Seven things that might surprise you, about the Shroud of Turin

The Shroud of Turin is the cloth with which Jesus Christ was wrapped after the Crucifixion. Some people would say, the alleged cloth with which He was wrapped. But the matter has been proved to me beyond a shadow of a doubt. Why?

It can’t be duplicated

My logic is very simple. Why do I believe that the Shroud of Turin is the authentic cloth with which Jesus was wrapped? The Shroud can not be duplicated by any means known today. If it were, as some claim, a fraud perpetrated by an artist in the Middle Ages. Then, it remains a miracle. Its either a miracle which happened in the Middle Ages or a miracle that happened in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Take your choice. There are no other options.

The Fifth Gospel

I like to call the Shroud, the Fifth Gospel. I think I heard that somewhere. I’m sure I didn’t make that up. But I like it because, for those of us who want to evangelize, but don’t know how, this is a pretty innocuous way to begin.

Most people are fascinated by miracles and mysteries. What a great conversation piece! And, to boot, if any atheists, and they are bound to do it, will claim that it was made up in the Middle Ages, you can easily ask them why it is that the Shroud can not be duplicated with 20th century technology?

Hasn’t it been duplicated?

ROFL!!!! Well, let me put it like this, they claimed they did. But there are some things on the Shroud which simply could not have been done in the Middle Ages and others which can’t be done, to this day!

1. When were x-rays invented? Why do I ask? Because the Shroud of Turin shows Jesus teeth and bones. The reproduction, does not.

2. The blood on the Shroud shows “aurea”. Those weren’t discovered until the 20th Century.

3. What sort of pigments were used? The purported reproduction admittedly used pigments. There are no traces of pigments on the original Shroud. The image is “sort of” burned in. I say, “sort of” because the technique can’t be reproduced.

So, no. It hasn’t been duplicated. Nor can it be.

Anyway, here are some other things which might surprise you about the Shroud.

1. Did you know that the Shroud of Turin might have been the tablecloth used at the Last Supper?

This is very interesting because Catholic Doctrine says:

1367 The sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice of the Eucharist are one single sacrifice: "The victim is one and the same: the same now offers through the ministry of priests, who then offered himself on the cross; only the manner of offering is different." "And since in this divine sacrifice which is celebrated in the Mass, the same Christ who offered himself once in a bloody manner on the altar of the cross is contained and is offered in an unbloody manner. . . this sacrifice is truly propitiatory."

This is the Sacrifice that was consummated on Calvary. Jesus Christ said, "It is finished (John 19:30)". Because the Sacrifice He had begun in the Upper Room was consummated on the Cross.

2. Did you know that the beard and hair style of the executed man were not common anywhere in the Roman Empire except Palestine?

The image has semitic features, including sidelocks and an unplaited ponytail.

3. Did you know that the image was like an x-ray?

There are places where the bones and teeth can be seen beneath the skin.

4. Did you know that some of the characteristics on the Shroud were not discovered until the 20th century?

This is important because skeptics claim that the image on the Shroud was produced by a 15th century artist. But the artist could not have produced things which he did not know existed since these things were not known until the 20th century.

5. Did you know about the other cloth?

There is another cloth called the Sudarium, whose blood stains match perfectly the blood stains on the Shroud of Turin:

Guscin wrote:

There are many points of coincidence between all these points and the Shroud of Turin - the blood group, the way the corpse was tortured and died, and the macroscopic overlay of the stains on each cloth. This is especially notable in that the blood on the Sudarium, shed in life as opposed to postmortem, corresponds exactly in blood group, blood type and surface area to those stains on the Shroud on the nape of the neck. If it is clear that the two cloths must have covered the same corpse,....

http://www.shroudstory.com/faq-sudarium.htm

6. Did you know that the image was burned into the fabric of the cloth in a manner that can't be duplicated with modern equipment?

More proof that it couldn't have been done by a 15th century artist.

7. Did you know that researchers suspect that the image was taken of an upright Jesus?

In the image, Jesus hair drapes down. Not back as it should if the image were taken in a horizontal position.

If you want to learn more about the Shroud of Turin, try this CD.