What ethnicity was Jesus?

Even though controversy exists regarding the ethnicity and appearance of Jesus, the Christian scripture makes it clear that Jesus was of Jewish descent. According to the first chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus' descent can be traced back to the tribe of Judah.

As Jesus was of Jewish descent, he is thought to have had the attributes of other Jews. The New Testament does not include a description of the physical appearance of Jesus, which led to various theories about his actual appearance and the color of skin. The early depictions of Jesus are those of a young man with curly hair and without a beard. The image of Jesus as a bearded man began to appear in the 6th century.