Many Christians share the same intriguing question i.e., How Tall Was Jesus?. Hence, people are curious to know about his appearance. Well, there are no specific mentions of Jesus Christ’s height in the holy scriptures. However, Christian scholars have somehow figured out his estimated height. With the lack of historical sources, all they can do is agree to an average height. There is no precise description of Jesus’ physical appearance.
The average height of humans during the 1st Century AD is also considered by the scholars. Everything from his birthplace to his purpose on Earth is explained in the Bible. In contrast, his height and physical appearance remains a topic of debate. Stay tuned if you are interested in exploring this topic deeply. This blog covers the popular question “How Tall Was Jesus?” and much more.
How Tall Was Jesus?
As has been noted, holy scriptures are not very helpful for figuring out Jesus’ height. These historical sources were definitely influenced by several factors. For example, the people of that time, regions, archaeological findings, and much more. A renowned Christian scholar claims that Jesus wasn’t much taller than everybody else. It might be possible that Jesus had an average height and he could blend in well with other humans.
According to Matthew 26:47-56, Judas had to point out Jesus Christ for the Roman soldiers. During this time, they were in Gethsemane. It can be concluded that Jesus Christ had looked similar to any other normal human. There was no way of finding out who Jesus was amidst a crowd. Instead of looking like a divine god, he was just like other human beings. The collective answer by scholars is that Jesus’s height was around 5 feet and 5 Inches. On an average, his height can be placed between 5 feet 1 inch and 5 feet 5 Inches. In other words, he was 1.7 metres tall.
Jesus’s Height Estimates – How Tall Was Jesus?
The Bible rarely offers any details about how Jesus Christ actually looked. Hence, there is nothing that directly answers How Tall Was Jesus?. Well, scholars believe that it wasn’t mentioned because his height wasn’t extraordinary. For the same reason, they believe that Jesus had an average height and he was not that tall. According to experts, people weren’t attracted to Jesus’ physical features. Instead, they liked him because of his wisdom and divine energy. The Gospels are known to mention when someone was considerably tall like Saul in the verse 1 Samuel. In the Gospel of Luke, it is mentioned that Zacchaeus (a tax collector) wanted to see Jesus. Luke 19:3-4 reads “Jesus was heading his way and Zacchaeus wanted to see what he was like”. Zacchaeus was fairly short in terms of height and Jesus was in between a huge crowd.
To take a look at Jesus, he climbed up on a tall tree. Still, he wasn’t able to find Jesus Christ amidst the crowd. Scholars believe that Zacchaeus could have spotted him in the crowd if Jesus was a tall figure. However, he wasn’t able to do so which proves that Jesus had an average height. To further search for Jesus’ height, scholars even turned towards history and archaeology. They started analyzing people of the Middle East who were alive during the 1st century AD. According to sources, the average height of male skeletons from that time and place was around 5’5″. That’s why Jesus’ height is also placed at 5 feet and 5 Inches. Whereas, some sources claim that it was in the range of 5’1″ and 5’5″.
Physical Appearance of Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ was reincarnated as a human on Earth. He used to be a 1st century Jewish human. For the same reason, scholars conclude that his physical attributes were similar to that population. According to sources, Jesus Christ had a slightly brown skin with hints of olive shade. Furthermore, his hair can be described as dark black in colour. Similarly, Jesus Christ had dark eyes. According to archeology, he had a broad face combined with a quite large nose. And, he had a much darker skin tone than the conventional image of Jesus Christ in the west.
In the Bible, the Gospels didn’t mention anything about his appearance. This suggests that Jesus didn’t have a remarkable or extraordinary physical appearance. Therefore, he looked ordinary like other humans. His physical features were not the reason that people got attracted towards Jesus. It was his actions as a God, shared wisdom, and performed miracles that got everyone’s attention.
Clothing, Posture, & Body Attributes of Jesus Christ
The Christian scholars claim that Jesus Christ used to dress like a conventional Jew individual of that era. Jesus was reincarnated as a Galilean Jew on Earth and he absolutely looked the part. The western Christian art of Jesus Christ shows him in a flowing robe. And, the western art shows a divine halo around his head. In contrast, scholars claim that he didn’t look anything like that.
Instead, Jesus Christ wore a short tunic i.e., a loose fitting upper body garment. Along with that, he used to wear a belt along with an outer cloak. Even his lower body was covered with generic clothes of the 1st century. Meanwhile, Jesus Christ used to walk in simple sandals. His body attributes are believed to be lean. Jesus led a very active lifestyle, that’s why people believe that he must have had a robust body.
What is the importance of Jesus’ height and physical appearance?
Instead of looking like an entity from some other world, Jesus looked exactly like any other human. This ordinary appearance reinforces the fact that Jesus accepted humanity as a whole. Knowing about his height and physical appearance helps people know about his existence in the Middle East. In contrast, his artistic image which is popular in western regions is not accurate. Exploring the historical evidence helps change the public’s perspective.
His ordinary appearance as a human shows that Jesus was not a distant figure of mystical origin. Archaeology of the remains found from the 1st century AD gave us an idea of how Jesus Christ looks. Knowing about all this proves that there are no concrete facts when it comes to Jesus’ physical appearance. People can draw a line between their faith and his actual existence based on history.
Conclusion
Even though there are no precise details about his height, you can at least get an idea. Jesus wasn’t tall and had an average height of 5 feet and 5 Inches. Scholars believe that his appearance is very similar to that of a 1st century Galilean Jew. Other physical attributes of Jesus Christ have also been discussed above. In conclusion, you can perceive Jesus’ historically accurate looks.
FAQs
What kind of clothes did he wear?
Jesus Christ wore simple dresses in contrast to the robe in artistic visualisations.
How Tall Was Jesus?
According to Christian Scholars, Jesus was 5 feet and 5 Inches tall.
What was the colour of Jesus’ skin?
His skin tone can be described as a blend of olive and brown.
Also read about: Women Of The Bible Guide – Old & New Testament
