I think the Shroud is kind of cool, in a weird way.
But, these things bother me:
I thought first-century Jews were interred after the mourners wrapped the body in mummy-like strips and coated or even piled it high with spices. And also, the Gospels talk about a separate head cloth.
Finally, I think the figure in the Shroud looks just too Anglo — tall and lanky — to be Mediterranean.
Don’t forget they were in a rush to inter Christ because of the Sabbath. The women went back later with more herbs and things to do the job right.
I believe I once read that the Jews from Christ’s locale were fairer than usual. He was probably thin; maybe that makes Him look tall? How tall is the body from the Shroud?
Wow - there is SO much reading you can do if you’re really curious -
maybe start with Barrie Schwortz’s site 0 he was one of the scientists in the 1978 team
There is no evidence that First Century Jews were wrapped in mummy like wrappings. Actual evidence is that they were covered with a sheet like cloth, if the family could afford it, or just the face covered with a sweat cloth and the limbs bound with linen ties to keep them from flopping in death. The Jaw would also be bound closed with a cloth binding under the chin and over the head to keep the mouth closed. It may be this jaw binding that is the separate head cloth mentioned in the Bible.
After about a year or so, when the body had rotted away, the family would enter the tomb, collect the bones, and place them in a central bone repository called an ossuary where previous family dead had been placed, this was called being "gathered unto the ancestors." Wrappings as you describe would be counter productive to doing this.
This idea that Jews were buried ala the Egyptians in a mummy like wrapping is a late confabulation of the mis-translation of the Greek gospels that did not properly differentiate the Grave clothes (Sindon - sheet or shroud, Othonia - grave clothes/bindings, Sudarion - sweat cloth or face cloth) because English did not have so many words to describe the Greek terms, along with the popular knowledge of the well preserved Egyptian burial practices that were being discovered. People assumed that what was done in Egypt was also done in Israel and Judea.
They did indeed use large amounts of herbs and spices, if they could afford them, along with oils to cleanse and anoint the body. There was one exception to the cleansing... if the person died a violent death, every effort was made to keep the blood with the body. If the body was covered with blood, it was left in place.
His burial was hurried; Passover was fast approaching. He was somewhat cleaned up after being taken down from the cross, taken to a tomb, laid on a fine linen shroud that was probably donated by Joseph of Arimathea (wealthiest man in the region and a devoted follower of Jesus); the remainder of the shroud merely folded back over him; no wrapping. The idea was to return after Passover, three days later, and “finish” a proper burial process. However....we know what they found...
As for the head cloth, you are correct. The purported head cloth of Christ is the Sudarium, located in Oviedo, Spain. It was placed over His head after He died on the cross; to cover His face....sort of a vanity kind of thing.
The man in the Shroud image was definitely Semitic; early-to-mid 30’s, around 6’ tall.
" See above: Linen strips probably did bind the ankles and wrists as well as the jaw closed. As to the large sheet like shroud, The King James Bible states:
* In Mathew 27: 59 " And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,"
in the original Greek: "59και λαβων το σωμα ο ιωσηφ ενετυλιξεν αυτο [εν] σινδονι καθαρα". . .
the word in bold is "sindoni." In English, a Shroud or a large Sheet.
* In Mark 15: 46 "And he bought fine linen, and took him down, and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre."
Again in the original Greek: "και αγορασας σινδονα καθελων αυτον ενειλησεν τη σινδονι και εθηκεν αυτον εν μνηματι ο ην λελατομημενον εκ πετρας και προσεκυλισεν λιθον επι την θυραν του μνημειου."
There's that troublesome word again: "sindoni," a shroud or a large sheet.
* In John 19: 40 "Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury."
Back to the original Greek: "ελαβον ουν το σωμα του ιησου και εδησαν αυτο οθονιοις μετα των αρωματων καθως εθος εστιν τοις ιουδαιοις ενταφιαζειν"
This time the word in bold is "Othonia." In English: Grave Clothes, a more generic term for all of the cloths used in the burial. Othonia would be inclusive of the bindings used on the wrists, ankles, and Jaw, and a shroud or modesty cloths.
As for Strong's Concordance, it was compiled at a time when the Egyptian mummies and their burial practices were all the rage. Many thought that all middle eastern burials were handled in a similar fashion. As a result, the interpretations of the original Greek were distorted by that awareness of Egyptian burial practices. It is not Biblical. If you note, the definition of the Greek words "entulisso and eneileo" are fixated on the more extreme meanings rather than the more common original Greek meaning of "to enwrap," which is easily understood if you place the body on a cloth and pull the rest over the head and down over the feet... you enwrap it. However, given the period, and the state of scientific archaeology, this is understandable. Archaeology was concentrated on Egypt and that is what the saw in Egyptian burials: tight wrappings entwined around the body binding it. At the time Strongs was compiles, no serious archaeology had been done to unearth 1st Century Jewish burials in Jerusalem to find out just exactly HOW Jews were buried. It was prohibited by the Muslims who were in control of that area.
You, and the skeptics page that you cut and paste this entire post from, choose to ignore the clear meaning of the word "σινδονι", sindoni, which is quite explicitly a large cloth, which the synoptic Gospels of Matthew and Mark both use in the original Greek. They also choose to ignore the plurailty of Grave Clothes which is another meaning to the word "οθονιοις ," othonia, plural and colloquially used for the multiple cloths in a set of grave clothes used for Jewish Burial."
Sword, courtesy *PING* to you.
Cheers!