PCIM

Take a look at the image below...

I have had more young people come to me questioning why Jesus went against His word by having long hair. Then, time and time again I have to explain to them that He didn't go against His Word, the people of the middle ages painted Him that way because it was the style during the middle ages.

1st Corinthians 11:13 Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered? 11:14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? 11:15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering. 11:16 But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.

Any of you all know of any misconceptions that need to be brought out into the open?

Tim , I was always under the notion that Jesus , being a Nazarene , had long hair because that was their belief and custom .

Folks need to realize that it is not the style of their hair , but the condition of their heart that is important .

Jn:7:24: Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
and from the old Testament ...
1Sam:16:7: But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.
Does any of this apply here ?

Mystery

I think you will find that Jesus was called a Nazarene because he lived in Nazareth. I do not know if there is any connection between Nazareth and a Nazarite. The long hair comes from an oath of separation men took to achieve some goal in the name of God. This was known as a vow of a Nazarite and is described in Numbers chapter 6. There is no evidence that Jesus was living under a vow of a Nazarite since they were not permitted to drink anything from the grape whether it be juice or vinegar and Jesus drank both. Under the terms of the vow a man would not cut his hair until the time of the vow was fulfilled (Numbers chapter 6 ). Also consider that Judas identified Jesus to the soldiers by kisssing him, indicating Jesus looked like all the others and since it was the custom of the times for men to cut their hair it would seem unlikely that a kiss would have been needed to identify Jesus had he actually been under a vow of a Nazarite.

I was under that impression too MG until I dug a bit deeper into the subject. given has mentioned a majoirty of my findings already.

Another instance which has probably not been depicted correctly is the Last Supper. The De Vinci painting shows Jesus and the 12 sitting at a table eating. Much debate has sprung from the position of the people sitting at the table and what they wore etc, but from my research it seems as though the custom of the time was to recline along one side of the table on one elbow and eat with the other hand. Some artists have depicted the event in this manner. A quick search of the web shows this quote:

"Alfred J. Kolatch, in The Jewish Book of Why states, "The custom of eating the Seder [Passover] meal in a reclining position is of Persian origin and symbolizes freedom and independence. Greek and Roman patricians also followed this practice, and Jews who lived in their midst adopted it as a meaningful expression of their desire to lead a free, unharried existence. The Mishna (Pesachim 10:1) requires that even the poorest person in Israel must not eat on the first night of Passover unless he reclines." (pp. 196-197).

So, it would seem as though no one was sitting at the table. Also, the Gospels say one of the disciples was laying on the breast of Jesus: an awkward position if you are sitting but a natural position of you are reclining.