14. Carbon-14 Tests Show it is a Medieval Forgery
Scientists usually must rely on photographs of the Shroud of Turin to conduct any type of research and analysis on it. In 1988, however, the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist granted permission for scientists to perform testing on the Shroud of Turin to help determine whether or not it is authentic. A small swatch from a corner of the shroud was radiocarbon-dated at the University of Oxford, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, and the University of Arizona. Radiocarbon dating relies on the known breakdown rate of the carbon isotope known as carbon 14 and has been used to date numerous objects of organic nature.
All of the tests from the different institutes revealed that the shroud dated from about the fourteenth century, with an error margin of plus or minus 65 years. For many, this proved that the cover was, in fact, a Medieval forgery. Few people were surprised, as it has long been disregarded by religious figures, particularly John Calvin, who had a profound disgust for relics. The Vatican itself has never officially avowed that the shroud is the authentic burial cloth of Jesus. This concept is consistent with how it usually approaches relics, leaving the authentication to the faithful as part of their own spiritual journeys.