Son of God: the Real Man

He was an ordinary boy from a rural backwater who became the founder of a faith which changed the course of history forever. His name was Jesus of Nazareth, and in this remarkable three-part landmark series his world is brought to life in a way never before seen on television.

Using stunning computer imagery to recreate the Biblical times in which Jesus lived, the programme offers the first TV re-creations of Nazareth, Bethlehem and Jerusalem in the first century. Later in the series the reconstruction of a first-century face gives the most significant insight to date as to how Jesus may really have looked.

Presented by 'Breakfast News' presenter and former Middle East correspondent Jeremy Bowen, the series begins its journey with firm evidence that Jesus actually existed. It explores the fables that surround His birth, and using astrological indications, reveals that the Star of Bethlehem may have actually been the result of a rare planetary alignment.

Visiting Bethlehem and neighbouring Palestinian towns the programme looks at evidence that Jesus may have been born in a cave, what the manager and His house would have looked like, how and where the wise men got their gifts and the games Jesus would have played as a boy.

It follows His life as a child in Nazareth through to His baptism, examining what impact a trip to Jerusalem at the age of 12 could have had on His fateful mission.

Jeremy spends the night alone in the desert to get a taste of Jesus's spell in the wilderness and to try and understand what drove Him to launch an unarmed campaign that put Him on a collision course with the authorities.

A BBC/Discovery Channel Co-Production in association with Jerusalem Productions and France 3 for BBC One.