Even as late as in places the Byzantine Empire still reigned, its people were white. Muslims made a point of coveting them for this reason.
“The Byzantines as a people were considered as fine examples of physical beauty, and youthful slaves and slave girls of Byzantine origin were highly valued. The Arab’s appreciation of the Byzantine female has a long history, indeed. For the Islamic period, the earliest literary evidence we have is a hadith (saying of the prophet). Muhammad is said to have addressed a newly converted Arab, ‘Would you like the girls of Banu al-Asfar?’ Not only were Byzantine slave girls sought after for the caliphal and other palaces (where some became mothers of future caliphs), but they also became the epitome of physical beauty, home economy, and refined accomplishments. The typical Byzantine maiden who captures the imagination of literateurs and poets had blonde hair, blue or green eyes, a pure and healthy visage, lovely breasts, a delicate waist, and a body that is like camphor or a flood of dazzling light.” ~ Ahmad M. H. Shboul, Islamic researcher; Arab-Byzantine Relations in Early Islamic Times; 2004
Speaking on Jesus specifically, both the Shroud of Turin and a venerated fragment of the Crown of Thorns have had their dried blood studied in a lab. Both samples are AB-. First, the odds of them being different are so high that it’s extremely unlikely they came from different sources. So let’s assume they’re original and not both part of a later-century recreation or hoax. If they’re original, the bearer of both has a 10x higher chance of being white than being nonwhite.
Sure.
Ancient Greece and Rome regularly depicted blue-eyed blondes in statue and story.
Even as late as in places the Byzantine Empire still reigned, its people were white. Muslims made a point of coveting them for this reason.
Speaking on Jesus specifically, both the Shroud of Turin and a venerated fragment of the Crown of Thorns have had their dried blood studied in a lab. Both samples are AB-. First, the odds of them being different are so high that it’s extremely unlikely they came from different sources. So let’s assume they’re original and not both part of a later-century recreation or hoax. If they’re original, the bearer of both has a 10x higher chance of being white than being nonwhite.