A team of Italian scientists has asserted that they have accurately dated the Shroud of Turin, claiming that it originates from the time of Christ. This recent study challenges the long-held belief that the shroud is a "forgery," possibly crafted during the medieval period. Originally published in 2022, this research has recently gained significant media attention in the UK, the US, and Ireland.
Many Christians believe that the Shroud of Turin, also known as the "Holy Shroud," is the burial cloth that was used to wrap the body of Jesus Christ. The Shroud is considered one of the most intensely studied historical artifacts in the world.
What is the Shroud of Turin, and What is Its History?
The Shroud of Turin is a linen cloth measuring 4.42 meters in length and 1.21 meters in width. It bears stains resembling blood and a faint image of a bearded man with sunken eyes. Many believe this to be the image of Christ, miraculously imprinted on the fabric. The shroud also displays markings that some clergy claim correspond with the wounds Christ sustained during his crucifixion, including scars from Roman soldiers' scourging, shoulder bruises from carrying the cross, and head wounds from wearing the crown of thorns, according to Christian tradition.
The Bible states that Joseph of Arimathea wrapped Christ's body in a linen shroud after his death before placing it in a tomb. The artifact first emerged in the 1350s when a knight named Geoffrey de Charny presented it to a priest in the town of Lirey, eastern France, declaring it to be Christ's burial shroud.
However, in 1389, Pierre d'Arcis, the Bishop of Troyes, questioned the authenticity of the shroud, deeming it a forgery. In 1578, the shroud was transferred to the royal chapel in Turin's Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist, where it is only displayed to the public on special occasions.
In 1988, scientists from Switzerland, the UK, and the US conducted radiocarbon dating tests on a small section of the shroud, concluding that it dated back to between 1260 and 1390 AD.
What Are the Findings of the Recent Study?
Researchers at Italy's Institute of Crystallography, part of the National Research Council, conducted a study that involved analyzing eight tiny linen threads from the Shroud of Turin. They dated the threads using X-ray technology. The results, published in the journal "Heritage" in April 2022, have recently attracted media coverage in the UK, the US, and Ireland.
The scientists measured the extent of cellulose degradation in the linen due to aging and converted this into the time elapsed since the fabric was made. They also considered other factors such as the temperature at which the fabric was stored, assuming it was kept at a temperature between 20 and 22.5 degrees Celsius (with relative humidity between 55 and 75 percent) throughout its history.
Ultimately, the scientists concluded that the shroud was created approximately 2,000 years ago, around the time of Christ. They argue that the scientific methods they used are more accurate and reliable than radiocarbon dating, which can be skewed by contamination in fabrics like linen.
It is also suggested that the Shroud of Turin is made from a type of linen that was used in ancient times, rather than the types that were commonly used in the medieval period.
Where Does This Debate on the Shroud Lead Us?
The Italian scientists do not claim that the Shroud of Turin is definitively the burial cloth of Christ. They only suggest that it was made during the same period in which Christ lived.
The findings of these researchers add to a vast body of previous studies on this artifact. Since the 1980s, more than 170 academic studies on the Shroud of Turin have been published, with some concluding it is authentic while others consider it a forgery.
Even the Vatican has changed its stance several times on whether the cloth should be regarded as the true Shroud of Christ.
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