After 2,000 years, the true face of Jesus has finally been revealed.
The Catholic Church has long depicted Jesus Christ as a white, European-looking man with stunning blue eyes. However, scholars today believe that the real face of Jesus was quite different from these imaginative visions created by Renaissance painters.
Experts suggest that Jesus, the Son of God, likely resembled a typical male from ancient Palestine: he was shorter in stature, muscular, and had curly black hair.
Bas Uterwijk, a Dutch photographer and digital artist, embarked on a mission to find out what Jesus might have really looked like. Using modern technology, he aimed to create an image that faithfully represented the historical context of Jesus’ birthplace.
Bas turned to Artbreeder’s advanced machine-learning techniques to recreate the Messiah’s likeness. As expected, the resulting image challenges the commonly held perceptions of Jesus.
Bas explains, “The AI software leverages a neural network trained on numerous photos and artistic renditions of human faces.”
This smart application allows users to merge multiple facial references, resulting in a synthesized image that aligns with historical and aesthetic elements. Using this technology, Bas brought both real and fictional personalities to life.
“I aimed to refine the ethnicity, creating a Middle-Eastern face that feels authentic, drawing from a variety of artistic depictions of Jesus of Nazareth rooted in Byzantine and Renaissance traditions, including Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘Salvator Mundi’ and the legendary Turin Shroud,” Bas shares.
While Bas was satisfied with the outcome as a reflection of cultural depictions, he sought more historical accuracy.
“Thus, I meticulously adjusted the hair and beard lengths and styles to match the norms of Jesus’ time and region.” He adds, “I included features from Fayum mummy portraits, sidelining some of the Renaissance aesthetics.”
Bas’ work resulted in an image more akin to an artistic impression of Jesus rather than a scientifically precise one.
Jesus, born into a Jewish family around 4 BC in Bethlehem and raised in Nazareth in Israel, has been depicted variously through history, particularly in the Bible.
Joan Taylor, author of “What Did Jesus Look Like,” states that historical documents show people of Judea and Egypt had olive-toned skin, black hair, and brown eyes.
People often have a preconceived image of Jesus, making him almost universally recognizable. Yet, this widespread image has sometimes stifled further exploration into his true appearance.
“The iconic features we associate with Jesus—flowing hair, robes, and beards—actually date back to the 4th or 5th centuries,” Taylor explains. In reality, Jesus’ appearance was quite different.
“He wasn’t fair-skinned, and Europe wasn’t his home. He was a person of his time, deeply connected to his geographic and historical context.”
Joan Taylor adds, “His complexion would have been darker, complemented by short, black hair—long hair was rare in the first century.”
“He would have had a beard and likely wore sandals,” says Taylor, an expert on the origins of Christianity. She emphasizes that Jesus lived a nomadic life without a permanent home, relying on the kindness of others and sharing in the hardships of the poor.
Historical records, such as those of the 2nd Century scholar Celsus, depict Jesus as a humble figure—rough, unkempt, and somewhat wanderer-like, akin to a beggar.
As Jesus once said, “Foxes have homes, birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” This aligns perfectly with the historical depiction of Jesus’ life.
Interestingly, Jesus’ influence stretched beyond his local region to reach Europeans and Africans. Richard Neave, a forensic facial reconstruction expert, was tasked with envisioning the face of a Judean man from the first century, similar to Jesus.
Neave’s painstaking reconstruction shows a stocky man with an olive complexion and short hair.
As this endeavor sheds light on the different layers of Jesus’ appearance, we encourage you to share this with friends and family, sparking meaningful conversations about the historical dimensions of the iconic figure we hold dear.
