The following historical profile is provided by the Shroud of Turin Story.
What did Jesus look like? Amazingly, there is no description of Him in the New Testament or in any contemporary source. Yet, in hundreds of icons, paintings, mosaics, drawings and coins, there is a common quality that enables us to identify Jesus in works of art. Shroud scholar and historian Ian Wilson theorizes that a common set of facial characteristics became the norm following the discovery of the Edessa Cloth concealed in the city's walls in 544 CE.
Apparent Shroud-inspired images of Christ are noticeable on coins struck in 692 CE during the reign of the Byzantine emperor Justinian II. The distinctive front-facing appearance of Jesus on the Shroud is also found on numerous icons, mosaics and frescos from the sixth century on. The most startling example is the Christ Pantocrator icon at Saint Catherine's Monastery, reliably dated to 550 CE.
Computerized overlay of the Shroud of Turin facial image and the Christ Pantocrator icon from St. Catherine's Monastery (550 CE). Images were scaled to the same size and shifted horizontally and vertically for alignment. No changes were made in the vertical to horizontal ratios.
Christ Pantocrator, c. 1200 from dome of Church at Cefalu, Sicily.
In the 1930's, French Shroud scholar Paul Vignon described a series of common characteristics visible in many early artistic depictions of Jesus. The Vignon marking, as they are known, all appear on the Shroud suggesting that it is the source of later pictures of Jesus.
- A square U-shape between the eyebrows.
- A downward pointing triangle or V-shape just below the U-shape, on the bridge of the nose.
- Two wisps of hair going downward and then to the right.
- A raised right eyebrow.
- Large, seemingly "owlish" eyes. This may be the result of coins placed over the eyes.
- An accent on the left cheek and an accent on the right cheek that is somewhat lower.
- A forked beard. Dr. Whanger (see below) has suggested that this may the result of a chin band tied around the head to keep the mouth closed.
- An enlarged left nostril.
- An accent line below the nose and a dark line just below the lower lip.
- A gap in the beard below the lower lip.
- Hair on one side of the head that is shorter than on the other side.
Christ Pantocrator, c. 1100 from dome of Church at Daphni, near Athens. Note U at bridge of nose, triangle on nose, raised right eyebrow, uneven hair, owlish eyes.
If indeed the Shroud was the source for many works of art including icons as early as 550 CE and Byzantine period coins struck during the time of Justinian II (685-711 CE), it is inconceivable that the Shroud is a medieval forgery.
Still in doubt? Read this book.
Review:
Reviewer: annalert from Houston, Texas After reading Antonacci's book, you may well conclude, as I did, that the Shroud of Turin was a gift from God in some ways intended specifically for those of us living in our times. Without today's sophisticated scientific equipment, much of the evidence imprinted on this ancient relic could not be observed, much less understood.
At first I wondered why an ATTORNEY was writing such a book. Then I recalled that, in spite of all the tacky lawyer jokes, it is attorneys who are trained to sift through available evidence and present it in a logical manner. Mark Antonacci has done just that - presented all the evidence in a wonderfully logical manner that even the non-scientific layman can understand. He could not have done a better job of putting the needed references and citations for anyone interested in further study.
In our world of today where we demand to see scientific proof of miracles, we can truly see the finger of God in the results of the scientific study of the Shroud. It is a gift for our times and an humbling experience. Forget what you THINK you know about the Shroud