That article is making its rounds again today thanks to Christmas 2015 being around the corner.
Richard Neave, a retired medical artist, used science to make the best possible guess at what the founding figure of the Christian religion looked like. Unlike images that depict a Caucasian with flowing hair, Jesus probably had a dark complexion, dark eyes and dark, curly hair.
The Popular Mechanics article was published in January but is being widely shared today, according to AL.com. In ten days, Christians will celebrate Christmas, the holiday symbolizing his birth.
The biggest clue for Jesus’ actual physical appearance is in the Gospel book of Matthew. Before being crucified, Jesus was in the garden of Gethsemane with his disciples. He was so average-looking for a man from his area and ethnic background, that Judas had to single him out from the others, because the Roman soldiers couldn’t distinguish which one he was.
Using techniques from a discipline called forensic anthropology — normally used to solve crimes. Neave, co-author of Making Faces: Using Forensic And Archaeological Evidence, used evidence like skulls from the time and place that Jesus lived. They then used computer technology to determine how tissue and muscle would have made his facial features look.
They then created a cast of the skull and layered clay on using measurements from the computer data. Drawings and historical data from Jesus’ time period also resolved issues that couldn’t be determined from skeletal remains, including hair and eye color, and physical build. Drawings of local people from certain archaeological sites point to dark hair and dark eyes. In keeping with cultural customs, Jesus would have worn a beard.
Hit the flip to see the Jesus Christ sketches in full. Do you agree with their determination?
