The Shroud of Turin is a linen cloth covered in stains and color variations that depict a man who has been physically hurt in a manner that appears consistent with crucifixion. The Shroud is believed by many to be the linen that covered Jesus Christ shortly after his death. The natural color is sepia, and the image is hard to make out; however, a photograph taken in 1898 shows a striking image of a man on the original negative. This leads credence to those who believe the Shroud was once used to cover the body of Jesus.
The body that was once enclosed in the shroud appears to have marks that are consistent with accounts of the death of Jesus. Marks from the crown of thorns, from spikes or sharp implements driven into the hands and feet, and the evidence of severe beating, as well as the slashes in the sides of the body, all point to the accounts. The shroud is also considered to have blood stains on it that are consistent with the flow of blood during a crucifixion.
The Shroud is now housed at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Turin, Italy. In 1958, Pope Pius approved the Shroud as the real artifact, and since then it has been considered a holy relic in the Catholic Church.
However, there are skeptics who claim that the Shroud was created in the 1300s, over a millenium after the death of Jesus. Carbon dating puts the time of the shroud’s creation at a significantly different period than the life of Jesus; however, repairs made to the shroud over the years, as well as damage from a fire in the Late Middle Ages, could have affected the accuracy of the carbon dating.
Recently, skeptics have gone to great lengths to prove that the shroud of turin could simply have been painted by an artist, left to age in a drawer somewhere, and was “discovered” and quickly assigned a date and meaning that was not accurate. However, for every person who believes it is not the “real deal” there is someone else who is certain of the religious significance.
Whether the Shroud of Turin is a good forgery or the real image of Jesus after his death, the question has definitely turned attention to the Catholic Church and the meaning of the death of Jesus — which can lead to education about Christianity, and perhaps the desire to learn more. All experts can surely agree that this is a good thing.