The authenticity of the Shroud of Turin has been hotly debated for many decades. Is the Shroud the burial cloth of Jesus and could it possibly contain an image of Jesus? Some believe this is exactly what the Shroud to be, while others insist the Shroud is a fake manufactured sometime during the Middle Ages. A new study in Italy has now given us new reason to believe the Shroud may indeed be from the first century and therefore, could be the actual burial cloth of Jesus.
The primary area of controversy surrounding the Shroud is the age of the
fabric. If the fabric is from the first century, or earlier, then it opens the
door for the Shroud to be authentic. If the fabric was produced in the Middle
Ages, then obviously the Shroud is a fake and all but worthless. For
years the church would not allow testing of the Shroud because the testing
would require the destruction of a small piece of the Shroud. While the church
does not official say the Shroud is genuine or fake, they have always held the
position that since it is possibly the real thing, no part of it should be
destroyed.
The church had a change of heart and finally allowed the Shroud to be
scientifically tested. Many people felt the controversy would be put to rest in
1988 when the results of Carbon 14 testing on a small section of the Shourd
were revealed. According to the test, the fabric of the Shroud was from the
Middle Ages, and only 700 years old. It could only be a fake. Almost
immediately critics began to voice their objection to the results. They claimed
the Carbon 14 testing was done on a section of the Shroud that had been
repaired and was not a part of the original Shroud but was in fact a patch.
Combined with the fact the Shroud had been exposed to smoke and extreme high
temperatures when the church where it was kept burned, critics claimed the
Shroud could not be properly tested using Carbon 14. It was also pointed out
that there have been numerous instances of errors when attempted to use Carbon
14 testing on fabrics. The porous nature of the fabric can make it difficult to
get accurate test results, according to some.
Now in Italy a new, non-destructive test, was performed on the
Shroud. The test was supervised by Doctor Liberato de Caro who is
with Italy’s Institute of Crystallography of the National Research Council. The
institute used a test known as WAXS or Wide-Angle X-ray Scattering, in an
effort to find the age of the fabric. The tests measure the structural
degradation which is the result of the natural ageing process of the cellulose
in the linen threads. These measurements are then compared to a number of samples
of fabric which the exact age is known.
After comparing the WAXS
results with a number of fabric samples, a close match was found. The results
for the Shroud of Turin closely matched a piece of fabric that is known to be
from the siege of Masada in Israel. The sample fabric was believed to be from
between 55 and 74 A.D. The siege of Masada took place near the end
of the first Jewish-Roman war. The siege took place during the years of 73 and
74 A.D. so the fabric could be older than 74 A.D. but not any younger. These
results, if found to be accurate, show the fabric of the Shroud of Turin is
indeed from the first century and thus removes a major reason for doubting the
authenticity of the image on the Shroud.
It was also reported the
WAXS test indicate that fabrics and textiles can become contaminated over time,
making Carbon 14 dating unreliable. Doctor De Caro stated that molds and
bacteria along with dirt or carbon containing elements can distort the Carbon
14 dating process. In effect you cannot be certain if you are testing the
original fabric, the contaminants, or a combination of both. Doctor De Caro
cautioned against being to excited about the findings. He insisted the results
needed to be confirmed by other laboratories in an effort to replicate the
findings. One of the benefits of the WAXS testing is that it is nondestructive
and multiple tests can be performed on the exact same sample to compare and
confirm results.
De Caro pointed out there was also pollen found on the
fabric which could only have originated in the ancient region of Palestine and
not Europe. The pollen does not prove the Shroud is authentic, but it does show
the Shroud spent a good deal of time in the Middle East before being brought to
Europe.
Additional Notes concerning the Shroud of Turin
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In the 1970's the Shroud of Turin Research Project reported the stains
on the fabric were human blood.
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The image on the Shroud, which many claim to be Jesus, depicts a
muscular man who stood between 5'7" and 6'2"
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The Shroud was first discovered in a church in Lirey in north central
France. The church was founded by French Knight Geoffroi de Charny.
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One theory on how the image on the Shroud was formed is that solar rays
reflected by the damp shining body of Jesus were immediately imprinted on the
damp inner side of the burial cloth Jesus was wrapped in.
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In 1502 the Shroud was moved to the Sainte-Shapelle in Chambery.
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The Shroud has been in the Royal Chapel of the Cathedral of San Giovanni
Battista in Turin Italy since 1578.
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In 1532 a fire broke out in the chapel where the Shroud was housed. The
fire was so intense it melted a portion of the silver frame protecting the
Shroud. The molten silver burned through sections of the Shroud. These burn
marks and the water stains from firefighters extinguishing the flames are still
visible on the Shroud.
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Carbon 14 testing was done on the Shroud in 1988 and showed the fabric
to be approximately 700 years old. - These findings have bene challenged by a
number of critics.
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After the fire in 1532, nuns patched some of the burn marks and stitched
the Shroud to a reinforcing cloth which is known as, "The Holland
Cloth".
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The Shroud of Turin in 14'3" long by 3'7" wide.
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The Shroud was moved to a remote monastery in southern Italy during
World War II to protect it from danger and from being stolen by the Nazis.
