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(Image: Reuters/BBC)

A forensic expert has recreated the face of Jesus Christ using state-of-the art science.

The resulting face is a far cry from the tall, Caucasian man with light blonde hair that is usually show in bibles and stained glass windows throughout the world.

The features of the 'real' Jesus are typical of Middle Eastern Jews in the Galilee area of northern Israel.

The striking image was created by Richard Neave, a retired medical artist from the University of Manchester, who used forensic anthropology usually used to solve crimes to build the portrait.

As the co-author of Making Faces: Using Forensic And Archaeological Evidence, Neave has reconstructed dozens of famous faces, including Philip II of Macedonia, the father of Alexander the Great, and King Midas of Phrygia.

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(Image: Getty)

He used the fact that before the Crucifixion, Judas Iscariot had to tell the soldiers who Jesus was because they could not tell him apart from his disciples.

Neave and his research team were provided with Semite skulls from Israeli archaeologists.

They created X-ray "slices" of the skulls and used computers to establish the muscles and skin on a typical Semite skull, reports Esquire.

The team also said Jesus would be bearded and have short hair - likely with tight curls - in keeping with Jewish tradition.

Using the average build of a Semite male at the time, they theorised Jesus would likely have been just over 5ft, and since he worked outdoors as a carpenter until he was about 30, the scientists reasoned he would be stronger and more weather-beaten than usually depicted.