Every year, thousands of people gather around the Shroud of Turin to pray and hope for benevolent guidance. For centuries there hasn’t been a way to prove that this piece of fabric is worthy of public praise, but one scientific breakthrough will finally answer all questions.
The world held its breath waiting to hear the results, and religious groups knew one verdict could shatter centuries of beliefs. After today, history will forever be changed based on a single speck of dust.
A Unique Origin Of Discovery
The Shroud of Turin is soaked in history and skepticism. It first appeared after disappearing for centuries in Lirey, France. To understand why the world was standing still waiting for these results, you have to go even deeper into history.
Where did it come from and who was the person that put the famous cloth over Jesus? All of these questions and more were on the tips of everyone's tongue.
The Early Documentation
The original origin of the Shroud speaks of traveling a path from the previously known region of Judea. It traveled down to the previously titled Constantinople, which in today’s geography is Istanbul.
Scientists and religious fanatics alike were equally excited for more development to come through on this mystical piece of cloth. Would it only create a further divide between two communities, or unite the world?
The Church Publicly Recognizes The Item
In 1353, the Shroud of Turin was revealed to be located in Lirey, France. It would still be a few years after this discovery that the Catholic Church accepted its unique origin.
With similar markings to the historic event, it was carefully registered into the Vatican. It would be decades later for the first controversy to appear.
Attempting To Time Stamp
The days of Jesus's first walking on the planet date back to 6-4 BCE. Historians and religious advocates have all wanted to gain more understanding and knowledge of the Old Testament and prayed this Shroud would provide answers.
As it began to be examined, people knew it would only be lighting a fiery debate topic. Everyone began to proceed with caution, but feathers were already being ruffled.
A Radioactive Breakthrough
In the 1980s the Catholic Church allowed radiocarbon dating technology to analyze the material. It was done with the hopes that this could provide a clear date and time when this piece of fabric had been created.
The material would need to be close to a range similar to when Jesus walked the earth for it to be taken seriously. Unfortunately, the first results were not promising.
What Was The Date?
The technology revealed that this piece of material was from 1260 to 1390. The religious community was shaken! It couldn’t be possible that this valuable artifact had been a fraud all along!
It didn’t take long for the Catholic Church to find an answer from the source. Dating back to the gospel of Matthew was a valuable piece of information many had overlooked.
The Earth Was Shaking
In the Gospel of Matthew, when the death of Jesus is described in the Gospel of Matthew it is written “The earth shook, the rocks split, and the tombs broke open.” According to the church, this was most likely an earthquake.
With an earthquake causing damage, it's also entirely possible that it releases a wave of neutrons. This scientific wave would be the reason for an inaccurate radiocarbon dating process, but would the skeptics believe this evidence?
It Was Time To Explore
In 2015, there was enough new technology that the topic of exploring the Shroud of Turin was brought back up for debate. With researcher Massimo Paris and geneticists Gianni Barcaccia, they had a new approach.
The study would focus on Gianni extracting samples from the cloth to pinpoint the location of the material versus the actual data associated with the material fabrics. Would this experiment cast a ray of hope or keep the community at square one.
It Came Down To Dust
When Gianni was commencing their experiment they needed to extract dust samples from the shroud. These samples in turn would be analyzed and the results were incredible.
In the results, Gianni was thrilled to announce the dust proved the material had been in contact with human DNA. Was it the human being that divinely intervened centuries ago?
It Was All About Location
After Gianni dived deeper into the samples, they were even more excited to announce that the Shroud of Turin could be traced back to East Africa, North Africa, and China! After this incredible journey, how had it been located in Lirey, France?
With the human DNA samples linking the material to several ethnicities, it was time to examine the plant DNA and scrape aside the dust particles in a chance to re-write history!
The Shroud Of Turin Biological Roots
When the plant DNA was analyzed further it was revealed that the Shroud of Turin had most likely originated in the Caucasus and the Middle East. With this fact and the original location of Jesus's birth, things were finally starting to link together.
Before the community could get too excited it was time for further analytical scans, but would this community reveal too much? How far can you push your faith when it's battling unknown origins?
Haplotype And Genotype
When researcher Massimo Paris and geneticist Gianni Barcaccia examined the genes found in the fabric they were pleased with the following discovery. While they spent months analyzing the data and what it revealed, this piece of cloth linked specifically the Druze community.
A private middle-eastern based community that has been surviving in the desert for centuries. It was going to be through their community the riddle of the Shroud of Turin was answered.
Reaching Across The Globe
While the Shroud of Turin was located in France, it was being connected to several other locations and communities. It was both validating the lineage and raising more questions. The community was at its wit's end with trying to understand the results.
Did this further prove what everyone suspected all along? Was the Shroud of Turin a replica or was everyone viewing a piece of divine history?
Speaking To The Press
After months of experiments, Gianni Barcaccia was interviewed in 2015. The researcher said, “In my opinion, it is hard to believe that in the past centuries different priests, monks, or nuns specifically of Indian ancestry had the possibility to come in contact with the shroud after we found it in France.”
The long and painful process had not given conclusive results and unfortunately, many people would point this out for months following the interview.
When It Becomes Too Broad
Many people appreciated the scientific work that was conducted on the Shroud of Turin but agreed that with the broad results it was hard to accept a factual answer. The work was going to get further insulted by Danish geoscientist, Renee Enevold.
Her work mainly focused on the study of pollen and was quick to point out trying to understand or study plant DNA doesn’t confirm anything. Her own work showcases the different variables Plant DNA produces, and why it can’t be trusted for this material identity.
The Next Possible Solution
With the DNA leading to a dead-end, one man stepped forward with a new plan. Hugh Farley is an editor of the newsletter, “British Society of the Turin Shroud”. His life is highly invested in finding out the authenticity of the shroud.
His solution is that scientists need to analyze the individual flax seed that the linen was created by. He points out this technology was not available before and could give everyone peace of mind.
Science Continues To Evolve
Every year further scientific methods and discoveries bring authenticating the Shroud of Turin one step closer. At this point, while both the religious and scientific communities are butting heads, it's time to remember one thing.
With delicate artifacts and topics, it's always best to keep an open mind. Without an open mind, so many tiny details become lost in translations or arguments. Will the study of the Shroud of Turin only cause a further divide?
Why Can’t They Analyze The Blood?
The detail that defines the Shroud of Turin is the specs of blood displayed on the linen. The blood is traced in the perfect shape of a corpse with hands folded, specifically hands that are bleeding.
Many people have studied the blood droplets and believe they can see an outline of where a crown of thorns was present plus hand injuries similar to where Christ was nailed to the cross.
The Results Are Still Inconclusive
The blood sample that was tested was deemed inconclusive due to a lack of evidence from where the blood originated. Science will continue to work on a way to answer the burning questions and help the religious community reveal the truth.
For the time being, the Vatican has sealed the sample and will continue to protect it at all costs. It will be a heated debate to see which side comes out victorious when the truth comes out.