Pastor and geneticist join together to hunt for Jesus' DNA

A Los Angeles pastor teamed up with an Oxford University geneticist for a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.

The History Channel tapped scientist George Busy for it's special, "The Jesus Strand: A Search for DNA."

The special combines religious history and science with the help of pastor Joe Basile, USA Today reports.

The men traveled with a crew from Spain to Italy to Israel looking at some of the world's most famous holy relics, including the shroud of Turin and the bones of Jesus' cousin, John the Baptist.

The experts used the latest DNA technology to identify a strand of DNA that they believe belongs to Jesus.

The show's creator said that they wanted to see if science could help us better understand Jesus and use the DNA to help identify those who may be descendants.

Basile, who often appears on radio shows, prepared for each day's adventure by reading scripture, history and languages the night before.

"I saw all my studies come to life," Basile said. He wouldn't give away any details in his USA Today profile, but instead urged people to watch the special.