The Shroud of Turin

This archaeological discovery is probably one of the most extraordinary ever made in the field of Christianity. This shroud, which fascinates both scientists and the curious alike, is the most studied object of all time. But why does it generate so much interest? First of all, what is a shroud? It is simply a garment, often made of linen, in which the body of a deceased person was wrapped. Why Turin? Turin is a city in Italy, and that is where the shroud is located.

It is possible to go see it directly in Italy, but if you cannot travel or lack the curiosity to do so, you can freely view images of this object on the Internet. So, what do we see? A body, or more precisely, we can discern the silhouette of a body. The shroud has a front and a back: you can see both the front and the back of a body.

An unexplained phenomenon: Many people argue that it is a forgery. The problem is that, to this day, no one has managed to reproduce the phenomenon that creates these marks and impressions on the fabric. No scientist has succeeded in duplicating it, and that is absolutely astonishing, especially from a scientific point of view. So, what is this “phenomenon” that experts cannot explain or replicate? Here is the issue: if you visit Turin today and observe the shroud yourself, here is what you will see: standing less than 3 meters away, you will not see the silhouette of the body. However, if you step back beyond 3 meters, this mysterious silhouette will appear through the fabric.

No one can explain this manifestation, and scientists are unable to reproduce an effect similar to what is observed. We do not know how these marks can be present on the shroud, since there is no ink, pigment, or paint… In fact, it is as if you are looking at a kind of “negative” (a photo or image whose colors are inverted). This makes the shroud a mystery and an archaeological treasure.

A crazy amount of energy: If you’re a fan of the movie Back to the Future, you might remember the energy the director estimated was needed to power the DeLorean? Think about it—I’ll come back to this a bit later… The body wrapped in the shroud, at a precise moment, generated a super-powerful flash of light: scientists who studied the shroud estimated this burst of energy at 6.4 gigawatts, that is… six times the energy the DeLorean needed to travel to the future. It’s the equivalent of 600 million LED lamps! This flash “photographed” the silhouette on the fabric (the shroud). This obviously seems like an absolutely crazy measurement and adds to the unique and inexplicable nature of this object. So, when observing this shroud, could we be facing the very moment when Jesus was resurrected? The moment when He transcended death, as ancient texts recount?

Here’s an interesting additional fact: in recent years, a man issued a challenge—to prove that the Shroud of Turin is a “fake,” a fraud. In exchange, the person who uncovers the deception will win one million dollars. To date, despite the attractiveness of this offer, no one—scientist or archaeologist—has succeeded in meeting the challenge.

It is certain and understandable that the Shroud of Turin stirs up such strong passions. It is an object that leaves few people indifferent and continues to attract large crowds every year. Scientist Barrie Schwortz is among that crowd: a member of the 1978 research project on the Shroud of Turin, Barrie converted to Christianity at the end of his studies.

So, are you ready to behold this shroud yourself,

and uncover its mysteries?