RW: Approximating a Forensic Jesus

Remember When: Scientists reveal a mysterious man from ancient Galilee.

In January 2015, retired British medical artist Richard Neave drew a sketch of a ancient man from Galilee based upon forensic anthropologic research — a man who could have looked like many Galileans of his era, including Jesus of Nazareth.

In exploring the potential appearance of Jesus, Neave’s sketch drew praise for relying upon archaeological evidence, and not the imagination of Renaissance-era artists in Europe.

According to Popular Mechanics (via WGN-TV), Neave and a team of Israeli archaeologists recreated the Galilean’s face from ancient Semite skulls. Then they used forensic software simulations to recreate skin and muscle, and recreated hair from Biblical characterizations and Jewish tradition.

The result:

How does this archaeological representation of Jesus compare with Bas Uterwijk’s artistic representation developed with artificial intelligence?

What do you think? Please share your thoughts.