On the forehead of the face that is imprinted on the linen clothes that Yeshua was buried in is what looks like a three 3. It is actually a reverse image of the Greek letter Xi (Xylon).
The image of the Shroud is a photo negative, so the letter we see is a reversal of the actual letter on the forehead of Yeshua.
Xylon (ξύλον) is a Greek noun meaning "wood," "timber," "tree," "staff," "club," "stocks," or "cross" in New Testament contexts.
Using standard Greek isopsephy (,the Greek version of Hebrew gematria) each letter of ξύλον carries a numeric value:
υ (upsilon) = 400
λ (lambda) = 30
ο (omicron) = 70
ν (nu) = 50
60 + 400 + 30 + 70 + 50 = 610.
In Hebrew, the number 610 corresponds to the Hebrew number word אָסוּךְ (āsûk), meaning a "flask" or "oil-flask" (a small pot for anointing oil), used in 2 Kings 4:2; it comes from the root word meaning "to anoint" and symbolizes dependence on God and divine provision, not oppression.
2 Kings 4:2 (NIV): Elisha said to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” “Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.”
We can use the ordinal and numerical values of Greek letters to draw some assumptions of the meaning of the symbol on Yeshua's forward from the equivalent Hebrew letters and numbers.
Using both the numerical and ordinal values of Greek letters, then mapping them to Hebrew, can open a coherent symbolic line of interpretation for the xylon (ξύλον) on Yeshua’s forehead.
Xylon is the 14th ordinal letter of the Greek alphabet. The symbol is commonly used in mathematics and physics to represent variables, unknown values. The 14th ordinal letter in Hebrew is the letter Nun.
Xylon has a numerical value of 60. The Hebrew letter with a gematria value of 60 is the Samech.
I have written about both letters and they are incredibly fitting!!! I am resisting the temptation to cherry pick from what I found when I explored both those letters, so I created links to both blog posts below:
Conclusion:
The Xylon on Yeshua's forehead stands out. Frankly, I'm surprised that it has taken me so long to write about it. It is one more reason to believe the Shroud is a supernatural gift.
