarded as most
genuine - although no generally accepted portrait exists:
The so-called only real "Bild unseres Heilandes", available from
the Lorber-Verlag (Publisher at 74321 Bietigheim-Bissingen, Germany).
According to tradition it was included by command of the Emperor Tiberius from a
portrait on an emerald and from the treasury of Constantinople given by the
sultan of the Turks to Pope Innocent VIII. for ransoming his brother. That is
combined with a description of the figure of Jesus by Publius Lentulus, at that
time governor of Judea, for the senate and the roman nation .
"At that time a very virtuous man appeared, named Jesus Christ, who lives
still among us, looked at as a prophet of the truth by the pagans, but named Son
of God by his disciples. He raises people from the dead, heals all illnesses. A
medium-sized man, powerfully built and of venerable appearance; so those, who
look at him, must love and fear him as well. His hair is colo(u)red like a ripe
hazel nut, almost straight down to the ears, from there down over the shoulders
a little curly, with oriental style, as usual with the Nazarenes parted in the
middle. His front is open and smooth, his face without blotches and wrinkles,
beautiful, of agreeable red. The nose and mouth is formed faultlessly. The beard
is not thick, the colo(u)r matching the hair, not very long. His eyes are dark
blue, clear and lively. His body is well shaped and erect, his hands and arms
are proportioned. His reprimand is terrifying, his exhortation friendly and
likeable, his speech moderate, wise and modest, mixed with dignity. Nobody can
remember having seen him laughing (at sb.), but many saw him weeping. A man,
surpassing the people in his curious beauty".
(In the German
printed text the picture was added with permission of the editor from 1992.)
Concerning the
imprint of Jesus' corpse on the "holy shroud of Turin" - see our
chapter "Crucifixion ...".
There
is another cloth with the face of Jesus with open eyes, i.e. the "veil of
Manoppello", which is being investigated by P. Prof. Dr. Heinrich Pfeiffer
and Sister Blandina Paschalis Schlömer ever since 1979. http://voltosanto.com
. This image is difficult to explain
too. For instance, one cannot paint on mussel silk. The face measurements on the
two cloths are congruent. Cf. John 20: 5-7. These pictures both
influenced the paintings of the early centuries. The veil, which seems to have
been wrapped around the head of Jesus, shows a frontal view of an oval face with
the hair. There are also some similarities to the above described picture, which
shows the living Jesus from the side.
A painted sketch of the life of Jesus
Reference to a complete version for print, and Copyright Ways of Christ™