by Joan E Taylor. Published by Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 2018 Reviewed by Kathleen Rushton

This is a book I have been waiting for, could not put down and wished did not end when it did. I’ve been troubled by Western European culture’s characterisation of Jesus in pictures and statues and I have dipped into many books to try to counter such representations. Now not only has this information been collected in one well-illustrated book but there is an added delight because its author, Joan Taylor, is a New Zealander and former lecturer in religion and history at Waikato University. She is now Professor of Christian Origins and Second Temple Judaism at King’s College, London.

Taylor uses research from different fields to create her story of the depiction of Jesus. She cites evidence from ancient art, relics, traditions and memories supported by early texts and archaeology. For those who want to delve further into Taylor’s sources, about one third of the book is made up of notes and bibliography. And for readers interested in the story of the ways Jesus has been depicted so as to uncover what he looked like and the clothes he most likely wore, in the other 200 pages Taylor writes with the ease and clarity of a gifted story-teller.

Reading the book, I found myself paying closer attention to the biblical text. When in Judea, for example, Jesus warned against the wealthy scribes who “walk in long tunics” (Mk 12:38). Jesus would not have been wearing what he warned against! Long flowing robes were not the dress of a Judean Jew from Bethlehem who spent most of his life in Galilee working as a carpenter and then as a wandering teacher.

Taylor reviews the “self-portraits” of Jesus as in the legend of Veronica’s Veil and the Turin Shroud. In Chapters 5-9, the influence of context is striking. Jesus is portrayed in the poses and clothes of gods, philosophers, Moses and influenced by the Suffering Servant of Isaiah. Chapters 10-11 draw on archaeological evidence about ethnicity, height, age, hair and clothing. Then, Taylor suggests a reconstruction of Jesus.

This is one of those books one reads not once, but dips into often. I recommend this book to those willing to embark on an intriguing journey to recover what Jesus may have looked like. It is a great resource for teachers, artists and preachers.

Tui Motu Magazine. Issue 227, June 2018: 28.