The face of Jesus?
QUESTION Is there any physical description of Jesus in the Bible? How did the popular Western appearance of Jesus come about?
THE New Testament includes no descriptions of Jesus’s appearance before his death.
The early Church was strongly divided upon the subject. Old Testament Prophet Isaiah 53: 2, referred to the coming Messiah: ‘he had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.’
Latin theologian Tertullian described Christ in unflattering terms: ‘Whatever that poor despised body may be, because it was an object of touch and sight, it shall be my Christ, be he inglorious, be he ignoble, be he dishonoured; for such was it announced that he should be, both in bodily condition and aspect.’
The counter-view, deriving from the Greek idealisation of the gods, assumed that beauty and divinity must be linked. An Old Testament justification was found in Psalm 45:2-3, which describes him as ‘fairer than the children of men’.
Despite St Augustine’s testimony that no authentic likeness existed, this became the prevailing view of Western Christianity, reinforced by famous relics such as the Shroud of Turin.
In the 15th century, the Letter of Lentulus was published. This purported to be a memorandum addressed by Publius Lentulus, Governor of Jerusalem, to the senate and people of Rome.
It contains a detailed description of Jesus: ‘he is, in stature, a man of middle height and well-proportioned. he has a venerable face of a sort to arouse both fear and love in those who see him.
‘his hair is the colour of ripe chestnuts, smooth almost to the ears, but above them waving and curling, with a slight bluish radiance and it flows over his shoulders. It is parted in the middle on the top of his head, after the fashion of the people of Nazareth.
‘his brow is smooth and very calm, with a face without wrinkle or blemish, tinged with red. his nose and mouth are faultless. his beard is luxuriant and unclipped Idealised: Traditional image of Christ in St Katherine’s monastery, Sinai of the same colour as his hair, not long, but parted at the chin. his eyes are expressive and brilliant.’
It is a testimony perfectly tailored to suit Christian propagandists and many consider it a fraud — there was no governor of Jerusalem at the time of Jesus and no Lentulus has been discovered as a Roman official in Palestine.
Yet such images helped define Jesus in the minds of artists.
Mrs Rachel Trimble, Llandudno.
QUESTION Has the French government ever challenged Britain over sovereignty of the Channel Islands?
THE Channel Islands sit on the major trade route between the Mediterranean and Western europe. Consequently, the French have tried to take the islands on several occasions and occupied them from 1461 to 1468.
The last invasion attempt resulted in the Battle of Jersey in 1781. The islands’ proximity to the French mainland meant they had strategic importance in any war between Britain and France.
Visitors will notice how heavily fortified they are: almost every bay and headland has a strongpoint of some kind.
Kyle Walsh, Cowes, Isle of Wight. The existence of the Channel Islands as crown dependencies is unique compared with others such as Gibraltar or the Isle of Man as they are the last surviving remnant of the Duchy of Normandy — hence the popular Channel Island idea of ‘owning’ Britain.
They owe loyalty to the Queen as ‘Duke’ of Normandy, hence the loyal toast is ‘To elizabeth, our duke’ (never duchess). The islands remain loyal and in return the Crown has given them internal selfdetermination and tax-raising powers.
It is because of this link to the Crown that the Channel Islands are part of the British Isles, but not part of the UK. The role of the British government and the islands’ neutral status have protected them from French interest.
Marin Olivier, Southampton.
QUESTION Could steam engines refill from water troughs on the move?
FURTHER to the earlier answer, the passing of the steam locomotive signalled an end to the need for railway water troughs and none has survived.
Similarly, many of the water cranes or columns which had enabled the water tanks on locomotives to be replenished also began to disappear.
In 1963, businessman Alan Pegler bought Flying Scotsman from British Railways and later acquired a second tender, which he had converted to carry an extra 6,000 gallons of water.
The locomotive hauled two tenders on many of its outings. however, even this proved precarious.
On May 1, 1968, Flying Scotsman attempted to repeat an achievement that had occurred 40 years previously. On May 1, 1928, the locomotive had hauled The Flying Scotsman daily train non-stop for the first time between King’s Cross and edinburgh (392.7 miles). Pegler was attempting a repeat performance, though in vastly changed circumstances.
Flying Scotsman, with a seven-coach train, arrived at Waverley station after a non-stop run of 7¼ hours.
however, despite the extra 6,000 gallons in the second tender, the problem was that of water supply because of poor fillups at the remaining water troughs along the route.
Similar problems occur today; some mainline steam runs by preserved locomotives require the services of strategically placed road water tankers or even assistance from local firefighters.
David Clifford, (author of The World’s Most Famous Steam Locomotive — Flying Scotsman), Crewkerne, Somerset.