The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1871-07-21
PORTRAITS OF CHRIST.

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interesting subject, that the familiar
pOrtraitures of the Savior of man
kind are not the mere creations ofre-
Ggious fancy, but in their essential
features have been transmitted. by
faithful and loving hands from the
earliest days Of the Christian Church.
That the mission of Christ on earth,
the peculiar circumstances attending
his birth and death, the manner and
matter ofhis teachings, and the effect
which those teachings produced even
during his lifetime, did awaken q
profound and lasting interest ct least
In Judea, none, we presume, viii
deny. That very many Ofthose who,
through conviction of their truth or
idle curiosity, attended ON his min
istrations, should carry away with
them not only distinct recollection
of the principles inculeated, but a
vivid memory of the face and form Of
Hin "who spake as never man
spal1e, f" is too self-evident to need sr-
gument. And If strangers and
scofTers remembered the figure aad
eountenance of the despised Nazarene
how could the twelve apostles, Mar
tha and Mary and the little company
who believed Jesus to be the veFita-
BILE Messiah, the incarnate God, for
get his looks when he had passed
from Calvary to the Thronel And
ifhis outward seeming did stamp it
self indelibly upon their souls, would
they not cherish it as a fond tradi-
ton, convey it from father to son,
generation to generation, until the
divine hneaments of their risen Lord
were caught by some sympathetic
artist and placed upon canvas or CHS
eled in marble? Nothing could be
more natural than this, and we there
fore hold that all of the portraits of
Jesus Christ are based upon some
original: done, no one knows when,
where or by whom, but certainly
done in accordance with the legend
derived from apostolic times. That
any of them are exactly correct we
are not sufficiently credulOus as to
believe, but we do believe that the
world has a better and more truth
full idea of the person ofthe Redeem
or than can be obtained of any other
individual who lived and died eigh-
teen centuries ago.
We propose in this sketch to give
some of the descriptions of Christ
which are to be found in the writings
of the fathers, and follow them with
brief mention of what are consid-
cred the most authentic portraits,
st. jerome says that in the face and
eyes of Jesus there "Was something
heavenly, so that from their glory
and majesty the hidden Godhead
flashed forth" Origen believed that
Christ had no fixed appearance, but
was manifested to every person in
accordance with that persons idea of
personal beauty. Theophanes says
that some historians described him
as having curled and scanty hair.
st. John of Damascus, writing to the
Emperor Theophilus, declares that
Christ was tall and stately, had
broWs uniting over the nose, which
was large; beautiful eyes, hair of a
golden brown shade inclined to curl
ike his mothers, and black beard.
His head was always somewhat bow
ed forward. Lentulus, who is said
to have lived while the Savior was
on earth, and to have held position
among Entertainers fPilate--thOUgh
both statements are probably ticti-
tious-Wrote letter which is quoted
by st. Anselm of Canterbury in ll0f.
We extract q single passage: "He
| (Christ) is a man of tall stature,
comely, having venerable cOunte-
nance, which those behOlding must
love or fear. His hair is waving and
curled, rolling to his shoulders, hav-
ing q parting in the middle of the
head, after the manner of the NaZa-
renes. His brow is smooth and Sc
rene, his face without wrinkle OF
! blemish of any kind, and rendered
beautiful by q moderate color. There
- no fault to be found with the nose
or ,uouth his hair is the color of the
haze nut his beard the same shade
as his hair; not long but bifurcated,
and his t>Yes grayish blue and full OF
Iight. hIis hands and arms are
beautiful"
Nicephorus Callistus ZanthepOlus
who lived at COustantinople between
i325 and 1850, and wrote a volumi-
nous ecclesiastical history, sums uE
the ancient descriptions in the fol
lowing words:
"Christ was beautiful in body; his
height seven complete spans; his
hair yelloWish, but not thick, and a
the ends somewhat curled. His eye
brows were black, only a little arch
ed and without break; his eyes were
/ hazel, and of that description known
as bright-eyed-not dim, and in ne
Way misformed nor wandering. Iii
nose was prominent, his beard red
dish. not profuse, but the hair of tht
head was abundant, for never ha(
razor or hand of man shOrn it. Hi
neck was somewhat bent so that b.
The did not walk perfeetly upright
the color of his face was not roun'
: nor pointed, but, like his mother,
A little dropping, and slightly blush
ing. His very countenance indicat
ed a man of intelligence, with man
ners grave, calm, and removed froI
anger. In ali things he was like M
) most pure mother"
) Nicephorus gives this sketch of tn
) Virgin Mary:
Z ''Mary was In everything modes
D and earnest; she spake little, an
$ then only about necessities she wa
(; very courteous, and rendered to a
0 honor and respect. She spake to a
/ with an engaging trankRess, viii
: out laughing, without embarrasi
9 ment, and especially without rancO
3 Finally, she was without pride, sin
= pie, and without gnile; she had Il
. insipidity about her, was unassun
y ing. She was of middle statur
. though some assert her to have bee
Z somewhat taller. She had a pa
y tint, light hair, piercing eyes WI
yellowish oliYe-cOloFed pupils. Ill
brows were arched and moderate
+ black: her nose moderately Ions
rs her lips fresh and full of amiabili
? when speaking; her face not rouI
"a or pointed, bnt longish, and h
II 7 hands and fingers fsiFlY long,
\. L.. IL, ..-n. Ea-lG Of the LAL-lL