Italian police ‘reveals’ face of young Jesus

Rome: Specialists within the Italian police have generated a photograph of what they claim is Jesus as a boy. Detectives used the Shroud of Turin, which many believe has Jesus’ face on it to generate a photo-fit image and then used computer software to turn back the ageing process by reducing jaw size, slimming the face and softening the eyes.

This process is the opposite of the age-advancing technique which Italian police uses to create images of criminals and mobsters who have been on the run for years. For example, such a technique was used to produce an image of Mafia boss Bernardo Provenzano, from a photo taken in 1959. Provenzano was arrested in 2006.

The image of ‘boy Jesus’ was created by officials to mark the latest exhibition of the Turin Shroud at the Turin Cathedral. Millions of worshippers and visitors, including Pope Francis are expected to attend the show.

About the Shroud of Turin, experts are currently debating the authenticity of the cloth, which is imprinted with the image of a man who appears to have been crucified.

Researchers have carbon-dated the Shroud and results show it dates back to the end of the 13th century. Some experts have pointed to this fact to back theories that suggest the cloth is a medieval forgery.

But experts have been unable to establish exactly how the image was created. The 14-foot-long sheet appears to show the front and back impressions of a bearded man with long hair.