Religious figures have long claimed that the Son of God was wrapped in the Shroud of Turin after the biblical execution.
Although some studies have concluded that the artifact may be genuine, most scholars agree that the shroud is a medieval artifact and a forgery.
1389 Bishop Pierre d’Arcis of Troyes, France, declared the shroud a forgery and allegedly identified the artist responsible. Nevertheless, the debate continues, and ambiguities and alternative views prevent a definitive conclusion on its authenticity.
One of the studies that supposedly confirms the medieval origin of the Shroud of Turin was conducted in the late 1980s. In order to determine the age of the cloth, the researchers used radiocarbon dating. The findings of the study state that the cloth dates back to 1260-1390. These results proved that this cloth is a medieval artifact and that Jesus was not wrapped in it.
However, the authors of the new study say that previous studies may have been biased by impurities on the material.
To substantiate this, the researchers used a new method of dating ancient linen threads by studying their structural decay using wide-angle X-ray scattering. This method was applied to a small sample from the Shroud, which is currently kept in the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist in Turin, Italy.
They determined that the cloth is likely to be a relic of around 2,000 years old.
The study, published in the journal Heritage, concluded: “The data were fully consistent with analogous data obtained from a sample of linen found at Masada, Israel, which is historically dated to between 55 and 74 AD. after Christ.”
Because the results do not agree with previous radiocarbon dating studies, the authors said that “a more precise and systematic X-ray study with more samples from the fabric of the Shroud of Turin would be mandatory to confirm the findings of our study.”
Adapted from Newsweek and Daily Mail.
2024-08-24 22:31:34