As a portrait artist, I have followed The Shroud since the early '60's.
The iconic paintings of Jesus, done by the hundreds for churches, long before cameras, all had one source - and all resemble the Shroud.
Some even have 2 wisps of hair on the forehead - which are on the shroud - but they are not hair, they are blood.
We have the 'familiar' face of Jesus because of the Shroud.
Some, in the past few years, try to dismiss this likeness, saying it isn't "Jewish" enough - not short and swarthy, etc.
Good grief, Neither is 'BiBi" ;o)
go to Jerusalem today - heck, go to your local supermarket or WalMart - look at your own family. We are not cookie cutter people. Nor are/were the Jews/Israelites.
there are today - and always was - plenty of blue eyed, lighter haired, lighter complexion Jews/Israelites.
As for the likeness of Jesus - Who can know? But the Shroud face has a provenance, through art, that stretches back hundreds and hundreds of years.
It was a joke. The paintings were painted by Italian artists. Personally, I always picture Jesus as looking like a young Billy Crystal. But seriously though, I am not interested in what Jesus looks like, but rather in what He said.
You are exactly correct. Dr. Alan Whanger (professor emeritus from Duke University), a close friend of our organization, has done the lion’s share of that research.