If Moses was born in Egypt Africa why do movies depict him european looking?

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   Che Rogersposted 9 years ago

   If Moses was born in Egypt Africa why do movies depict him european looking?
   
   What would be the motive behind altering the perception of biblical characters who were born and lived on africa?

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   Gods Provisionposted 9 years ago

   Probably for the same reason they always show Jesus with blue eyes, long straight hair, and "white" skin. Moses and Jesus both were Hebrew, which means dark hair, cut short (as per their culture in those times), and not caucasian. I guess producers either believe that everyone who's ever been important looks like they do, or they just know they can sell more movie tickets and DVD's if they have "white people" play the roles of Hebrews. Kinda unrealistic and prejudice if you ask me.

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      Che Rogersposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Love the response! I couldn't agree more.

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      JThomp42posted 9 years agoin reply to this

      My answer exactly!!

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   favoredposted 9 years ago

   People don't do their research or know history. Adam's name even means "reddish", so that opens up another can of worms.
   
   No person that was represented in the scriptures was what we know as "white".  People even have a hard time believing that of the languages Jesus spoke one wasn't "American English." 
   
   Maybe the roles were based on those who could remember the lines, or who the producers thought society would accept in the part as believable.  Who knows?

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   wrenchBiscuitposted 9 years ago

   Of course, your question is rhetorical. Racism, is at the heart of it all. For many years Hollywood portrayed Indigenous people with white, Euro-American actors. Apparently, Ozzie and Harriet might have been offended if they had paid "real Indians" to portray the justifiable homicide of G.A. Custer and his merry band of miscreants.
   
   The plan appears to unfold as follows: Let us paint Moses, Jesus, and all of the prophets white. Then let us force the African and the Indigenous to speak our language and adopt our customs. We will teach their children that the European invented and discovered everything. If anyone should question why the people in Egypt are not white today, we will tell them that all of the white Egyptians moved to Charleston S.C. years ago. Who knows? If we can get 'em to sing those Lee Greenwood songs, maybe they'll buy this too!

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   Sri Tposted 9 years ago

   It comes down to heroes. If you were in China, most of the coverage of heroes would be Chinese. Go to Japan, they celebrate the Japanese. So each culture has the ego to want to see their own people as great or the best. Very few will share the spotlight with another culture. Some people don't even know Egypt had some black pharaohs. It does not mattter. But each culture wants to see their people as the smartest, the best and the leader. Who wants to revere another culture and see themselves lagging behind in esoteric wisdom?

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      Che Rogersposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      The problem is that America is suppose to be diverse.  So I understand the concept of a nation keeping it's heros but if we are diverse why does every hero have to be depicted as a european?

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   Old-Empresarioposted 9 years ago

   Although Northern Egypt at that time was more of a cultural "melting pot" at that time than it is today, Moses' parents and ancestors (according to the Bible) were Semitic people of Middle Eastern origin. So, no, it makes no sense that he is depicted as a European. There is scant evidence that Moses even existed or that the Hebrew exodus even occurred. So I try not to get too bothered by any details. One odd point worth making though is that the ruling class pharaohs ruling Egypt at the time were actually not native Egyptians but were foreigners from Europe who had eased their way in. Even the mummy of Ramses has red hair. So, as usual, Hollywood has got it backwards by making the pharaohs dark-toned and Moses light-toned.
   
   But to answer your question, given the last 500 years of western history, the main reason for the discrepancy must be racism. It's the same reason that in history we discuss at length the Macedonian conquest of Egypt, but no one ever mentions the Kushite conquest of Northern Egypt and the subsequent 25th Dynasty of Nubian Pharaohs. In fact, the Nubian Kingdom to the south of Egypt (where the people had darker skin) was just as impressive as that of Egypt and yet is completely ignored by the historical canon taught in schools.

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