Shroud of Turin, why or why not is it real?

Answer 1

I don’t know. I was hoping it was real, but it doesn’t really matter. Maybe it is one of the “signs and wonders” we are supposed not to pay attention to lest we be deceived, as we saw with “Jesus’ (so called) Tomb” recently.

On the other hand, it could be renewing some people’s faith in Christ, with their eyes turned to Him through the object itself. If that is the case, then it is real.

Answer 2

Is the Shroud of Turin Evidence of the Resurrection of Jesus?
Reality Check on the Shroud of Turin: For many, interest in the Shroud of Turin is about hoping to find more evidence of the resurrection of Jesus; an affirmation of the biblical story, an accommodation with the realities of science and a challenge to modern biblical revisionism.

For decades, scientists, archeologists and historians have struggled to answer two questions: 1) How old is the shroud? 2) How were the images made? These questions remain unanswered.

Even without answers to these two basic questions, we may wonder if there are reasons to believe that the shroud is Jesus' burial cloth? And if that is likely so, is the Shroud of Turin evidence for the resurrection of Jesus?

Stunning developments between 2002 and 2005 provide new information. The shroud is possibly 2000 years old. And though we still don't know how the images were formed, we know that they are extraordinarily unique. Chemically, physically and optically the images are unlike any other known images of any kind.

But is the Shroud of Turin evidence of the resurrection of Jesus?
Studies in 1978 seemed to suggest that the Shroud might be the real thing. But ten years later, carbon 14 tests seemingly proved it was medieval. Then in 2005, two scientists, working independently with different technologies, showed that those tests were wrong. Both found that the radiocarbon dating was performed on a repaired section of the cloth: a mixture of older and newer threads. There was enough newer material to skew the results by a dozen or so centuries. Moreover, micro-chemical findings clearly showed that the shroud is much, much older. The Shroud of Turin could be 2000 years old.

Answer 3

The Shroud of Turin is a linen cloth that some believe to have been the cloth that Jesus Christ was buried in. Each of the four Gospels mention Jesus being wrapped and buried in a cloth (Matthew 27:59, Mark 15:46, Luke 23:53, John 19:40). The Shroud of Turin was “discovered” or at least made public in the 14th century A.D. The Shroud of Turin is named for the city that it is kept in - Turin, Italy.



Here is a webpage that contains some pictures / images of the Shroud of Turin - http://www.shroud.com/examine.htm. Upon examination, the Shroud of Turin appears to be that of a man who was crucified. There are markings in the hands and feet that are consistent with the wounds inflicted by crucifixion. There also appear to be wounds similar to what is described in Jesus’ torture, around the head, back, and legs.



So, is the Shroud of Turin truly the cloth Jesus Christ was buried in? There is much debate on the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin. Some are absolutely convinced that it is the burial cloth of Christ. Others believe it to a fabrication, or a work of art. There have been some dating tests completed that date the Shroud of Turin to the 10th century B.C. or later. Other tests have found spores / pollens that are common to Israel and that could be dated to the 1st century A.D. All that to say there is no conclusive date either way.



So, what are we to make of the Shroud of Turin? Whether it is the authentic burial cloth of Christ or not, the Shroud of Turin is not to be worshipped or adored. The Shroud of Turin cannot be used as a conclusive proof for the resurrection of Christ. The Shroud of Turin is perhaps the most amazing artifact in connection with the Person of Jesus Christ. The Shroud of Turin is also perhaps a fraud or an amazing work of art. Our faith in Jesus Christ does not rely upon the Shroud of Turin.

Recommended Resource: Why Believe in Jesus?: Who He Is, What He Did, and His Message for You Today by Tim LaHaye.

Answer 4

What the experts are saying (2015):

According to John Jackson Phd, the world's leading scientist with more than 100 MAN YEARS of affiliated research into the Shroud, he believes that the Shroud is the burial cloth of Jesus.

The people attending the Dec 2014 International Symposium on the Shroud which attracted 160 experts, scholars, etc. were asked if they believe the Shroud was the burial cloth of Jesus, more than 100 people raised their hands in agreement with John Jackson's opinion. The Denver Shroud Center provides a Critical Summary of the science as of 2015. Page 84 of that pdf document tells what I described here.

Answer 5

It's a non-starter, as the Bible states Jesus was buried in linen clothes (plural), not a cloth or a shroud (Jn 19:40; 20:1-7).
The "shroud of Turin" is conspicuous by its absence from any mention of such an artifact in the Bible (as also is the "Veronica", yet another piece of RC propaganda foisted on us in the "The Passion of the Christ") and the early Christian writings. The first (disputed) claim for the shroud's existence goes back to 544 in the city of Edessa, where it was sited "above a gate", presumably displayed akin to a banner. Does that sound to you like it was something worthy of veneration? It certainly doesn't to me! We have to go forward all the way to April 1349 before its first undisputed mention in the historical records. Therefore, like many other icons and artifacts exhibited by the Medieval RC "church", it belongs in the dustbin labelled "Historical Hoaxes".
Such things detract from the fact of Christ's resurrection, and His imminent return for His church.

Answer 6

The shroud of Turin definitely exists, many people have seen it including scientists trying to determine its authenticity.

Answer 7

Shroud of Turin - What is it?
The Shroud of Turin is a linen cloth believed by some to have covered the buried body of Jesus Christ. Accounts of Jesus' followers wrapping his body with a linen cloth are mentioned in all four gospels (Matthew 27:59, Mark 15:46, Luke 23:53, John 19:40). The shroud, which has a known history dating back to 1353, is about 14-feet long by four feet wide. It is called the Shroud of Turin because it permanently resides in the city of Turin, Italy, though on occasion it is exhibited elsewhere.

The shroud bears markings that appear to be front and back impressions of a crucified man. Apparently, the cloth was folded over itself, one half above the man, the other half below. Interestingly, the man's wounds are consistent with the wounds inflicted upon Jesus during the torture He endured leading up to His crucifixion. There appear to be wounds around the hairline, matching the biblical description of the crown of thorns. Several small stripe-like wounds extend from the shoulders to the lower legs, matching the biblical description of His torture by whipping. There is also a wound in the area of the chest, which matches the description of the piercing wound inflicted on Jesus shortly after His death.

Shroud of Turin - Expert Explanation
What do experts think about the Shroud of Turin? That depends on who you ask. Some experts consider the Shroud of Turin to be authentic, while others believe that it is a rather sophisticated hoax. A few people have even claimed that the shroud was never intended to be anything more than a work of art. This explanation doesn't seem probable because of the shroud's unique design, a style that had never been observed in any previous major work of art. This fact leads most experts to conclude that the shroud is either authentic or it is purposely designed to look as if it is authentic.

The major critique against the shroud's authenticity is based on carbon dating tests. The tests predict that the shroud is not much more than 700 years old, which would place its origin during the 1300s, making it much too young to have been Jesus' burial cloth. Other scholars suggest that this date might be skewed because the shroud's fibers are soiled with microscopic bacteria and fungi, which have developed for hundreds of years. They believe that the presence of these objects make the shroud test at least a thousand years younger than it really is. There are, however, a growing number of scientists who consider both of these arguments moot because of what they claim to be a lack of reliability in the carbon dating method.

Shroud skeptics also charge that the facial and bodily features of the man are out of proportion. However, other experts argue that many people have certain physical features that are disproportionate.

There are literally dozens of arguments for and against the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin. These contradicting claims may lead the casual observer to conclude that there exists a scientific stalemate concerning the shroud, and that does seem to be the case. So what should we believe about the Shroud of Turin?

Unfortunately, when presented with opposing opinions in a debate related to Christianity, the casual observer tends to accept the non-christian point of view because he believes that it is less influenced by religion, and thus more scientific. However, non-christian scholars often seek to disprove the Christian point of view as fervently as Christian scholars seek to support it. So the non-christian point of view is often very biased. A case in point is the recent discovery of an ancient bone box inscribed with the following message in Aramaic: James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus. When news of this finding was made public, some scholars, seeking to downplay the historicity of the Christian faith, declared the box a hoax even before they had seen it.

The truth is, no one can say with any degree of certainty that the Shroud of Turin is real or a hoax. The best we can do is analyze all the information, and then decide for ourselves.

Shroud of Turin - The Reality
Sadly, the never-ending debate about the Shroud of Turin is concerned only with its authenticity. In reality, it matters little whether or not the shroud is the burial cloth of Jesus Christ. Either way, the shroud is simply a cloth made of linen. Unfortunately, many people have been misled into thinking that the shroud is in some way sacred, and have thus tied much of their faith to its authenticity. This is a mistake. No matter its origin, the shroud deserves neither our worship nor reverence. Assuming its authenticity certainly makes it a significant part of Christian history, but nothing more.

Jesus lived a perfect life, He died for the sins of mankind, He was raised from the dead, and then He ascended into heaven. By accepting him as Lord and Savior by grace through faith we are forgiven. Christians don't base these beliefs on the Shroud of Turin or any other ancient artifact. Rather, Christians accept these things because of a belief in the truthfulness of the Bible.

The debate over the Shroud of Turin does remind us of one very important point, though. That is, the historicity of the Christian faith. Christianity is not just a set of rules by which Christians govern their lives. It's a relationship with a real God who entered human history as a mortal man, and died so that we might have everlasting life.

Answer 8

Never heard of until a century when the Church was producing massive numbers of fake articles of faith to exploit the Pilgrimage business (Think Mecca without the Turbans).

Confirmed as a 14th Century artifact by ALL BUT ONE scientist on the original research team.

The lone hold out has changed his story many times and made tons of money selling books to the gullible.

Plus the front and back images, if overlaid, are not the same size or dimensions.

Answer 9

Essentially because Jesus did NOT exist (other than in Myth or Fabrication), so therefore there wasn't any shroud. I think it has been "carbon-dated" to around the 12th Century which makes it about 1100 years younger than the person who was supposedly wrapped in it.

Answer 10

Fake

-C14 dates to the middle ages just before the documentation starts
-Two pigments visible under microscope
-Front and back image different sizes
-Head is out of proportion.

It was a very cleaver fake. But still a fake.