US science team proves carbon dating of the Shroud of Turin was invalid, thereby refuting the theory that it was a hoax. Forensics report ‘human blood’ in the Shroud.
By Bernie V. Lopez, eastwindreplyctr@gmail.com
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The Shroud of Turin is regarded as ‘the relic of all relics’, the most powerful symbol of Christ’s suffering. The face on the Shroud is today the most intimate memento of the Messiah. It was a shock when it was proven to be a ‘hoax’ in 1988 by Oxford University scientists.
On April 21, 1988, carbon dating was done on the Shroud by Professor Robert Hedges of Oxford University. The results stunned the world. Oxford, In a press conference at the British Museum, proudly proclaimed that the Shroud was a fake, dated from the years 1260 to 1390 AD. The news spread like wildfire, dousing the fervor of millions of Christians worldwide.
The Shroud of Turin Research Project (STURP), composed of 24 U.S. scientists, the largest Shroud team ever, was formed to do the most thorough and scientific analysis on the Shroud. The goal was to answer the question – what formed the image on the ancient linen cloth?
First, it subjected the cloth to ultraviolet, infrared and x-ray imaging to disprove the claim of skeptics that the images were a ‘painting’. There were no lead or pigments present. It was not the work of an artist.
STURP discovered that the carbon dating was THE hoax, not the Shroud. It reported that the Oxford team, after a long debate, chose a ‘corner’ of the Shroud for the carbon dating sample, the most handled part of the Shroud. The Shroud was strung up for display in 1578 in the public square at the Alpine town of Stenberry for many weeks. Bacteria-laden hands degraded the corners of the cloth. The ‘owner’ of the Shroud, Emmanuel Filberto, allowed the display for weeks for huge crowds, exposing it to sunlight. Carbon dating is a sensitive process. The cloth, subjected to heat, nullifies carbon date.
In the 6th century, precious relics in a silver ark under lock and key were moved from Jerusalem to a cathedral in Oviedo in Northern Spain, due to a Persian invasion. One item in the ark was a Suderium, full of blood and bodily fluids. A Suderium is a poor-quality burial linen cloth wrapped around the face to catch blood and prevent dripping, according to Jewish tradition. A CHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF THE BLOOD ON THE SUDERIUM IN THE ARK MATCHED THE BLOOD ON THE SHROUD, implying that the said Suderium was indeed that Shroud of Turin.
STURP forensic pathologist Fred Zugibe said the stains came from real human blood. The images further revealed that blood had flowed from the forehead and scalp down the sides of the face, hinting that a crown of thorns was forced into the head.
The Shroud revealed marks from multiple lacerations, believed to be done by scourging with the use of a whip having leather strips with metal balls or bones at the end. STURP’s Professor Steven Matingly said that blood stains indeed created the image on the cloth. He simulated an elaborate experiment to show that blood on the bacteria-laden face formed images on the cloth, especially on the protruding eyebrows. He said this is a ‘natural event’, not a miracle.
The complex controversies surrounding the Shroud among believers and skeptics are based on centuries of Church history, i.e. the rise if the Knights Templar during the days of the Crusades and the invasion by the Saracens of the Holy Land. The Shroud found its final resting place in Turin, Italy, four centuries ago. The triumph of the Shroud as an authentic relic of all relics over those who were looking for a hoax, exemplifies how Christ prevails over the machinations of men.
Theologians argue that the hoax theory was the work of the devil, to discredit the greatest relic of all relics showing the intimate physical form of the Messiah. The Shroud is not just a relic. It is a powerful message to Mankind from Christ that indeed He died for us and for our sins. It was the physical evidence of Salvation. (Source – Documentary SECRETS OF THE SHROUD, 2004, Pioneer Productions, PBS-funded, WNET New York, script and direction by Alex Hearle.)
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By Bernie V. Lopez, eastwindreplyctr@gmail.com
Columnist Daily Tribune – Blogger – Healing Ministry – ex-University Professor (Ateneo); Documentary Producer/Director (ex-ABS-CBN, freelance); ex-Broadcaster (Radio Veritas); Facebook “Bernie V. Lopez Eastwind” / FB Pages “Eastwind Journeys and Journals” and “Mary Queen of Peace”.
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