Is the Turin Shroud genuine after all? From beyond the grave, a startling new claim

dailymail.co.uk ^ | April 10, 2009 | Fiona Macrae

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[BroJoeK]

"An unauthorized C14 test performed on a thread pulled from the center of the Shroud reported a creation date of 1st century, plus or minus 100 years. "

Another great post! This would seem to clinch the argument, wouldn't it? Now, all they need would be to repeat it a couple of times, and the debate would be over -- or at least drastically recast!

Of course, from the Church's perspective, why end the debate too quickly? Why not let new ideas percolate and soak in slowly, so to speak?

For certain, the Shroud has a most interesting history, which will have left many different marks and deposits on it. Look at one section and it says: Medieval repairs, another section may say: sixth century Byzantine, still another: first century Jerusalem, who knows? Perhaps fully unraveling all the Shroud's mysteries could take as long as the Shroud's history itself?

[mel]

I think that is the power of God, He gives us just enough to force us to have faith.

[mel]

You said the science gets over your head and I agree fully. I have read some of the scientific articles and they lose me on the first word.

[patton]

You are spot on with the value of woven cloth - the labour required to produce it was mind-boggling.

That is why rag-pickers could make a living at it - it was an early form of recycling, I suppose.

But I do not think it is a fake.

Happy Easter!

[patton]

Thank you.

[Mamzelle]

The sample should be taken from warp threads in the selvedges. It wouldn't be close to the image.

[Swordmaker]

This would seem to clinch the argument, wouldn't it?

The KEY word is "unauthorized" and the results cannot be published although they are talked about among Shroud investigators. The Church did not authorize the C14 test on one of the threads taken in 1978 but it was done. The results strongly suggest that the main body is first century. With modern C14 small sample methodology and accuracy, a few 1 cm threads would be sufficient for numerous tests.

[Mamzelle]

Just a little more textile lore...from someone who dearly appreciates textiles. People see weavers at a loom, pressing down the foot levers and throwing the shuttle. That's the easy part! It's easy to weave.

The hard part is warping the loom. Warping requires planning, measuring and mathematics. When you weave wool, you must starch the thread because wool is flexible and stretches and causes all kind of limpy, saggy, problems. But you starch linen because it won't stretch, is inflexible by its nature, and will break.

I keep saying this because a twelve-yard piece of linen fabric that survives two millenniums is completely miraculous without any graphic depictions. Understand that such a textile, without the graphic, is already miraculous.

[Swordmaker]

I keep saying this because a twelve-yard piece of linen fabric that survives two millenniums is completely miraculous without any graphic depictions. Understand that such a textile, without the graphic, is already miraculous.

Not twelve, Mamzelle, only four yards, it's 14 feet long.

[Coleus]

I think it’s real.