Since it was first unveiled to the public in the 1350s, the Shroud of Turin has remained a great mystery. Exhibited as the burial shroud used to wrap Jesus after he was crucified, the faint image of a bearded man can be observed imprinted into the cloth. This idea was considered debunked in the 1980s after research dated the shroud to hundreds of years after Jesus’ time, in the Middle Ages. However, using a new technique employing X-ray technology, Italian researchers recently made a rather surprising discovery regarding the shroud’s actual age.
The Jesus Burial Cloth Discovery
According to the researchers, the X-rays revealed that the material was manufactured around 2,000 years ago, in the time of Jesus. This adds significant credibility to the notion that the bloody imprint was formed after Jesus’ body was wrapped in the cloth following his crucifixion. According to the scripture, Jesus’ body was wrapped in linen by Joseph of Arimathea before being placed in the tomb. Since its first public exhibition in the 1350s, the shroud has perplexed and awed skeptics and believers alike. In 1578, the shroud was placed in the cathedral of San Giovanni Battista’s royal chapel in Turin, Italy, and has been preserved there ever since.
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The Italian researchers from the Institute of Crystallography of the National Research Council used cutting-edge wide-angle X-ray scattering technology for their new study of the cloth. Using this technique, the researchers were able to determine the date of manufacture by measuring the natural aging of the flax cellulose. The X-rays revealed the cellulose patterns in the linen, which are made from long sugar molecule chains that break down over time. The team dated the cloth by analyzing the specific parameters responsible for the breakdown of cellulose, such as humidity and temperature.
They determined that the shroud was probably stored in a place with relative humidity, above 72.5 degrees Fahrenheit, for around 13 centuries before coming to Europe. The team then analyzed the cellulose breakdown of first-century linen from Israel and compared the results to those of the shroud. They found that the shroud’s data profile was fully compatible with that of a linen sample said to have been found at Masada, which dates back to around 55 to 74 AD. They also compared the results of the shroud sample with linens manufactured in the Middle Ages and found no match. This finding seems to discredit the results of the 1988 study, so which one is correct?
The Limitations of Earlier Studies
There are several factors that could have caused the researchers in the 1980s to draw incorrect conclusions from their studies. For example, samples are typically vulnerable to all types of contamination that can’t be completely removed. This means that if the sample isn’t properly cleaned, the carbon-14 test dating will not be accurate.
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Many researchers have attempted to unravel the secrets of the Jesus burial cloth discovery over the centuries. In fact, there have been over 170 peer-reviewed papers published over the last few decades alone, and many have concluded that it is real. Tests in the 1970s tried to determine whether the image had been faked using paint pigments or other materials, however, none were confirmed. In 2017, researchers from the Institute of Crystallography stated that they had identified ferritin and creatinine – two substances typically found in individuals who had suffered forceful physical trauma. While all of these studies have revealed interesting details about the Shroud of Turin, it seems like it may still be a while until we can 100% confirm its authenticity.
* Original Article:
Shocking Discovery Uncovered After Analyzing the Cloth Jesus Was Buried In