The Turin Shroud has mystified the public for hundreds of years. It was first displayed in the 1390s and many believe it’s the cloth Jesus was buried in.
Jesus’ Linen Shroud
Scientists and scholars have studied the Bible’s teachings for generations. Amidst their research numerous historical artifacts have been discovered, some believed to be referenced in the Bible or by Jesus. Perhaps one of the most fascinating is the Turin Shroud. An undyed cloth that was used to bury those who couldn’t afford a coffin. When it was displayed in the 1350’s it was advertised as the actual cloth that Jesus was buried in.
Confusion Regarding Jesus’ Cloth
However, 1980’s research proved the claims false, until now. Firstly, in 1988, a team of researchers worldwide collaborated, analyzing a small sample of the Turin Shroud, and determined the manufacturing date was between 1260 and 1390 AD.
New Findings
Recently, 2 Italian researchers used X-ray technology to examine 8 samples of the cloth and determined it was manufactured around the time that Jesus was alive.
The new study took place at the Institute of Crystallography in Italy, using wide-angle X-ray scattering, or WAXS. The technology assesses the “natural aging of flax cellulose and converts it to time since manufacture.”
The Bible Tells Me So
According to the Bible, Joseph of Arimathea wrapped the body of Jesus in a linen shroud.
Matthew 27:59-60 reads: “Then Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a new linen cloth. He put Jesus’ body in a new tomb that he had dug in a wall of rock. Then he closed the tomb by rolling a very large stone to cover the entrance. After he did this, he went away.”
Matching Descriptions
Another interesting detail lends weight to the possibility that the Turin Shroud was the cloth used to bury Jesus. Interestingly, the shroud depicts an image of a man who matches Jesus’ predicted height. Additionally, it has wounds that correspond to those described about Jesus and the Crucifixion.
Other Interesting Finds
History lovers and religious fanatics have a few things in common, namely their fascination with anything relating to biblical times or Jesus. Here are a few other interesting findings that have been speculated to date back to the time when Jesus walked the earth.