Of all the stuff I’ve ever had the privilege to write, this post is probably in the top five (maybe even top three!) of what I’ve been most excited about researching and producing. The challenge has been compacting the amount of info available. There's a lot!
Yup, I realize this info can be found in a bunch of places and been reviewed by millions, but, I’m still compelled to share it. And because new information continues to be produced, maybe some of it’ll be new to you, too, so here we go!
First, what is the shroud of Turin?
In short, the Shroud of Turin is a 14-foot linen cloth with a faint, negative image of a man. When viewed with the naked eye, because the image is only present in the top-most fibres of the linen, it appears extremely faint, sepia-toned, and indistinct.
1898-Secondo Pia
The image has always been present in the shroud but never clearly understood. Nor was its image defined in detail until Secondo Pia photographed it in 1898, and discovered its negative produced a much clearer, positive image.
The "original" on the cloth acts like a photographic negative, while the photo negative appears as a lifelike, high-contrast positive image. This suggests the image itself is intrinsically reversed.
Unique details
Because of its unique details, many believe this is the tachrichim (pronounced takh-ree-KHEEM or takh-REE-khim, the Hebrew word for a Jewish funerary wrapping/shroud for the deceased), that wrapped the body of Jesus Christ.
The shroud ranks as the most investigated and tested artifact in the history of the world because it impossibly and inexplicably exists.
1976 - US Air Force Academy Professors
Dr. John Jackson, PhD (Physicist) and Dr. Eric J. Jumper (Aerodynamicist) analyzed the shroud with a VP8 Image Analyzer, a machine generally used in mapping terrain. It does this via the brightness levels within an image. Then, it converts the data into an image showing height and depth.
The process usually produces a blob-like image. However, when used on the shroud, the results produced a perfect, holographic depth-map of a man’s body. The image even depicted how far the material was away from the body it rested against. (See the image at the Shroud of Turin website by clicking here.)
This is the only image found in history containing encoded, three-dimensional information. No one has been able to explain how and there is no known method to replicate it.
1978 - Additionally perplexing
Not just hundreds, but thousands of hours of research across dozens of scientific disciplines have been spent on it. They include botany, chemistry, forensics, imaging analysis, mathematics, pathology and physics.
A sizable chunk of research data was produced by STURP (Shroud of Turin Research Team), in 1978. Their team included 33 of the world’s top scientists, who spent 120 continuous (literally 24/7) hours working with the shroud, using seven tons of the best equipment available in the world. The team included several Christians, but the others were agnostics, atheists and Jews.
Many of the team’s members eagerly participated because they were confident the shroud was a forgery. They were also confident they could prove it within 15 minutes.
They failed.
STURP’s final report
The scientists concluded no known method of any kind could have produced the image in the shroud. “The shroud image is that of a real, human form of a scourged, crucified man. It is not the product of an artist.”
The scientists concluded no known method of any kind could have produced the image in the shroud. “The shroud image is that of a real, human form of a scourged, crucified man. It is not the product of an artist.”
A few of MANY details...
* The light that produced the image radiated straight up from below the body, and straight down from overhead.
* There was no contact or pressing against the body in the process, else the imaging would have flattened the cloth and the face would have spread out (flattened), deforming the width.
* The light that formed the image was columnated, maintaining accurate proportions and perspective. This deems it a physics event rather than artistry.
* The image should have shown the body’s backside pressing down, into the cloth, due to gravity, however, that’s not the case. The backside shows no such pressure against the cloth, but rather is also 3D, showing it was elevated away from the cloth. This means the body was not exerting gravitational pressure against the cloth, but was suspended within it.
2011 - ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development)
In December of 2011, the ENEA completed five years of attempting to replicate the image. They used the most advanced ultraviolet laser-imaging available in the world.
They failed.
They also discovered in order to replicate it would require about 34 Trillion watts of vacuum ultraviolet light.
This light would have to be fired in a single burst, lasting only 140 billionths of a second. Any longer would incinerate the cloth.
This amount is more UV energy than every ultraviolet light source on the planet can produce combined.
Points to ponder
There’s more, but (at least for this edition) I’m certain I’ve given at least some of you some info worth considering, and hopefully inspired you to do some independent research on the shroud.
Dr. Bruno Barberis (mathematician and former director of the International Centre of Sindonology in Turin) has estimated the odds that the Shroud of Turin is not the burial wrap of Jesus to be 1 in 200 billion. He arrived at this figure by calculating the probability of a person other than Jesus possessing the same unique, specific physical characteristics visible on the linen cloth, comparing them with Gospel accounts.
Dr. Bruno Barberis (mathematician and former director of the International Centre of Sindonology in Turin) has estimated the odds that the Shroud of Turin is not the burial wrap of Jesus to be 1 in 200 billion. He arrived at this figure by calculating the probability of a person other than Jesus possessing the same unique, specific physical characteristics visible on the linen cloth, comparing them with Gospel accounts.
"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth..." Genesis 1:1
And, because it’s a good fit with this edition...
I gotta share a vid that just impressed me to pieces! Meet one of the U.S. Military’s combat church girls.
Please keep all our soldiers, fighting the good fight, in prayer.
I gotta share a vid that just impressed me to pieces! Meet one of the U.S. Military’s combat church girls.
Please keep all our soldiers, fighting the good fight, in prayer.
The wrap!
For the record, when a particular event occurs that causes global astonishment, we in Christendom, were NOT abducted by aliens. God never needed extra-terrestrials to beam us out of here. He came Himself, wrapped in flesh to attend to it personally. Just sayin’... 😉
Now then, what’s your take on the shroud’s results?
I’d love for you to share your thoughts on it in the comments below. Other readers will be interested as well, so please feel free to engage!
Before I forget, my apologies for being inconsistent in meeting my weekly publishing deadline. Had a few episodes of choppy waters with my health, but am now on the mend and feeling much better!
I always appreciate your prayers on my behalf for good health, and for your engagement with By the Way...
‘Til next time, shalom, shalom from Posey County, Indiana!
Angelia
