1. The Bloodstains are Consistent with Roman Crucifixion
To further reiterate the significance of the bloodstains on the cloth, researchers have pointed to the fact that they perfectly resemble what is now known about Roman crucifixions. In Christian art, particularly in the Middle Ages, Jesus is frequently depicted as having nails going through the palms of His hands and the fronts of His feet. However, what we now know about the Roman crucifixion, based on skeletons of crucifixion victims, is that nails went through the wrists and the heels.
If a Medieval forger were trying to make the shroud a hoax, he would have undoubtedly mimicked the bloodstains common in Christian iconography, as he or she would likely have not to know where the Romans placed the nails. The image on the shroud shows that the nails went through the wrists and the heels. If the cover indeed does predate the Middle Ages and if it is a forgery, it could only have been made by someone with firsthand knowledge of Roman crucifixion practices. Furthermore, the shroud shows bloodstains consistent with what the New Testament gospels describe as a crown of thorns being placed on Jesus’ head. Using a crown of thorns was not known to be a common practice, and it is unlikely that many other crucifixion victims were subjected to it.
All of the evidence suggests that the Shroud of Turin could actually be, in fact, the burial shroud of Jesus Christ. The mystery as to how the image came to appear is still a mystery, one that again convinces people that it is a fake. However, perhaps the fact that an image formed on the shroud is evidence of the resurrection.
Where did we find this stuff? Here are our sources:
“History of the Shroud of Turin.” Wikipedia.
“Shroud of Turin Documentary.” BBC. 2008.
History Channel – Shroud of Turin Isn’t Jesus’ Burial Cloth, Claims Forensic Study
History Channel – The Shroud of Turin: 7 Intriguing Facts
National Geographic Channel – Why Shroud of Turin’s Secrets Continue to Elude Science?
Christianity – What Is the Shroud of Turin? Facts & History Everyone Should Know?
Bas Library – The Shroud of Turin—Probably the Work of a 14th-Century Artist or Forger
The Jerusalem Post – Jerusalem Geologist Believes We Have The Nails Used For Crucifixion
Compelling Truth – Did The Crucifixion Nails Go Through Jesus’ Hands Or Wrists?
Aleteia – This 3D “Carbon Copy” Of Jesus Was Created Using The Shroud Of Turin
Shroud – Did Geoffroy I de Charny Obtain the Present Turin Shroud on the Smyrna Campaign of 1346?
Wall Street Journal – Shroud of Turin: Faith, Proof and Relics
The Daily Beast – New Evidence of How Romans Would Have Crucified Jesus
“Shroud of Turin older than thought.” BBC. January 31, 2005.