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Holy Ghost Recon: The Shroud of Turin

"Bruh, this would look super dope in White Phos 31As"
"Bruh, this would look super dope in White Phos 31As"

Let’s talk about the most studied archaeological relic in human history: the Shroud of Turin. Held by many to be the burial cloth that wrapped the crucified body of Jesus Christ, it’s 14 feet long, 3.5 feet wide, and shows the faint, full-body image of a brutally beaten man. This isn’t a vague Rorschach stain or a dirty towel from the Jerusalem town pool, we’re talking about the burial wrap of a crucified man, with 3D image data embedded in the fabric, and blood stains that match the description of Jesus's crucifixion in the Gospels. Buckle up, this one is a game changer.


The Shroud: In May 1898 Photographer Secondo Pia noticed that his photographic negatives showed a positive image of the man depicted in the shroud.
The Shroud: In May 1898 Photographer Secondo Pia noticed that his photographic negatives showed a positive image of the man depicted in the shroud.

History


In 1354, the Shroud of Turin came into the possession of a French nobleman in Lirey, France. From that point forward, we can trace its journey with documented historical records all the way to its current resting place in Turin, Italy. While we don’t have documented evidence of its whereabouts between the tomb in Jerusalem and 14th-century France, there is compelling earlier evidence. One notable example is the Hungarian Pray Codex from the 1100s, which depicts the resurrection of Christ. In it, you can clearly see a burial cloth that matches the Shroud’s unique characteristics — including its distinctive weave pattern and the same holes found on the actual relic. This strongly suggests the Shroud is much older than critics claim.

 At the bottom of the codex, you see a shroud depicted with the same unique weave pattern and holes found on the actual relic.
 At the bottom of the codex, you see a shroud depicted with the same unique weave pattern and holes found on the actual relic.

What the Shroud Shows

  • The image on the cloth shows the front and back of a male corpse.

  • The man was severely scourged, beaten, and crucified.

  • His head bears wounds consistent with a crown of thorns.

  • His side shows the precise location of the spear wound from the centurion, with blood and watery fluid visible on the fabric — a detail only recorded in John 19:34.

  • The image on the cloth is a mystery. There are no pigments, paints, or brushstrokes on the cloth. Some scientists think the image was created by a sudden, powerful burst of energy.

  • The image is best described as a photographic negative — but photography as we know it wasn’t invented until the 1800’s.

  • The image sits only on the very top fibers of the cloth — just a few hundred nanometers deep. You could shave it off with a razor blade. No technology, not even the finest micro-laser, can replicate that today.

  • In the early 1980s, tests revealed that the blood on the Shroud is type AB—a rare type globally and consistent with the blood found on both the Sudarium of Oviedo and the Eucharistic miracle of Lanciano.


So… how’d it get there?


STURP (1978): Real Science, Real Questions


In 1978, 30 scientists from the Shroud of Turin Research Project (STURP) ran the most thorough test ever done on the Shroud. With access granted by the owners of the Shroud, these elite researchers had five days to run non-destructive tests.


Their conclusions? They didn’t say. But their research confirms this isn’t some medieval arts-and-crafts project. It’s a natural effect of a supernatural event. An image was created on the cloth, and we don’t know how.


1988 Carbon Dating Controversy


Let’s talk controversy. In 1988, three major labs — Oxford, Zurich, and the University of Arizona — tested a small strip of the Shroud and dated it between 1260 and 1390 AD. Headlines declared: “The Shroud is a Fake!”


"Bros, do the "I told you so" pose, then we get tacos.
"Bros, do the "I told you so" pose, then we get tacos.

But not so fast…

  • The sample came from a corner of the cloth — the most handled, most contaminated area, and a part of the Shroud which had been repaired.

  • In 1532, a fire damaged the Shroud, and new linen, dye, and organic material were added to patch it which was not taken into account in the results.

  • Multiple secular and Christian scientists have pointed out significant methodological flaws in the 1988 study, including the fact that the researchers deviated from the original protocols that had been agreed upon when the Vatican granted permission to examine the Shroud.

  • Oh, and some of the scientists involved were rewarded the very next day with… their own museum. (Coincidence? Sure.)


So ok, why not test it again?


Honestly, I believe it hasn’t been tested again because the last time was a disaster. The scientists involved completely dropped the ball—poor planning, questionable methodology, and results that felt rushed and conveniently aligned with a skeptical narrative. After a fiasco like that, would you hand over the most precious relic in Christianity for another round of destruction? The Church recognizes that no matter what evidence is presented, there will always be people who refuse to believe. So why do it again? What’s the point?


That said, with the mountain of new research that’s emerged since 1988, it’s likely the Church will eventually allow further scientific examination. But it will only happen when researchers can demonstrate a plan that is thorough, unbiased, and inclusive, bringing together both secular and Christian experts under transparent, agreed-upon conditions.


Bottom Line…


This isn’t proof that Jesus rose from the dead — but it sure points in that direction. If the Shroud is what it appears to be, then God left behind a calling card in the tomb. A message not just to the apostles, but to all of us.


If it’s a fake, it’s a good one. Someone with a ton of time on their hand and an axe to grind with Christians created an image we still can’t reproduce with 21st-century tech. They used 3D spatial imaging before the Renaissance without leaving a single brushstroke or pigment trace, and/or most likely murdered a man to get that “real feel” artists are looking for. That’s a tough sell.


But if it’s not… then we’re looking at a photographic relic of the resurrection — a linen echo of Easter morning.


What does it say to me? I like how it was put in the movie “The Case for Christ,” which is based on the book by the great Lee Strobel:


“No one’s ever proven that the shroud is the actual burial cloth of the Christ, but whenever someone looks in those eyes for the first time, the Galilean who hung on the cross two millennia ago suddenly becomes a real person.”


But please, don’t take my word for it. I’m just an idiot with mediocre WiFi and a Wix account. If you want to pull this thread, check out these links:


Seek, and you will find. (Matt 7:7)


Go get some -MRF

 
 
 

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