It is said to have been brought from the Mideast to Europe by the Knights Templar, and it is purportedly the most studied artifact in history. But the greatest claim made for this cloth is that it is the actual burial cloth of Christ, the Shroud of Turin.
On the cloth can be seen a faint image of the corpse of a tortured man, with blood stains indicating wounds around the head, chest, arms, hands, and feet. The first photograph of the cloth was taken in 1898, and to everyone’s amazement, it revealed that the image was something akin to a photographic negative, which when printed produced a photographic-like image of the man. Since then, the Shroud has been the subject of much speculation, debate, and adoration.
Can this really be the cloth in which Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus wrapped the body of Jesus? Does the Shroud show any links to what we know about the Crucifixion? Can it really be dated back 2,000 years? Is it a painting?
The Shroud has strong links to Jesus’ crucifixion. The image shows numerous marks that correspond to those made by a Roman whip. There are also marks and blood stains around the head, similar to wounds that could be attributed to the crown of thorns. The mark on the right side of the image corresponds to the wound made by the lance that pierced Jesus. The hands and feet on the image reveal marks and blood stains that correspond to nail holes.
As for dating, in 1988 carbon dating of the Shroud showed that it dated from between 1260 and 1350. However, these findings have been contested since the Shroud had previously been in a fire, and the fibers tested were from a section of the cloth that had been repaired in the Middle Ages, conditions which could gravely affect carbon dating.
Other factors contradict this dating, such as the fact that the weave of the cloth is a type found in first-century Jerusalem; no pigments or dyes are found in the image; computer analysis has shown that the image has unique, three-dimensional information encoded in it; and the numerous pollen types found on it are only found in Israel. Most importantly, the technology necessary to create such an image does not exist to this day.
By Deacon Ben LoCasto
To learn more about the Shroud of Turin, attend one or both of the following presentations:
The Most Holy Cloth
Presented by Deacon Ben LoCasto
March 20, 7 p.m.
The Church of the Holy Family,
Hebron
The Mysteries of the Shroud of Turin sponsored by the New England
Catholic Biblical School
April 13, 12 p.m.
Presented by Cheryl H. White, Ph.D.,
and Father Robert Spitzer, SJ,
Albertus Magnus College
Behan Community Room,
Hubert Campus Center, New Haven