Another good post on the topic from T.W. Tramm’s Facebook page:
IN THE GOSPEL of John, the writer is inspired to share details about the burial cloths of Jesus:
“Now the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, ‘They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.’ Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb. So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed” (John 20:1–8).
With the biblical account in view, it is fascinating to consider a handful of facts around the most studied artifact in human history—a centuries-old linen shroud that bears a detailed and anatomically precise image of a man who has been crucified:
• The material and size of the shroud correspond to ancient Jewish practice. According to Jewish Law, a body must be wrapped in linen cloth that had not been mixed with wool. The shroud is made of linen, and though there are traces of cotton in it, there is no wool. The shroud also corresponds with the measuring unit used by first-century Jews, the cubit: it is exactly two cubits wide and eight cubits long.
• The image on the shroud has been described as a “perfect photographic negative,” meaning that when it is photographed, the negative shows a positive image. This is baffling because even skeptics acknowledge that the relic existed centuries before photography was invented.
• A photograph of the shroud produces a three-dimensional image when placed under a NASA image-analyzing computer, which means that distance-imaging information was somehow encoded when the image was formed. The photograph of the shroud is the only known two-dimensional image on earth that displays this amazing property.
• A recent study of high resolution images of the shroud has revealed a phenomenon similar to action-photography in which superimposed views of one of the hands, a foot, and certain inanimate objects fixed to the body indicate that there was movement during the instant in which the image was formed.
• Forensic examination shows that the bloodstains on the shroud were deposited before the image was made. This is the opposite of what one would expect if the image was a painting or man-made forgery.
• Blood stains on the shroud are authentic human male blood of the type AB. Type AB blood is rare in Europe and most of the world, occurring in about 3.2% of the population. However, around 18% of Jews from the North are type AB.
• Blood stains on the shroud match what is known about Roman crucifixion. In Christian art, particularly in the Middle Ages, Jesus is depicted as having nails going through the palms of His hands and the fronts of His feet. However, ancient skeletons of crucifixion victims show that the nails actually went through the wrists and the heels. The image on the shroud shows the nails going through the wrists and the heels, corresponding to the Roman practice.
• Dust on the shroud shows traces of dirt and limestone matching that found in tombs in Jerusalem.
• Traces of pollen on the shroud match flora specific to Jerusalem during the spring.
• Human DNA on the shroud traces to people groups from the Middle East, specifically those who dwell in the region stretching from Israel to Turkey. Middle Eastern DNA is not what one would expect to find on a medieval forgery created in Europe. However, it is exactly what one would expect to find on Jesus’ burial cloth, which is purported to have initially made its way to Turkey from Israel.
• The shroud corresponds to the description of multiple “cloths” in the Gospel of John (John 20:6–8). Firstly, there is visual evidence that smaller strips of cloth were used to secure the shroud around the body. Secondly, there is a smaller companion cloth, or handkerchief, known as the Sudarium of Oviedo, which has pre-mortem and post-mortem blood stains matching precisely the type, shape, and location of those present on the face-area of the shroud. The Sudarium facecloth—a perfect forensic match to the shroud—has a traceable history going back to at least 570 AD.
In view of the facts, I believe that the shroud most likely bears the supernaturally imprinted image of the One who . . .
Was born in a stable.
Healed the sick.
Fed the hungry.
Raised the dead.
Walked on water.
Calmed the storm.
Forgave sinners.
Cast out demons.
Died on a cross.
Rose from the dead.
Ascended to heaven.
Jesus is alive, and He is coming back soon. When He appears, we will become like Him (1 John 3:2). The same incomprehensible burst of light and energy that emanated from His beaten and bloodied corpse to form the image on the burial cloth will emanate from those who have received Him as Lord. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, believers will be gloriously transformed, and those who have died will be raised (1 Cor. 15:52).
If you do not already know Jesus, ask Him to be your Lord and Savior. Believe that He is the Son of God who died for your sins and was raised from the dead, and you too will be gloriously transformed (Rom. 10:13).
Do it today.
Time is running out!
. . .
NOTES:
1. Shroud website:
http://www.shroud.com/
2. Three-dimensional properties of the shroud:
https://www.freechristianteaching.tv/the-three-dimensional-properties-of-the-shroud
3. Video discussing the action-photography effect, indicating movement of the body during the creation of the shroud image:
4. Blood on the shroud:
http://shroudofturin.weebly.com/blood-evidence.html
5. Flawed radiocarbon testing: While a radiocarbon test in 1988 dated the shroud to only around 1260–1390 AD, it has since been shown that the analysis was flawed as the sample was taken from an area of the cloth that had been repaired with newer materials during the Middle Ages.
6. The Sudarium of Oviedo: History and Relationship to the shroud:
7. Significantly, the Sudarium facecloth bears no image like the shroud. This is because the facecloth was apparently removed and put aside, as recorded in John, before the shroud was placed over the body and the image later formed.
. . .
*Visit the author’s website:
www.theseasonofreturn.com
YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVxcqsgEKvYtscqyYJpTxbQ