Is the Shroud of Turin Real or Fake? New Research May Shed Light on Its Authenticity

Chris Queen-Commentary : Aug 22, 2024
PJ Media

"The experimental results are compatible with the hypothesis that the TS is a 2000-year-old relic, as supposed by Christian tradition, under the condition that it was kept at suitable levels of average secular temperature—20.0–22.5 °C—and correlated relative humidity—75–55%—for 13 centuries of unknown history, in addition to the seven centuries of known history in Europe." -researchers Liberato De Caro, Teresa Sibillano, Rocco Lassandro, Cinzia Giannini, and Giulio Fanti

[PJMedia.com] Sometime in the mid-'80s, I remember going to Atlanta with a group from my church to see the Shroud of Turin, the linen cloth that some have claimed was the cloth that Joseph of Arimathea used to bury Jesus and place Him in the tomb. I remember images and videos in that crowded exhibit hall that told the story of the shroud, and of course, the shroud itself was on display in a glass case. (Image: iStock-Marc Dufresne)

I was probably 12 or 13, so I wasn't mature enough in my faith to be able to conclude whether it was real. I do remember the controversy surrounding the dating of the artifact even then, and there were rumors that people were experiencing healing after coming near the shroud. Nevertheless, it fascinated me enough to keep an eye on any news I see about it even today.

The Shroud of Turin first came to prominence in the 1350s, and by the 16th century, it had a permanent home in Turin, Italy. For hundreds of years, the faithful believed that it was Jesus' burial cloth, and plenty of people believe it today. But in the '80s, some researchers concluded that the shroud only dated to the Middle Ages.

Now, a group of Italian researchers have used a new technique called Wide-Angle X-ray Scattering (WAXS) to study the shroud. Comparing the shroud to another linen sample that dates to the New Testament era, they conclude that the cloth dates back to the time of Jesus... Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here

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