Discussion»Statements»Rosie's Corner» The oldest known portrait of Jesus was found in Syria in 235 showing him as beardless/cleanshaven. Today he is shown with a beard. Why?
I can't say for sure, but the reason is probably because somewhere along the line someone confused Nazarene with Nazarite. A Nazarene was someone from or associated with the town of Nazareth in Galilee. A Nazarite is a person who took a vow to God (Numbers 6:1-21) which includes not cutting their hair (Numbers 6:5).
It's also possible that artists simply wanted him to look more manly.
(Note: There are NO real portraits of Jesus, only human imagination.)
According to Old Testament, Scripture Jesus had a beard.
"I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting." -Isaiah 50:6
However, the New Testament Scriptures contain no reference to Jesus’ appearance, much less a description of him. We don’t know what he looked like. So unless they had cameras during His life on earth, the paintings you see of Jesus are nothing more than a representation of what the artist thought He should look like. This is why you see so much disparity in the "supposed" portraits of Jesus.
" The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters.
Shuhak 