Saturday, August 3, 2024

ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT THE IMAGE

Why was the Shroud hidden for so many years?

Consider what was happening in the first century all the way through until Constantine issued the Edict of Milan in 313 CE which fully legalized Christianity and restored confiscated church property.

In a biblical context this was time of Acts and Christian persecution. Throughout Acts. From the 1st to the 4th Century, Christians faced opposition from both Jewish and Roman authorities, including trials and imprisonments.  

Surely there were Jewish leaders as well as Romans who did not want evidence of Yeshua's resurrection. It is not at all surprising that the Shroud went deeply underground and was hidden!  The miracle is that it survived at all, let alone emerged and has been preserved for 2000 years!

Some say that Jesus never spoke about the Shroud. And that it's not foretold in the Bible. I disagree.

Matthew 27:57-60 describes Joseph of Arimathea wrapping Jesus in a clean linen cloth and laying him in his new tomb, which was hewn out of rock, before rolling a large stone against the entrance. Mark 15:46 tells us Joseph of Arimathea wrapping Jesus in a linen shroud before placing him in the tomb. Luke 23:53 also recounts Joseph placing Jesus in the tomb. These accounts emphasize the care taken in Jesus's burial and the sealing of the tomb. John 20:6-7, Simon Peter observes the linen cloths lying in the tomb and the face cloth that had been on Jesus' head, which was not lying with the linen cloths but folded in a separate place. 

Therefore, all four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John verify that Yeshua's body was prepared with a burial shroud.  Simon Peter witnesses that the burial Shroud was left in the empty tomb.

Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus knew exactly what to do after Jesus was taken off the cross! They knew what his disciples didn't understand yet. They knew very well what Yeshua meant when he told them that the only sign would be the "Sign of Jonah." 

If anything, the one thing that is not questionable is that a burial shroud exists today. 


It is a Miracle that the Word and the Burial Shroud were Preserved. 

Jesus said in Matthew 5:18, "For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." The Dead Sea Scrolls proved Jesus was correct.

The Dead Sea Scrolls were likely hidden by Essenes, a Jewish sectarian group, in caves in the Judean desert between 66 and 68 CE during the First Jewish-Roman War just prior to the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE as Jesus foresaw. 

The main objectives of the Church and Crusaders in Jerusalem during the Crusades was to gain access to and control of Christian holy sites, particularly those associated with the life and ministry of Jesus. The Holy Sepulchre, believed to contain the tomb of Christ, was the primary focus. And as you will read below, the likelihood is that the burial Shroud was recovered during the Crusades. I feel it is a miracle that it was preserved all this time. 

It should be noted that nearly 1.2 million Jews were killed during the Crusades.  


The Shroud of Turin has survived multiple fires throughout its history. The most significant previous fire occurred on December 4, 1532, in the Sainte Chapelle in Chambéry, France. During this fire, the heat caused the silver casket holding the Shroud to melt, resulting in molten silver damaging the cloth. The long marks on the Shroud were the result of that fire. The Shroud survived another fire in 1997.


When is the earliest recorded historical existence of the Shroud?

There are claims that the Knights Templar possessed a relic showing a red image of a bearded man, but this is not definitively linked to the Shroud.

Some historians maintain that a burial cloth, possibly the Shroud, was owned by Byzantine emperors but disappeared during the 1204 sack of Constantinople. This speculation is partly based on analysis of gold micro-particles found on the cloth. They suggest it may have been taken during the Sack of Constantinople in 1204.

Documented evidence of the Shroud's existence surfaced just after the Black Death, a devastating plague that killed an estimated 30-60% of Europe's population between 1347-1351. Surely that was a time in history when the people cried out for a Messiah. 

The Shroud first emerged historically in 1354, when it is recorded as being in the possession of Geoffroi de Charny.  The documented history of the Shroud dates back to 1354, when it was first exhibited in the collegiate church of Lirey, a village in north-central France.

Who was Geoffroi de Charny?

Geoffroi de Charny (c. 1300-1356) came from an illustrious family of French knights. Charny was a renowned French knight and nobleman, who served King Jean II.  He was known for his piety and chivalric values. 

Geoffroi de Charny played a significant role in the early history of the Shroud of Turin and contributed to its historical and religious significance.

De Charny is considered the first verifiable owner of the Shroud. It is speculated that he acquired it during his military campaigns, possibly on a crusade.

In 1353, de Charny founded a collegiate church in Lirey, France. The Shroud was first publicly displayed there, although the foundation document does not mention it.

The Shroud was exhibited in Lirey around 1355-1356, attracting pilgrims and controversy. Bishop Pierre d'Arcis later claimed it was a forgery.

After de Charny's death at the Battle of Poitiers in 1356, his widow Jeanne de Vergy continued to display the Shroud, and it remained in the family's possession until it was transferred to the House of Savoy in 1453.

The Shroud remained owned by the House of Savoy, the former royal family of Italy, for several centuries. The Shroud has been kept in the Cathedral of Turin (Cattedrale di San Giovanni Battista) in Turin, Italy since 1578.

In 1983, the former King of Italy, Umberto II, bequeathed the Shroud to the Pope and his successors, officially transferring ownership to the Holy See.

Today, the Pope is the official owner of the Shroud. It is held in trust by the Archbishop of Turin. So while the Pope is the official owner, the Shroud is physically housed in Turin under the care of the local archdiocese.

What technical features make the image so incredible?

The Shroud of Turin's image possesses many extraordinary technical features which can not be explained naturally.  The technology to forge the Shroud, let alone even the knowledge of these special qualities did not exist at the time it surfaced, let alone at the start of the millennium when Jesus was crucified. Here just some of the amazing details about the image:

1. The image appears as a photographic negative, with light and dark areas reversed, making it more realistic when viewed in a photographic negative.

2. The image is extremely superficial, affecting only the topmost fibers of the linen threads, and penetrates only about 200 nanometers into the fibers.

3. The image encodes three-dimensional information, allowing scientists to create 3D reconstructions of the body.

4. Unlike typical images, the Shroud's image lacks directionality, suggesting it was formed by a collimated* process, not by direct contact or brushstrokes.

* Collimated -- Rays of light or particles made accurately parallel. ("a collimated electron beam"). Collimated light occurs when light rays are travelling parallel to each other, as opposed to converging to a focus or diverging away from the center. Essentially, you can consider collimated light to be focused at infinity.

Producing perfectly collimated light can be challenging and often requires specialized equipment or specific conditions.

5. The image is monochromatic and exhibits a halftone effect, where the intensity is determined by the number of discolored fibers per unit area.

The technique of producing halftone images was introduced in the 19th century. Specifically, the halftone process, which allows for the reproduction of images with varying shades of gray using dots of different sizes and spacing, was developed in the 1850s and 1860s. The Shroud was created LONG before this method existed! 

These features contribute to the ongoing mystery and fascination surrounding the Shroud of Turin.

How is Shroud of Turin photograph a photo negative?

The image's of the Shroud of Turin created a major stir when it was first photographed in 1898. 

  1. This negative image quality was first discovered in 1898 by photographer Secondo Pia when he took the first photographs of the Shroud.
  2. When photographed, the light and dark areas of the Shroud image are reversed, appearing more natural and realistic in the photographic negative.
  3. The human image on the Shroud can be discerned more clearly in a black and white photographic negative than in its natural sepia color.
  4. This means the actual image on the Shroud cloth is a negative image, with light and dark areas reversed compared to a normal positive image.
  5. The Shroud only contains image information on the cloth's surface fibers.
  6. The negative image quality of the Shroud remains unexplained and is considered one of its most mysterious aspects.
    Back 

  7. The anatomical details on the image appear are extremely lifelike and revealing. For example you can see the scourge marks of Yeshua's back. 
These unusual characteristics has intrigued researchers and contributed to ongoing debates about the Shroud's origins and authenticity. It represents a key feature that distinguishes the Shroud image from other artworks or artifacts.

Are there other notable aspects about the image?
The visibility of the Shroud of Turin's image across different areas:
  • Faint and Superficial: The image is faint and superficial, affecting only the topmost fibers of the cloth. It is more visible from a distance and fades when viewed closely.
  • No Image Under Threads: The image does not appear under the crossing threads of the weave, indicating that it is only on the surface fibers. If blood seeped through the garment to make the image it can't be explained why the image is only on the surface. 
  • 3D Information: The image varies in intensity based on the distance between the cloth and the body, providing a three-dimensional effect.
Note: The Shroud also has burn and water stains that are not part of the image but can affect its visibility.

Does the technology exist to recreate the Shroud today?
  • The technology to fully recreate all aspects of the Shroud of Turin does not exist today, despite significant advances.
  • Researchers have been able to replicate some features of the Shroud using modern techniques, but not all of its unique characteristics simultaneously.
  • Scientists from ENEA in Italy used excimer lasers to produce superficial coloration similar to the Shroud's image, but found it impossible to reproduce the full-body image using a single laser.
  • The $1 million challenge to replicate the Shroud highlights the difficulty in recreating all its features, especially using only materials and methods available in medieval times.
  • While some researchers claim to have reproduced the Shroud (like Luigi Garlaschelli), their replicas do not fully match all the Shroud's properties, particularly at the microscopic level.
  • The Shroud's image has several extraordinary features that are challenging to replicate, including its superficiality, 3D information encoding, lack of directionality, and specific coloration depth.
In summary, while partial replications have been achieved, the technology to recreate all aspects of the Shroud of Turin in its entirety does not currently exist.

This blog post is part of a series of posts I have written about the Shroud of Turin.  Here are links to previous posts:

This blog post has references to the Shroud:




Friday, August 2, 2024

THE KETER ON THE SHROUD

Crown of Thorns

Visible on the Shroud of Turin, believed by some to be the burial cloth of Jesus, is the "crown of thorns." It is particularly notable for it's brightness and detail. 

The crown area shows significant bloodstains and puncture wounds. High-grade enhanced photographs reveal intricate details of the crown, suggesting a complex structure with multiple thorns. 

The brightness and detail of the crown on the Shroud contribute to the ongoing mystery and fascination surrounding this relic.

Notice that the brightest spot on the Shroud appears in the location just above Yeshua's head.

Jacob's Ladder

Before Delving into The Crown

The Jewish "science of creation," known as Kabbalah, and early Christianity share some similarities in their mystical approaches to understanding God, though they remain distinct traditions.

In Kabbalah one focuses on experiencing God and understanding the unity of all things. 

To be clear, the mystical traditions of Kabbalah do not specifically include Jesus or Christian teachings and Christianity does not embrace Kabbalah.  Nonetheless, Christianity contains concepts that are supernatural or mystical. Furthermore, the study of alpha-numerics in Hebrew and Greek texts is used by some to explore deeper meanings in scripture, including concepts related to Jesus's glory.

Before Delving into Yeshua's Crown
The "Keter" (×›ֶּתֶר) is a significant concept in Kabbalah. Keter means "crown" in Hebrew.  The Keter is the topmost of the ten Sefirot in the Kabbalistic Tree of Life, otherwise known as Jacob's Ladder. The Sefirot represent the attributes or emanations of the Devine. The Keter represents the highest and most abstract of the divine emanations in creation. Keter is often associated the first stirring of creation. The Keter represents "Divine Will." 

A Crown of Thorns 
Luke 24.42 -- saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”

In the Garden of Gethsemane, before his crucifixion, Yeshua expressed profound submission to God's will in his prayers. This moment highlights His human struggle against the impending suffering of the crucifixion, revealing His deep anguish yet ultimate obedience to the Father's plan.

That moment also reflects the dual nature of the Messiah in Christianity—His divine will and human will—demonstrating how He fully embraced His mission as the Messiah.  Thus, "Not my will, but yours be done" encapsulates the essence of faith, obedience, and the struggle inherent in following God's will.

Luke 22:44 records Yeshua's intense prayer before his arrest. In the face of tremendous personal anguish, great drops of blood fell from his pours* as Yeshua sought to align His human will with divine intent, emphasizing the importance of surrendering to God's greater plan.
* This may describe a rare medical condition called hematidrosis, where extreme stress causes blood vessels around sweat glands to rupture, mixing blood with sweat. 

In Kabbalah, before creation, is the Source of Creation from which all other emanations flow is called the Ein Sof. Ein Sof means "without end" or "infinite" in Hebrew. It refers to God in His pure, transcendent essence, beyond any attributes or manifestations. The Ein Sof represents God prior to His self-manifestation in creation. The term emphasizes God's boundlessness and incomprehensibility. Ein Sof is considered to be beyond human understanding or description. It's seen as nameless and formless, transcending even the sacred divine names in scripture.

Genesis 1.1 -- In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

In Kabbalah, the Ein Sof is described paradoxically as both the fullness of being and absolute nothingness which became realized through the process of creation and the spiritualization of existence. Kabbalists use the term Ein Sof to discuss God's transcendent nature.

The first emanation of the Ein Sof is the Keter.  
The Keter is associated with the highest aspects of divinity.  Like the concept of divine glory in Christianity, the Keter in Kabbalah represents aspects of the divine that transcend human understanding.

While Christianity and Kabbalah are distinct religious and mystical systems with separate contexts and traditions, in both Kabbalistic and Christian traditions, divine emanations and glory are often described in terms of light, or spiritual illumination. The contemplation of Keter in Kabbalah and the glory of God in Christianity both relate to mystical experiences of the Divine.

In the New Testament book of Hebrews it says: 
Hebrews 12.2 -- "looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross,"

In terms of mystical concepts or events, the ressurection of Yeshua is as profound any.  I am not aware of any actual religious artifact that is better evidence of supernatural light than the image on the Shroud of Turin. The Keter, the Crown of Thorns, that topped Yeshua's head is undoubtedly the brightest location on his image.

The crown appears bright in the image because of the way the Shroud's image was allegedly imprinted  at the moment of Yeshua's ressurection.  The detailed bloodstains and puncture wounds on the forehead and nape of the neck caused by the crown of thorns are well-documented, but the brightness is more about the image's characteristics than the blood quantity itself.  
I can't help wondering if there are other associations that can be made between Jacob's Ladder and the image on the Shroud.  For example, another very bright area on the Shroud is at Yeshua's feet. On Jacob's Ladder this is the location of the Shekinah. 

"And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another." 
2 Corinthians 3:18

Epilogue:
Below are other articles on my blog about the Shroud: 
This blog post has references to the Shroud: