Why an Atheist Thinks the Shroud of Turin is the Real Deal

Coins Over the Eyes

The mythical includes reports of images of coins over the eyes in the man’s face. Lenny had mentioned these coins. The shapes, seen partially in some but not all photographs of the shroud, are probably formed by miniscule shadows of the fabric’s threads, dirt and grime of the ages and in strange patterns of dark and lighter lines that are intrinsically part of the fabric. In the minds of some observers, not only do they look like coins, they seem to contain bits of lettering and features that identify them as minted by Pontius Pilate between A.D. 29 and 32. Should that not be proof enough of the shroud’s provenance from the time of Jesus’ crucifixion? If the images are of real coins, then yes, probably. But few who carefully study the shroud agree that the coin images are real. They may be nothing more than  pareidolia, a very natural human tendency to see patterns where none exist, like a faces in a piece of burnt toast. The burden of proof lies with those who think they see the coins to convince others. That burden has not been met. Even with the use of instrumentation to help compare the images on the shroud with real museum coins, this has not happened.

I must admit I sometimes think I see the coins when I try hard enough. “I think I see,” Rogers reminded researchers frequently, “is not a scientific statement.” The big myth, however, is not the coin images but the mistaken belief that proponents of the shroud’s authenticity generally believe in the coin images.  They don’t.