Scientists in Italy have announced stunning new results regarding the age of a controversial relic believed by many of the faithful to be the death shroud of Jesus Christ.
The Institute of Crystallography in Italy shared its findings this week regarding the famous Shroud of Turin, which skeptics have historically called a forgery. It is arguably the most studied relic in history, according to a 2023 Harvard study.
According to the Institute, their dating process involved WAXS, or Wide-angle X-ray scattering. WAXS helped determine that the Shroud appears to consistently date as a 2000-year-old plus relic.
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“The experimental results are compatible with the hypothesis that the T[urin Shroud] is a 2000-year-old relic, as supposed by Christian tradition,” said the Institute of Crystallography on their website.
“We obtained one-dimensional integrated WAXS data profiles for the T[urin Shroud] sample, which were fully compatible with the analogous measurements obtained on a linen sample whose dating, according to historical records, is 55–74 AD, Siege of Masada (Israel),” the Institute added.
Central detail of the shroud with the face (left). The 2015 Exposition of the Shroud of Turin begins in the Turin Cathedral, Italy. The Shroud of Turin is a linen cloth with the image of a man. It is considered an important relic by the Christians who believe it to be the burial shroud of Jesus bearing his image after the crucifixion. (Marco Destefanis/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The Institute of Crystallography’s 2024 findings contradict the results of a dating test conducted on the Shroud in 1988, which found that it only dated back to about 1350. During the 1988 dating, the Shroud was analyzed by three separate labs. Those results bolstered serious doubts over the Shroud’s authenticity.
The Institute’s new results indicate that “the T[urin Shroud] fabric is much older than the seven centuries proposed by the 1988 radiocarbon dating.”
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The Institute notes that its findings are “experimental,” but that they are compatible with “13 centuries of unknown history, in addition to the seven centuries of known history in Europe.”
Beyond the scientific world, the faithful worldwide have taken great interest in the Shroud of Turin as potential proof of the life, death, and resurrection of Christ.
Secondo Pia’s 1898 negative of the image on the Shroud of Turin has an appearance suggesting a positive image. It is used as part of the devotion to Holy Face of Jesus. The Shroud of Turin or Turin Shroud (Italian: Sindone di Torino) is a length of linen cloth bearing the image of a man who appears to have suffered physical trauma in a manner consistent with crucifixion. There is no consensus yet on how the image was created. (Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Fox News Digital reached out to Bishop Robert Barron, founder of Word on Fire ministry, regarding the findings.
“I have had a long fascination for the Shroud of Turin. It first came to my attention when I was 16 and I read everything I could about the Shroud- its history and provenance, arguments regarding its authenticity, and the scientific research,” said the Bishop.
“As such the recent news that the use of new technology had led to a different conclusion than a carbon dating test conducted in 1988. It seems that there is now new evidence that strengthens the hypothesis that the cloth of the Shroud is contemporary to the time of Christ.”
People stand in front of the Holy Shroud during the Solemn Exposition Of The Holy Shroud on April 10, 2010, in Turin, Italy. The Holy Shroud will be displayed at the Cathedral of Torino from April 10 to May 23, whilst Pope Benedict XVI will be in attendance on May 2. The last time the Shroud was displayed publicly was during the Jubilee Year of 2000 on April 8, 2010, in Turin, Italy. (Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images)
The Bishop clarified, “our faith in Christ’s resurrection is in no way dependent on the Shroud but its uncanny power to capture our attention and many other mysteries have strengthened the faith of many.”
“I believe the continued fascination people have for the Shroud is an indication of the continued relevance of Christ to even a culture as secular as our own. But it also reveals that in the midst of a prevailing secularism people remain drawn to the uncanny, spiritual aspects of our existence and desire to experience for themselves the mysteries of God.”
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The Institute of Crystallography did not return Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
