Another study has been released indicating that the Carbon-14 dating of the Shroud of Turin may have been flawed, and the patch tested was a more recent patch than the rest of the Shroud.
The Shroud is purportedly the burial cloth of Jesus and contains an image of a man resembling Jesus in its fibers that is similar to a photographic negative. The Shroud’s origin is unknown, although it is known not to be a painting and is anatomically and historically consistent with a burial cloth of the First Century AD.
I don’t believe that the Shroud is a medieval forgery. There is historical evidence of a cloth called the Mandylion (or the Image of Edessa) that existed several centuries before the shroud that bore the face of Jesus – the historical evidence indicates that it very well have been the same cloth as the Shroud, just folded to show only the face. There is another cloth made of the same material that is reported to be the cloth placed over the head of Jesus – and the bloodstains on that cloth match the bloodstains on the Shroud exactly. This cloth, called the Sudarium of Oviedo has a historical record stretches back farther than the first recorded instance of the Shroud of Turin.
There is too much historical evidence that indicates that the medieval forgery theory is incorrect. Why would a medieval forger go to the trouble of creating a cloth with a distinct herringbone weave used in the First Century? How was the image really created? What is the relationship between the Shroud and the Mandylion, if any? Both the Shroud and the Sudarium contain pollen grains that indicates they were in Jerusalem at some point in their history. Would a medieval forger really be able to create such an amazing image with such historical accuracy — and given Occam’s Razor, even if he theoretically could, what is the likelihood of that really happening?
The Shroud is one of those enduring mysteries that deserves more scientific scrutiny. The 1988 radiocarbon dating is not nearly as conclusive or authoritative as some would like it to be. It is clear that there are still many unanswered questions about the Shroud, questions that deserve answers.
Shroud of Turin, Condoleeza Rice hearings, Hillary’s “move” right, Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica. All this in the last couple of days. That’s why I visit everyday!