The authenticity of the Shroud of Turin is being called into question once again via a forensic study that suggests that the image contained on the cloth is a fabrication. The controversial piece of linen, which some believe to be the burial cloth of Jesus Christ, has been the subject of a seemingly unending debate that stretches back centuries. The latest twist in the Turin saga comes courtesy of a newly-published paper detailing a rather ingenious technique used to 'test' the image on the Shroud.
In the study, researchers attempted to see if the blood flow from wounds thought to be afflicting the person on the Shroud would actually match the depiction seen on the cloth. To pull off this feat, they enlisted a human volunteer who was outfitted with a small tube that dripped human blood from where the crucifixion nail would have been. Additionally, since the story of Jesus states that he was also suffering from a stab wound in his abdomen, researchers incorporated this injury into the study using a somewhat similar method involving a mannequin.
Despite positioning their test subjects in a number of different ways, the scientists behind the study found that the largely natural bloodstain patterns could not account for the legendary Shroud image. Although they matched in some instances, those respective overlaps left other parts of the picture incomplete. By looking at the whole depiction found on the cloth and comparing it to what was produced by the study, one of the researchers told the website LiveScience, "you realize these cannot be real bloodstains from a person who was crucified and then put into a grave, but actually handmade by the artist that created the shroud."
Although the new study is quite intriguing, longtime students of the Shroud mystery can be forgiven for being wary about the news as it is merely the latest in a long line of much-heralded research projects promising to have settled the case once and for all. In the last year alone, there were claims that the faint impression of coins found on the eyes of the Shroud image proved it was the burial cloth of Jesus as well as a study of the 'nanoparticles' found on the cloth which indicated that they came from "tortured blood." As such, it's a safe bet that, at some point in the not-too-distant future, we'll be hearing about yet another set of researchers who have come up with their own way of looking at the Shroud and produced some fantastic findings as well.
Until then, Coast Insiders can learn more about the Shroud of Turin by checking out our recent program featuring researcher Russ Breault, who has been studying the relic for over 25 years. Not a Coast Insider yet? Sign up today.