The Science of Conspiracy Theories

The Shroud of Turin hoax

The Shroud of Turin hoax

The Shroud of Turin is a large linen cloth that is believed to contain the image of the crucified Jesus. This object is revered and kept at the Turin Cathedral in Italy. This subject interests me because of the scientific examination of the object, especially the attempt to date it using carbon 14 dating technology.

The problems connected to this relic are that its origin is unknown and how it was created is mysterious. The hoax idea comes from the idea that some brilliant medieval artist came up with a clever way to make the image. In other words, the relic is not legitimate but instead a well designed fake.

Another problem is that the original carbon dating result of 1988 indicated that the shroud origin dates back only to 1280 to 1390 AD. The problem with this result is that the sample for testing was taken from a repaired section of the shroud, not from the image area. The reason for this is that no one wanted to destroy the image and the areas along the edge had been repaired because the shroud had subjected to a fire. In other words, the sample did not represent the shroud's true age. The Vatican will not permit further testing using the image area so the age of the shroud has to be determined using other techniques.

The shroud's image is actually like a photographic negative. In addition, it contains three-dimensional information, which has led to forming a three dimensional image of the subject. When converted to a positive, the image shows a muscular man around 6 feet tall with a beard and shoulder-length hair. The image also contains burn holes from a fire in 1532 while kept at the chapel in Chambery, France. The burns were caused by molten silver that burned through in places where the shroud was folded. Poor Clara nuns repaired some of these burns. There are 14 large triangular patches sewn into the shroud.

The body image shows one wrist with a round puncture wound. There is side gouge penetrating into the thoracic cavity. There are small punctures around the forehead and scalp and scores of linear wounds on the torso and legs. Steams of blood are on both arms and there is swelling in the face. These wounds are consistent with those of a crucified man.

It appears that the image is made up of sub-micro pigment particles, possibly iron oxide. The fabric weave is indicative of 1st century Dead Sea linen. There is supposed writing on the Shroud. Allegedly, Greek and Latin letters near the face say 'in cecem ibis' or 'you will go to death'. There are also suggestions that text on the shroud reads: 'in the year 16 of the reign of the Emperor Tiberius Jesus the Nazarene'. Some question the validity of these findings.

The history of this shroud indicates that it has followed a twisted course. The history could be divided into two periods: before 1390 and 1390 to now. Of course, the period prior to 1390 is open to debate. The main reason for this is that there is no record of the actual shroud prior to the 14th century. There are reports of similar shrouds but there is no way to verify that any of these shrouds were the one that's at Turin. A fire in 1997 resulted in the shroud being restored and cloth backing and patches were removed, which allowed the back to be photographed. A faint image of the body was discovered on the back in 2007.

So, there is no definitive proof that this is the burial shroud of Jesus, but it has and still is venerated as such. The Vatican has not made any pronouncement on the validity of the shroud, but they have not discouraged devotion to it, and that has extended even to this day.

There have been many attempts to discredit as a fake, but there is no proof for that either. In the end, it's just a matter of faith, as in many cases with relics.

Thanks for reading.