JESUS Christ is often depicted as a fair skinned man with blue eyes and long, flowing dark hair.

But this could not be further from what he actually looked like, according to expert opinion in a new book.

5 This artist's impression by anthropologist Richard Neave shows what a man from the time and place Jesus lived would have looked like. Now, a new book backs up his theories Credit: Getty

5 Most illustrations of Jesus Christ show him as a fair-skinned man with blue eyes Credit: Alamy

With the Bible referring to him as a Galilean Israelite, many scholars believe he may have resembled a modern day Middle Eastern man.

Yet the actors to play the Son of God on screen include Christian Bale, Liam Neeson and Willem Dafoe - all Caucasian men with no hint of Middle Eastern features.

Now historian Joan Taylor is seeking to set the record straight in her book, What did Jesus look like?, which delves deep into the evolution of his many depictions.

She concludes Jesus was probably around 5ft 5in tall with a slight yet muscular physique.

5 Many scholars believe Christ would have looked more like a modern day Middle Eastern man Credit: Alamy

New Testament film, Son of God trailer shows Jesus Christ to be a 5ft 5in man with brown-olive skin

5 Joan Taylor looked at historic artefacts like the Shroud of Turin to support her claims Credit: Alamy

5 Richard Neave used the skull of a man from the time and region Jesus lived to create this image, though he does not claim this is what the Son of God would have looked like. Taylor's book backs up his claims Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk

While she admits we will never know for certain, Taylor surmises he would have had olive-brown skin, dark hair and brown eyes.

Another heavily-debated topic is whether Christ would have a long beard - as he is often illustrated.

Taylor previously said he may have had a short beard, which was then considered the "natural look", but with quite short hair.

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Pointing to a computer-generated image by forensic anthropologist Richard Neave, she says his features would have been "Jewish".

In the BBC documentary, Son of God, he created the artist's impression using an actual skull found in the region.

He did not claim that is what Jesus would have looked like, simply that we should consider the features of the men in the region at the time.