I recently finished reading the book Resurrected, which discusses some of the scientific study surrounding the Shroud of Turin. I had read about some of the research over the years, including the incredible 3D effect of the image, but I learned something new in this book.
A brief history of the Shroud has it appearing during the Middle Ages, first appearing in European history in the 1350s in the town of Lirey. The knight who had it, Geoffrey de Charney, never explained where he had gotten the cloth. It changed hands several times, eventually ending up in Turin, Italy, where it is currently stored. At one point in its history, the building in which it was stored caught fire. The metal from the chest which held dripped onto the shroud, resulting in certain parts becoming burned, which were patched at some point.
The shroud is a linen cloth, bearing the front and back images of a man. The hands are placed at the front of the body, and there are obvious blood marks on the body. Faint images of flowers can be seen.
The author of the book became fascinated with the cloth through the work of a scientist studying the blood stains. His work studying the placement and structure of the blood stains was interesting. Among other things, the placement of certain stains only works if the body were wrapped in the shroud. One of his first revelations was that the blood stains were a positive image, while the body image was a negative. How could – or why would – a forger create such an image? He also goes into the importance of understanding Jewish burial practices to understand why their was still blood on the body. I had always wondered why there were bloodstains, as I assumed that loving relatives would wash the body before even a hurried burial; at least the blood would be smudged as the body was laid to rest. It seems that Jewish ceremonies required that certain blood be buried, untouched, on the body. Read the book for the explanation; suffice it to say, I understand the presence of the blood now.
There are extensive discussions of his study of the blood stains and their placement, and a rebuttal of the “painted image” argument. Micrographic examination of the fabric shows the discoloration only to be 1 to at most 4 threads into the fabric. Paint would leave pigments behind (which are missing) and the liquid would have wicked further into the fabric, including the “under” thread as the fabric had been woven. The discoloration only affected the thread firbers directly exposed to the body, yet contact discolorations from body fluids has so far been discredited.
There are other discussion of the “missing thumbs,” the anatomically correct placement of the nail wounds (which is usually not correct in pictures, literature, and statues), the marks of torture (historically correct), the importance of the Last Supper wine (blood), the significance of the amount of blood, pollen studies, and other items. All interesting, to me anyway, but I can’t rewrite the whole book here.
The one item that truly made my eyebrows raise was the fact that the body itself had been raised. I had never paid much attention to the placement of the hair or the play of light and shadow in the image, assuming that the body had been horizontal at the time of the image creation. The author goes into detail of how gravity affects hair placement, which in the image lays beside the head and flows downward to the shoulders. This proves the body was vertical and upright, as the hair would have been splayed away from the head had the body been laying down. That alone was intriguing, but when he mentioned that the soles of the feet were visible, I truly got a shock. The body was not standing on the ground, but had literally been suspended above the ground. As the author recalls from John 12:32: “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”
The author puts himself in the place of the doubting apostle, Thomas, understanding the culture of the time, to explain the importance of all these items. It all makes sense, and except for the existence of an actual body, pretty much proves that this was Jesus. I just came across another site which I have not researched yet, but seems to have the “death certificate” of Jesus on the Shroud as well.
How was the image created? We may never know. But it still manages to draw people to Jesus, and that may be the greatest message after all.
Weekend Open Comments
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It’s been at least a couple of years now that on another forum I was challenged to defend nuclear reactor’s safety. According to Wiki, the most injuries suffered from nuclear reactor accidents were in Japan (after Russia, of course). Still, for the record, there have been far more injuries and fatalites in traditional power plants than nuclear power plants. especially… Read more »
I’ve been quietly sitting at the top of the stairs, listening to daughter work on her assigned performance piece, and resisting the temptation to offer advice, until asked. (It ain’t easy.) When she did ask for advice, I told her that it was a difficult piece and that she needed to work on it at least two hours a day,… Read more »
Fukushima Explosion
Oh, my goodness. I hope and pray all people are safe.
This MSNBC headline on Drudge “GE-designed reactors in Fukushima have 23 sisters in USA…” seems crafted to alarm Americans. But none of these GE-model reactors in the US are sitting on top of the Ring of Fire. I’m sure some things can be learned from Japan’s nuke plant disasters, but why foment needless anxiety here?
Darren, I don’t think I’ve down thumbed any of your comments today.
bob #126;
He doesn’t have to. i believed he said:
Now, stop downrating my posts. You’re killing my reputation. 🙂
#121 Texpat,
Please do not share your dreams of me playing the roles of other performers!
LOL!
Jim C Nov 22, 2008 @ 7:16 AM
Whoohoo! Their success is raising hells bells.
LINK
Please be careful mentioning dreaming to bob. He likes to publically report on all sorts of his dreams.
HERE’S a place Squawk and Bob can meet.
#117 boob42
Bobby as Carmen Miranda….that’s one I never quite dreamed of before.
Squawkie, despite our differences, I’d be very honored to meet you. Perhaps we could enjoy a lunch together sometime and chat. Since you’re a bit north and I’m a bit south, might I suggest Treebeards downtown location?
Sure when do you want to meet up for a face to face? My fingers are too tired to type a book.
bob #111; I can stand by that factual statement while at the same time recognizing the ill treatments to fellow human beings that have accompanied pretty much all religions throughout humankind’s relatively short dominion of our planet. Especially when Atheism is combined with governmet? That’s been responsible for slaughtering far more than any organization and combination of organizations in the… Read more »
#115 My hat is a latticework of juicy ripe strawberries, sweet beyond belief cherries, and a fig or two thrown in for good measure. My lovely companion and soul mate suggests dipping each remaining edge of the hat in warmed milk chocolate before eating it. But back to reality; Would it be possible for you to be a bit more… Read more »
Good evening Hamsters. Have been closeted yesterday and today getting ready for the Fort Bend County Tea Party fundraiser this afternoon from 3-5 at the Swinging Door just across the Brazos from Richmond. Good turnout for the BBQ buffet, tea party merchandise, and silent auction. I’m in charge of the silent auctions for the group and have manged many of… Read more »
Bob42
How bout the plethora of half truths and conjecture? Would you like salsa with your hat? I hear Fedoras and salsa are pretty good.
Which is pretty much my point about the way some folks portray Islam.
And I’d be a hypocrite if I condemend Bob42 for broad brushing religon in general and not condemn those who do it to any specifc religion.
Bobo loves the testimonies of liberal foaming-at-the-mouth former religious like James Carroll who have “seen the light” and have become rabid in their hatred for all traditions of the Church. Yet another example of his anti-God bigotry cloaked in his tired old (and false) “live and let live” meme. /yawn If you choose to read Constantine’s Sword I suggest balancing… Read more »
Bob42
Neither of which apply to me. I am stating a fact.
#109/#110, If I’ve said anything untruthful on the topic, I’ll be quite pleased to eat my hat. To complete the thought, may I remind folks (again) that I’ve often stated that the tendency of our species to develop the numerous belief systems that we have is innate, probably a component of evolutionary benefit to our survival, and very largely a… Read more »
Bob42 Are you not aware that ever since they appeared, and especially when they were mixed with governments, various religions have (at some times) motivated people to treat each other very badly? Once again the broad brush of Bob comes out. “Religion” abused by humans motivate people to do bad things. I can pervert the message in Mad Magazine into… Read more »
#101 Bob
“treat each other very badly?”
Crap.
Umm, where’s our resident English teacher?
106 squawkbox says: March 13, 2011 at 4:00 pm Signing some pledge like that implies guilt. I am not guilty of nothing. I can’t see how it would imply guilt at all. Seriously. The only thing I’m guilty of is my own Sin. I know how to take care of that. It does involve signing on to a pledge of… Read more »
Signing some pledge like that implies guilt. I am not guilty of nothing.
Sarge, I know I won’t be signing a pledge.
The religon of peace my *ss
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/12/us-palestinians-israel-violence-idUSTRE72B0B920110312
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4041106,00.html
The short answer would be that I condemn the broad brush demonizing of Islam because I am a Christian.
If I wrote that, I might be able to explain all that’s in it, although it does include my motivation for posting it and signing onto it: As followers of Jesus, these attacks sound all too familiar to us. Our history, both in this country and in others, has been marked by too many episodes of similar rhetoric, including vilification,… Read more »
Serge’ Not bad for a broad paint brush statement. I n recent months and years, we have watched with increasing distress as American Muslims have been maligned and attacked as a community. American Muslims have been made to feel at best unwelcome and at worst un-American. They have had their patriotism questioned and their citizenship suspected. Please show me where… Read more »
#96 M42, have you been in my stash?
Are you not aware that ever since they appeared, and especially when they were mixed with governments, various religions have (at some times) motivated people to treat each other very badly?
Recommended reading: Constantine’s Sword.
#97 I guess a typhoon might clear out some of the rubble at this point. It is heart-breaking to think of human beings being buffeted like this. I am wondering why we don’t see any coverage (I haven’t anyway) of rescue & relief efforts over there. Well, a little bit of relief news is beginning to show up on Drudge.… Read more »
I just walked downstairs to find my daughter at the piano, with headphones on, and trying learn this song, by ear. I was worried at first, but relieved when she explained that one of her pals (and also one of my ‘adopted’ kids) had asked her to play it at her wedding in a couple of weeks. If she pulls… Read more »
Now you’re off the reservation again. Christians have NEVER committed jihad against other religions, and thus have never been suspected of jihadism. Equating Muslims in any respect with adherents of any other religion is a stretch. Sorry, no sale. If rhetoric and jihad were the same thing, you might have a point. If all Muslims engaged in violent jihad, you… Read more »
mharper42
#94
I am sending knee mail for those folks. May God bless ’em. They say disasters come in threes hopefully this will end soon.
What is really scary for them folks is they always seem to catch the brunt of a typhoon sometime in the season.
#93 Sarge
Now you’re off the reservation again. Christians have NEVER committed jihad against other religions, and thus have never been suspected of jihadism. Equating Muslims in any respect with adherents of any other religion is a stretch. Sorry, no sale.
Tedtam
🙂
Oh man, Japan just can’t catch a break. Now they have a volcano erupting, further south than where the earthquakes/secondary tremors/tsunami/nuke meltdowns have them devastated. I was at least glad to see the story of one man rescued 10 miles offshore floating on his own roof.
Sunday seems to be a good day to post this. In recent months and years, we have watched with increasing distress as American Muslims have been maligned and attacked as a community. American Muslims have been made to feel at best unwelcome and at worst un-American. They have had their patriotism questioned and their citizenship suspected. As followers of Jesus,… Read more »
Squawk;
You’re the furthest thing from an Establishment Republican that there is.
Well;
Lets just hope that there’s not some secret email exchange where folks discuss individuals here where they don’t have the opportunity to defend themselves.
Sometimes, being in a group like that can convince someone that they are so special that its OK to treat folks that way.
Muhwahahahahahahahahahaha
Serge’ did you just insinuate that I was an establishment Republican?
Bahahahahahahahahahaha
you so funny
Sarge, this is the first time it smacked me in the face. I was not prepared…
And FWIW, I notice that’s the way its been working between Establishment Republicans and Tea Partiers.
There’s pretty much been a caonstant attack on the Conservative Republican elected officials who are most closely allied with TPs in the state.
Hubby wasn’t feeling well yesterday, and spent his day in his chair. I had picked up “Patton,” so when he asked to watch a movie, it seemed the perfect time to watch it. He thoroughly enjoyed it, as did I. What a character Patton was, and what a brilliant general. If only he could keep his mouth shut! I wonder… Read more »
There’s times it looks that way, aren’t there?
#82 Squawk
I think I saw Bob take it. 😉
You love not being moderator, don’t you? ;D
The Brahmin need no edit buttons. 😀
I am actually finally starting to feel like I’m making a dent in Mirkwood! I am working on the last few parts of the front “hook” of the dirt pile. Now that I have my own WeedEater, I can tackle it even after the weeds start growing – until the dirt gets baked hard. Today, I must barbecue for MIL… Read more »