Documentary on the Shroud Airs Sunday

Catholic Lane ^ | February 28, 2015 | Patti Maguire Armstrong

[NYer]

All four gospels mention the burial cloth of Jesus Christ. The Shroud of Turin is believed by many to be that burial cloth. It is etched with the image of a man that was scourged, crowned with thorns, crucified, and lanced in the side. If it is real, it provides archeological evidence of the most consequential event in human history—the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Pope Francis plans to venerate the Shroud this summer, just as his predecessors, Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict did. The Pope has called for it to be displayed in Turin from April 19 to June 24 and he will view it personally on June 21. My husband Mark and I, and 6 of our 10 kids will make the trip there this spring. Thus, it was with particular interest that I previewed Examining the Shroud of Turin, the first segment of CNN’s 6-part series titled Finding Jesus: Faith, Fact, Forgery which will air this Sunday at 9 PM EST.

The documentary examines artifacts from the life of Jesus through worldwide experts in science, archeology, history and theology. The first episode asks: Is the Shroud of Turin the actual burial cloth of Jesus Christ or is it a fake?

If it is the burial cloth of Jesus, then it was Pontius Pilot who unwittingly began the journey of the Shroud as the most revered and controversial relic in history. It was he who gave Joseph of Arimathea permission to take down the body of Christ from the cross. Joseph donated his own burial cloth and tomb. He, together with Nicodemus–both prominent members of the Jewish ruling body, the Sanhedrin–took Jesus from the cross, wrapped him in linen and laid him in the tomb.

The historical records concerning the Shroud prior to the 14th century are not definite, opening its authenticity to question and leading some to call it a forgery. And so we must rely on scientific, historical, and archeological study to tell the story.

Candida Moss, Ph.D., a theology professor in New Testament and early Christianity at the University of Notre Dame was one of the consultants and commentators for the documentary. She has degrees from both Oxford and Yale and specializes in the study of relics, martyrdom, and the early Christian Church. Moss noted that evidence for the Shroud as truly the burial cloth of Jesus is very strong, but the Catholic Church has never definitively declared it so.

“When you look at Ecclesiastical statements made by the popes, they have never said the Shroud is authentic, but only that it’s worthy of veneration,” she said. “That is one of the things that the Catholic Church does well—to hold back and do their due diligence.”

The documentary explains that many who have dismissed the Shroud as a fake, point to the carbon dating in 1988. The testing dated the Shroud as coming into existence between 1260 and 1390. Scientists present those results in the film but other experts challenge that conclusion citing possible bacterial contamination of the cloth as has happened with burial shrouds from Egyptian Pharaohs. Carbon dating found them to be centuries younger than their actual known dates.

Another very powerful piece of evidence is presented: the Cloth of Oviedo. It is believed to be the cloth that was placed over the head of Jesus mentioned in the Bible. “Simon Peter, following him, also came up, went into the tomb, saw the linen cloth lying on the ground, and also the cloth that had been over his head; this was not with the linen cloth but rolled up in a place by itself” (John 20:6-7).

The history of this head covering, called the Sudarium, is well documented. It was taken from Palestine in 614 AD to Alexandria, through northern Africa and arrived in Spain in 616 AD where it remains today.

Both burial cloths have the same AB blood type. When compared to one another, the bloodstains match perfectly, showing that it came from the same man. It is noteworthy that the carbon dating on the Sudarium does not agree with that of the Shroud; showing the former as being many centuries older.

Another point against it being a forgery is the discovery that the image of the Shroud is actually a negative. The first photograph of it was taken by Secondo Pia in 1898. While looking at the negative image on the reverse photographic plate, all of a sudden he saw the positive image — he was staring at the face of Jesus! So if it was a fraud, someone would have had to think of creating the image in the negative.

“In looking at the material, I felt there was a lot more on scientific evidence that it could not be a forgery,” Moss said. “For instance, pollens were found on the cloth that came from Palestine and the placement of the nails were in the wrist.” She explained that in medieval times the crucified Christ was portrayed with nail marks in his palms, but historical and scientific research has shown that people were crucified in the wrist—the only possible way it could have held up the body. “If someone was going to make a forgery during that time, it would not have made sense to show the nail marks in the wrist.”

The most compelling evidence, according to Moss, is that despite attempts, no one has been able to recreate it. “When NASA scientists cannot make it, then who can?” she asked.

After the documentary airs, people will have the opportunity write in their questions on the CNN website and scholars will respond online. It premiers Sunday, March 1 at 9 PM EST.

[NYer]

Ping!

[NYer]

Ping! Any feedback would be appreciated.

[CatherineofAragon]

From the article it seems that the shroud is the cloth that belonged to Joseph of Arimethea. Am I correct?

[mosesdapoet]

Father Francis Filas was the Jesuit who held talks on this and set up along with his brother Thomas who was a composer of show and litugical music, a foundation to promote it.
I met Tom in his later years when he was our local organist and had the pleasure of perfoming his hymns

[null and void]

CNN?

I’m sure it will be balanced and fair to Christianity.

[CyberAnt]

There was another “documentary” called “The Face of Jesus” .. I believe it was a couple of years ago. It was the most awesome thing I had ever seen.

Scientists and computer people used the Shroud and remodeled it laying across a body .. then they added in red blood coloring; marks of the scourging; punctures of the thorns; and then they colored His hair the color it would have been in life (black) .. and then, they animated it and brought His face into view .. I GASPED OUTLOUD AND STARTED SOBBING .. I was totally moved by the results. His eyes were so life-like, it was stunning.

One of the reasons the picture on the Shroud seems to show a much older person is because it was it was a reverse light picture .. like a negative .. thereby removing all the coloring.

I wish somebody would replay it because it is just stunning. I would like to record it, save it, and show it to my family. Most of them are Christians and I suspect they will have the same response I did.

[Iscool]

I don't mess the the shroud nonsense...The shroud is for people who have no or little faith...

Heb_11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Mat_12:39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:

No tunics...No shroud...No apparitions of Mary...

[cardinal4]

For you, maybe..

[GreyFriar]

Here is an article from 2013 that talks about, fairly straight forward even though it is in the Huffington Post, about the 2012 testing that was done on the Shroud by the University of Padua. this testing has it may have come from the 1st Century, AD.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/28/shroud-of-turin-real-jesus_n_2971850.html

[left that other site]

You can find that on the History Channel.

They have a website...perhaps it is available.

[NYer]

From the article it seems that the shroud is the cloth that belonged to Joseph of Arimethea. Am I correct?

You are correct insofar as what the article states. I have pinged an expert on the Shroud of Turin. You may also find more details at This Link. NB - it is a translation of an Italian news article.

[CatherineofAragon]

Thank you, I appreciate that.

[CyberAnt]

Well .. it may be wonderful .. but I’ve never read anything from the Huffington Post that even closely related to the fact that JESUS was a real person.

Consequently, I would not waste my time reading anything from Huffington Post.

I’ve heard the argument before about it being too long after Jesus death .. or before Jesus death .. but the real date was proven by “The Face of Jesus”. One of the reasons for the date argument was the extra piece of cloth on one edge. It was purported to be a different date than the rest of the cloth. It turned out, there was documentation which proved the cloth had been damaged at some point, and when it was repaired, the cloth was (of course) slightly different than the original.

So, I’ll stick with “The Face of Jesus” .. but thank you anyway.

[CyberAnt]

That’s awesome .. I’ll check it out. Thank you so much.

God Bless

[left that other site]

My Pleasure! :-)

[Swordmaker]

Documentary on the Shroud of Turin to Air on Sunday, March 1, 2015—PING!

If you want on or off the Shroud of Turin Ping List, Freepmail me.

[NYer]

CNN? I’m sure it will be balanced and fair to Christianity.

That was my initial reaction as well. However, Just came across the following post on the Shroudstory web site.

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Hints About Shroud of Turin Episode in CNN Series

February 28, 2015 Dan Leave a comment Go to comments

My hope certainly is that it will help educate people.

Today, just a day before it premiers, we learn from the Christian Post, that a ‘Finding Jesus’ Expert Says CNN Series Will Investigate Shroud of Turin; Admits Skepticism:

Mark Goodacre, [pictured, right] who’s the professor of New Testament and Christian Origins in the Department of Religious Studies at Duke University, is a featured expert on the series. He said recently that ultimately, viewers will have to decide whether to accept the findings as fact or opinion.

"Well, I think [the series] is going to be elements of fact and opinion," Goodacre told The Christian Post on Friday. "Take Sunday’s episode, which focuses on the Shroud of Turin; there’s been a huge debate about the authenticity of the shroud over the last hundred years. Some people are convinced that it’s the real deal, I’m personally skeptical about its authenticity. I think that it’s much more likely to be a medieval forgery, but even then, I think it’s still fascinating as an artifact from the middle ages."

Other expert commentary will be featured from the likes of Ivy League academics from Yale, Harvard, Princeton and Oxford universities who will provide theological insight. They include Erwin MacManus, senior pastor of MOSAIC Los Angeles, and Rev. Paul Raushenbush, executive religion editor of The Huffington Post, among others.

Award-winning journalist and filmmaker David Gibson, who co-authored Finding Jesus along with Michael Mckinley, the book that inspired the CNN series, will also be featured.

"My hope certainly is that it will help educate people. The best kind of education is when you get people asking questions," said Goodacre. "You get people engaging with the subject matter and they think, ‘that’s interesting, I want to know more about that,’ and they go and explore a bit more for themselves. I teach this stuff for a living, and I think the best kind of teaching is the one that gets people asking questions."

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Ultimately, no matter how much evidence is put forth for or against the Shroud, it is a matter of personal discernment. "For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don't believe, no proof is possible."

[left that other site]

http://www.history.com/shows/the-real-face-of-jesus/articles/the-shroud-of-turin

I found it.

[GreyFriar]

It was in other sources other than the Huffington Post and also a tv documentary. Thus, to me, it is a rare case of where the HP is delivering a straight story. If I find another source I’ll post it. Also the HP story said it was quoting the London Telegraph.