A forensic expert has used state-of-the-art science to recreate the face of Jesus Christ, producing an image that differs significantly from traditional Western depictions. The portrait, created by Richard Neave, a retired medical artist from the University of Manchester, shows a man with typical Middle Eastern Jewish features, including dark skin, short curly hair, and a beard.
Neave, co-author of Making Faces: Using Forensic And Archaeological Evidence, applied forensic anthropology techniques usually used in crime-solving. The team used Semite skulls provided by Israeli archaeologists, creating X-ray slices to digitally reconstruct muscles and skin. The resulting face reflects the appearance of a Galilean Jew from the 1st century.
The researchers noted that Jesus would have been about 5 feet tall, with a sturdy, weather-beaten build from working outdoors as a carpenter until around age 30. The image challenges the common portrayal of a tall, fair-haired Caucasian man seen in many religious artworks.
Neave has previously reconstructed other historical figures, including Philip II of Macedonia and King Midas. His work on Jesus was featured in a BBC documentary and has been widely circulated in media outlets such as Esquire.
