The authenticity of the Shroudof Turin has been hotly debated for many decades. Is the Shroud the burialcloth of Jesus and could it possibly contain an image of Jesus? Some believethis is exactly what the Shroud to be, while others insist the Shroud is a fakemanufactured sometime during the Middle Ages. A new study in Italy has nowgiven us new reason to believe the Shroud may indeed be from the first centuryand therefore, could be the actual burial cloth of Jesus.

The primary area of controversy surrounding the Shroud is the age of thefabric. If the fabric is from the first century, or earlier, then it opens thedoor for the Shroud to be authentic. If the fabric was produced in the MiddleAges, then obviously the Shroud is a fake and all but worthless.  Foryears the church would not allow testing of the Shroud because the testingwould require the destruction of a small piece of the Shroud. While the churchdoes not official say the Shroud is genuine or fake, they have always held theposition that since it is possibly the real thing, no part of it should bedestroyed.

The church had a change of heart and finally allowed the Shroud to bescientifically tested. Many people felt the controversy would be put to rest in1988 when the results of Carbon 14 testing on a small section of the Shourdwere revealed. According to the test, the fabric of the Shroud was from theMiddle Ages, and only 700 years old. It could only be a fake. Almostimmediately critics began to voice their objection to the results. They claimedthe Carbon 14 testing was done on a section of the Shroud that had beenrepaired and was not a part of the original Shroud but was in fact a patch.Combined with the fact the Shroud had been exposed to smoke and extreme hightemperatures when the church where it was kept burned, critics claimed theShroud could not be properly tested using Carbon 14. It was also pointed outthat there have been numerous instances of errors when attempted to use Carbon14 testing on fabrics. The porous nature of the fabric can make it difficult toget accurate test results, according to some.

Now in Italy a new, non-destructive test, was performed on theShroud.  The test was supervised by Doctor Liberato de Caro who iswith Italy’s Institute of Crystallography of the National Research Council. Theinstitute used a test known as WAXS or Wide-Angle X-ray Scattering, in aneffort to find the age of the fabric. The tests measure the structuraldegradation which is the result of the natural ageing process of the cellulosein the linen threads. These measurements are then compared to a number of samplesof fabric which the exact age is known.

After comparing the WAXSresults with a number of fabric samples, a close match was found. The resultsfor the Shroud of Turin closely matched a piece of fabric that is known to befrom the siege of Masada in Israel. The sample fabric was believed to be frombetween 55 and 74 A.D.  The siege of Masada took place near the endof the first Jewish-Roman war. The siege took place during the years of 73 and74 A.D. so the fabric could be older than 74 A.D. but not any younger. Theseresults, if found to be accurate, show the fabric of the Shroud of Turin isindeed from the first century and thus removes a major reason for doubting theauthenticity of the image on the Shroud.

It was also reported theWAXS test indicate that fabrics and textiles can become contaminated over time,making Carbon 14 dating unreliable. Doctor De Caro stated that molds andbacteria along with dirt or carbon containing elements can distort the Carbon14 dating process. In effect you cannot be certain if you are testing theoriginal fabric, the contaminants, or a combination of both. Doctor De Carocautioned against being to excited about the findings. He insisted the resultsneeded to be confirmed by other laboratories in an effort to replicate thefindings. One of the benefits of the WAXS testing is that it is nondestructiveand multiple tests can be performed on the exact same sample to compare andconfirm results.

De Caro pointed out there was also pollen found on thefabric which could only have originated in the ancient region of Palestine andnot Europe. The pollen does not prove the Shroud is authentic, but it does showthe Shroud spent a good deal of time in the Middle East before being brought toEurope.

Additional Notes concerning the Shroud of Turin

Ø In the 1970's the Shroud of Turin Research Project reported the stainson the fabric were human blood.

Ø The image on the Shroud, which many claim to be Jesus, depicts amuscular man who stood between 5'7" and 6'2"

Ø The Shroud was first discovered in a church in Lirey in north centralFrance. The church was founded by French Knight Geoffroi de Charny.

Ø One theory on how the image on the Shroud was formed is that solar raysreflected by the damp shining body of Jesus were immediately imprinted on thedamp inner side of the burial cloth Jesus was wrapped in.

Ø In 1502 the Shroud was moved to the Sainte-Shapelle in Chambery.

Ø The Shroud has been in the Royal Chapel of the Cathedral of San GiovanniBattista in Turin Italy since 1578.

Ø In 1532 a fire broke out in the chapel where the Shroud was housed. Thefire was so intense it melted a portion of the silver frame protecting theShroud. The molten silver burned through sections of the Shroud. These burnmarks and the water stains from firefighters extinguishing the flames are stillvisible on the Shroud.

Ø Carbon 14 testing was done on the Shroud in 1988 and showed the fabricto be approximately 700 years old. - These findings have bene challenged by anumber of critics.

Ø After the fire in 1532, nuns patched some of the burn marks and stitchedthe Shroud to a reinforcing cloth which is known as, "The HollandCloth".

Ø The Shroud of Turin in 14'3" long by 3'7" wide.

Ø The Shroud was moved to a remote monastery in southern Italy duringWorld War II to protect it from danger and from being stolen by the Nazis.