What is the Shroud of Turin and why is there so much controversy around it?

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What is the Shroud of Turin and why is there so much controversy around it?

The

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, houses a fascinating artifact: a massive cloth shroud that bears the shadowy image of a man who appears to have been crucified. Millions of Christians around the world believe that this shroud – commonly called the

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– is the cloth that was used to bury ****** after his crucifixion and that the image on the shroud was produced miraculously when he was resurrected.

The evidence, however, tells a different story.

Scientists have questioned the validity of the claims about the shroud being a first-century object. Evidence from carbon-14 dating points to the shroud being a creation

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.

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these tests as flawed. The shroud ******** an object of ******, intrigue and controversy that reappears periodically in the public sphere, as

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.

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, I have long been interested in why people are motivated to create objects like the shroud and also why people are drawn to revere them as authentic.

The shroud and its history

The first public appearance of the shroud was in 1354, when it was displayed publicly in

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. ********** pilgrims traveled from all over to gaze upon the image of the crucified ******.

Pilgrimages like this were common during the Middle Ages, when relics of holy people

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.

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at the time; relics were bought and sold, and pilgrims often paid a fee to visit them.

Many believed that these relics were genuine. In addition to the shroud, pilgrims visited

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,

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and

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, just to name a few.

But even in the 14th century, when the relic trade in Europe was flourishing, some were suspicious.

In 1390, only a few decades after the shroud was displayed in Lirey,

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not only that the shroud was a fake but that the artist responsible for its creation had already confessed to creating it. Clement VII agreed with the assessment of the shroud, although

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.

The shroud and science

The shroud has been the subject of much scientific investigation in the past several decades. Data from scientific tests matches what scholars know about the shroud from historical records.

In 1988, a team of scientists used

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to determine when the fabric of the shroud was manufactured. The tests were performed at three labs, all working independently. Based on data from these labs, scientists said there was “

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” that the shroud originated between the years 1260 and 1390.

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over 30 years later appeared to debunk these findings. Using

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to study the structure of materials, the scientists concluded that the fabric of the shroud was much older and could likely be from the first century. They also noted, however, that their

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only if the shroud had been stored at a relatively constant temperature and humidity – between 68-72.5 degrees Fahrenheit and 55% to 75% – for the entirety of two millennia.

This would be highly unlikely for any artifact from that *******. And when it comes to the shroud, the conditions under which it has survived have been less than ideal.

In 1532, while the shroud was being kept in Chambéry in southern France, the building it was housed in caught *****. The silver case that held the shroud melted; despite intricate repair attempts, the ***** marks in the fabric remain visible to this day. It was saved from another ***** in Turin as

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.

Despite the ongoing debate, the carbon-14 dating results have continued to provide the most compelling scientific evidence that the shroud is a product of the Middle Ages and not an ancient relic.

The shroud as religious art

The shroud is undeniably a masterful work of art, crafted with remarkable skill and using methods that were complicated and ahead of their time. For centuries, many experts struggled to understand how the image was imprinted onto the fabric, and it wasn’t until 2009 that scientists were successfully able to reproduce the technique using

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.

Pope Francis once referred to the

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,” a type of religious art that can be used for a variety of purposes, including teaching, theological expression and even worship. Without addressing the authenticity of the shroud, the pope suggested that by prompting reflection on the face and body of the crucified ******, the shroud encouraged people to also consider those around them who may be suffering.

It is at least possible that the shroud was created as a tool that would encourage viewers to meditate on the ****** of ****** in a tangible way.

Ultimately, the shroud of Turin will continue to intrigue and draw both believers and skeptics into a debate that has spanned centuries. But I believe that the shroud encourages viewers to think about how history, art and belief come together and influence how we see the past.

This article is republished from

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, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and analysis to help you make sense of our complex world.

It was written by:

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,

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.

Read more:

Eric Vanden Eykel does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

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#Shroud #Turin #controversy

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