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Christian relics/urban legends

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The Shroud of Turin: All sides of the issue:

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Sponsored link.

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Quotations:

bullet"The Shroud of Turin is a genuine artifact of a first century Roman crucifixion of an adult Jewish male...The Shroud of Turin is not the artifice of a forger." Jack Kilmon 1
bullet"It's senseless that this travesty is still being played out to the public, since it was in fact settled 600 years ago, but I guess if enough lies are propagated long enough, the truth will ultimately become the disenchanted myth." Bruce Monson expressing skepticism that the Shroud of Turin dates to the 1st century CE. 2

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What is the shroud?

The Shroud of Turin is a piece of linen cloth 1.1 meters wide and 4.36 meters long (approximately 43 inches by 14.3 feet). The linen was "spun with a Z twist, and woven in a three to one (herringbone) twill." 3 It bears the negative image of the front and back of a naked man with beard, long hair and a mustache, bearing wounds on his body, most of which are consistent with having been flogged and crucified. Many devout Christians believe that this shroud was the actual fabric used to wrap Jesus after his crucifixion circa 30 CE.

Most investigators assume that there are only two possible explanations about the nature of the Shroud:

bulletThat it is the actual burial shroud of Jesus, having survived from the 1st century CE, or
bulletThat it is a forgery, intended to deceive the faithful.

Only rarely are two additional possibilities suggested:

bulletThat it is a religious artwork;  a type of painting, devoutly created to portray what the shroud might have looked like.
bulletThat it is the burial shroud of a crucified man other than Jesus, which has survived from the 1st century CE.

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Sponsored link:

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Topics covered in this section:

bulletIntroduction to the shroud:
bulletWhat do people believe the shroud to be?
bulletHistory of the shroud.
bulletWhat is on the linen?.

bulletAnalysis of the shroud:
bulletFirst impressions of the shroud.
bulletDetailed analysis of the linen.
bulletOne explanation
bulletCarbon 14 dating

 
bulletHow the shroud might have been created in medieval times
 
bulletDating methods:
bulletCarbon-14 dating according to most scientists
bulletCarbon-14 dating according to many conservative Christians
bulletDating by measuring the Vanillin content of the shroud

 
bulletThe shroud and the Bible text:

 
bulletAdditional information:
bulletConclusions.
bulletBooks about the shroud.

 
bulletWeb sites that discuss the shroud.

 
bulletRecent developments.

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References:

  1. Joe Nickell, "Blooming 'Shroud' Claims," Skeptical Inquirer magazine, 1999-NOV/DEC issue, Page 22-23.
  2. Bruce Monson, "Oh what a tangled web we weave," Review of Ian Wilson, "The Blood and the Shroud: New Evidence that the World's Most Sacred Relic is Real." Review is online at: Amazon.com
  3. "The Holy Shroud," at: http://www.di.unito.it/shroud/index3.htm (No longer available online)

  4. Barry Karr, "Review of Evidence Confirms Shroud of Turin Is a Forgery," Religious News Service, at: http://www.religionnews.com/

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Site navigation:

Home page >  World religions > Christianity > Christian history.... > here

 Home page > Christianity > Christian history... > Urban legends > here

or Home page > "Hot" religious topics > Urban legends > here

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Copyright © 1999 to 2005 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Originally written: 1999-NOV-18
Latest update: 2005-FEB-07
Author: B.A. Robinson

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