A brand new study done by a team of Italian researchers on the Shroud of Turin have concluded that the ancient relic does indeed date to the time of Jesus Christ, further strengthening the claim that it is the shroud He was buried in after He was taken down from the cross. This is a huge development and could be the strongest piece of evidence supporting the resurrection of Jesus after He was crucified.
According to a report from Newsweek, a study was published in a journal called “Heritage,” where the authors conducted a number of tests and studies on a sample taken from the shroud, concluding it might be 2,000 years old.
The Shroud, which has long been the subject of intense scrutiny, features a faint image of man that some believe is the body of Jesus miraculously imprinted onto the cloth. While the latest study does not discuss the question of whether or not the artifact was indeed Jesus’ burial shroud, the authors did find that its age is roughly consistent with his time. The findings challenge previous research supporting a medieval origin of the Shroud, which is one of the most studied archaeological objects in the world.
While some studies have come to the conclusion that the artifact might be genuine, the scientific consensus leans toward the Shroud being a medieval artifact and a forgery.
The thing is, scientists have studied this relic thoroughly and cannot provide any sort of conclusion on the technique used to create the image. Surely with the technology we have at our disposal today we’d be able to tell if it was simply a forgery of the actual cloth or was a painted on design.
The Shroud was denounced as a forgery by the bishop of Troyes, Pierre d’Arcis, in 1389, who allegedly identified the artist responsible. Nevertheless, the debate is ongoing, with uncertainties and alternative viewpoints persisting, hampering a definitive conclusion regarding its authenticity. Among the research indicating a medieval origin for the Shroud is pivotal radiocarbon study conducted in the late 1980s, which concluded that the linen dates to between A.D. 1260 and A.D. 1390—corresponding with the artifact’s first documented appearance in France in the 1350s. These results indicated that it was not the burial cloth of Jesus.
However, those who were involved in the most recent Heritage study believe that the original tests from the 80s might have yielded faulty results due to contamination. Of course, scientists — probably many who would go to any lengths possible to discredit a miracle so as to turn people away from their Creator — have challenged this thought as well.
Lead researcher Liberato De Caro who works with the Institute of Crystallography in Italy, along with his colleagues, used a method for dating ancient linen threads by taking a close look at structural degradations through Wide-Angle X-ray Scattering.
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“The authors said the results of their analysis were ‘fully compatible’ with analogous measurements obtained from a linen sample whose dating, according to historical records, is A.D. 55-74, and consistent with the hypothesis that the Shroud is a 2,000-year-old relic,” Newsweek reported.
“The authors note that the results are only compatible with this hypothesis under the condition that the artifact was kept at suitable levels of average temperature (around 20-22.5 degree Celsius, or 68-72.5 degrees Fahrenheit) and a relative humidity of 55-75 percent for 13 centuries of unknown history, in addition to seven centuries of known history in Europe. Since the results do not agree with previous radiocarbon dating research, the authors said ‘a more accurate and systematic X-ray investigation of more samples taken from the Turin Shroud fabric would be mandatory to confirm the conclusions of our study,'” it added.
While it would be super awesome to have such a wonderful, tangible piece of evidence from the resurrection, we don’t need it in order to validate the gospel of Jesus Christ. We already know the Bible is true. Jesus is God. He died on the Cross for sinners, so that those who repent and trust in Him will be saved. He then rose from the dead and was seen by hundreds of people during the 40 days following the resurrection.
Let’s hope that those who are studying this relic come to true saving faith in Jesus.