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Shroud of Turin Introduction (Wikipedia)
The Shroud of Turin is a linen cloth bearing the image of a man who appears to have been physically traumatized in a manner consistent with crucifixion. It is presently kept in the royal chapel of the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist in Turin, Italy. Some believe it is the cloth that covered Jesus when he was placed in his tomb and that his image was somehow recorded on its fibers at or near the time of his imputed resurrection. Skeptics contend the shroud is a medieval hoax or forgery. It is the subject of intense debate among some scientists, believers, historians and writers regarding where, when and how the shroud and its images were created.
[Quite accurate. But, and this is important, many people believe that the Shroud is certainly a genuine Roman era burial cloth of a crucifixion victim and infer that it probably belonged to Jesus. After much back and forth editing, note carefully the wording “was somehow recorded on its fibers at or near the time of his imputed resurrection.”]
Forceful arguments and evidence cited against the miraculous origin of the shroud images include a letter from a medieval bishop to the Avignon pope claiming personal knowledge that the image was cleverly painted to gain money from pilgrims; radiocarbon tests in 1988 that yielded a medieval timeframe for the cloth's fabrication; and analysis of the apparent "blood flecks" by microscopist Walter McCrone who concluded they are ordinary pigments. Forceful arguments and evidence cited for the shroud's being something other than a medieval forgery include textile and material analysis pointing to a 1st century origin, the unusual properties of the image itself which some claim could not have been produced by any image forming technique known before the 19th century, analysis indicating that the 1988 radiocarbon dating was invalid, and chemical analyses of the purported blood stains which flatly contradict McCrone's assertions.
See: Did Walter McCrone find paint on the Shroud of Turin? Did Walter McCrone find blood on the Shroud of Turin? Didn't a French Bishop, in 1389, claim that a painter has confessed?
Both skeptics and proponents tend to have very entrenched positions on the cause of formation of the shroud image, which has made dialogue very difficult. This may prevent the issue from ever being fully settled to the satisfaction of all sides.
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© 2004 Daniel R. Porter, Bronxville, New York
