Given that the historical Jesus was Jewish, he obviously would not have looked like a white, western European. And I guess Jews like Jesus did not wear their hair and beards long?
So how can we imagine Jesus appropriately in terms of the evidence of the 1st century?
He was of Galilean Israelite descent, think dark-brown to black curly hair with a beard, deep brown eyes, olive-brown skin and a generally approximated height of 166cm. *Note: the sole act of Judah's Kiss, Betrayal; that he had to personally point Jesus out (because he resembled every man in the crowd) in order for the authorities to take action. David Friedrich, Shawn Kelley //
Keeping with the first century the New Testament has no descriptions of Jesus' appearance before his death and the Gospels were mostly written lacking note of racial features. Jews were known in ancient times as a “nation of philosophers” (Josephus, Apion 1:179 http://penelope.uchicago.edu/josephus/apion-1.html). A male “philosopher” was thought to have short curly hair and a rough beard; they had more important things they could do than visit the barber. The acceptable style in Roman times was to be clean shaven and short-haired. As Paul says in his letter to the Corinthian church, “Does not even nature tell you that for a man to have long hair is dishonourable to him?” (1 Cor. 11:14). The only exception to that for Jews was if you undertook a Nazirite vow (Numbers 6:1-21; Acts 21:24).
Jews of this time were closest (biologically) to Iraqi Jews of the contemporary world • Someone disputes this describing Him as "ugly and small" https://www.worldcat.org/title/jesus-outside-the-new-testament-an-introduction-to-the-ancient-evidence/oclc/43286799
• 12th century (based on data from 1st CE) https://www.getty.edu/art/collection/objects/243710/unknown-maker-illustrated-vita-christi-with-devotional-supplements-english-about-1190-1200-and-about-1480-1490/#e9c9b637ef45902344fee28ed2bd5d91614af1e4
• According to Richard Neave's view: "average build of a Semite male at the time of Jesus was 5 ft. 1 in., with an average weight of about 110 pounds. Since Jesus worked outdoors as a carpenter until he was about 30 years old, it is reasonable to assume he was more muscular and physically fit than westernized portraits suggest. His face was probably weather-beaten, which would have made him appear older, as well."
• Dispute of Richard Neave's view: https://www.quora.com/Do-any-historians-or-forensic-scientists-dispute-Richard-Neaves-depiction-of-the-real-face-of-Jesus
Thank you!