A study published in the Heritage journal by Italian researchers suggests that the Shroud of Turin could date back 2,000 years, aligning with the time of Jesus.
The research team, led by Liberato De Caro from the Institute of Crystallography in Italy, employed a technique called wide-angle x-ray scattering to analyze the structural degradation of ancient linen fibers to determine their age. Applying this method to a small sample from the Shroud housed in Turin's Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, the researchers obtained results "fully compatible" with a linen sample historically dated to 55-74 CE.
The authors argue that the earlier radiocarbon tests conducted in 1988 may have been compromised by contamination. The researchers acknowledge the need for further, more extensive analysis using their X-ray technique to confirm their findings and potentially settle the long-standing debate about the Shroud. The study emphasizes that these results depend on the Shroud being kept under specific environmental conditions of temperature and humidity for centuries, including periods with unknown storage conditions.
The renewed interest in the Shroud was amplified by a recent discussion on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast. According to the Greek City Times, Joe Rogan and Mel Gibson delved into the mysteries of the Shroud, the resurrection, and the nature of faith.
While some view the recent study as evidence supporting the Shroud's authenticity, others remain unconvinced. Many scientists argue that inconsistencies in carbon dating, possible contamination, and lack of definitive proof leave room for doubt. Experts have long debated the authenticity of the Shroud, and while the recent findings undermine the idea of it being a medieval invention, they do not provide definitive proof of its authenticity.
The Shroud of Turin is a linen cloth measuring 4.3 meters by 1.1 meters, imprinted by the body of a man who appears to have suffered the wounds of crucifixion. Many people believe it to be the burial cloth of Jesus, captivating believers and skeptics for centuries.
The cloth bears two images, both the front and back, of a gaunt man who is around 5 feet 7 inches tall. The placement of stains on the Shroud is consistent with severe injuries, including puncture wounds to the scalp, whip marks, and deep nail wounds through the wrists and feet.
When researchers tested the blood on the Shroud, they found it was human blood from a male, consistent with the telltale signs of scourging and crucifixion recorded in the Gospels.
According to the Mirror, skeptics dismissed the Shroud after carbon dating in 1988 suggested it was created between 1260 and 1390 CE, seemingly confirming its status as a fake.
Australian journalist William West argued that the image on the Shroud could not have been created by any known human technique and that the event that imprinted the image exceeds the technological capabilities of any known period before the modern era.
"We see the exact same image of the face of Jesus in coins that corresponds with the face of Jesus on the Shroud," said Dr. Jeremiah J. Johnston, a New Testament scholar, pastor, and president of the Christian Thinkers Society, according to the Blaze.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.