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August 9, 2000
Shroud of Turin offers testimony to Christ's Passion
By Janice Bennett
A startling news announcement 12 years ago proclaimed that the Shroud of Turin, long venerated in the Church as the burial cloth of Jesus of Nazareth, was a medieval fake from the 14th century. For many, the results of carbon dating were taken as proof that the relic is not authentic. For others, however, especially those scientists most closely involved with its study, the dating presented an intellectual challenge. The resulting multi-disciplinary studies have consequently re-opened the debate surrounding this enigmatic image that goes "to the heart of the mystery of life and death," as the Holy Father declared in Turin in 1998. In the year 2000, the Holy Shroud continues to intrigue and attract millions worldwide, and will be shown to Jubilee pilgrims in August.
If authentic, the Shroud of Turin is witness to all the events of the Triduum: the Last Supper, the burial of Jesus, and the Resurrection on Easter Sunday, according to John Jackson, director of the Turin Shroud Center in Colorado Springs.
A member of the original 1978 American expedition that first examined the Shroud, Jackson looks at the cloth as more than a relic. He states, "The Shroud, as well as the Sudarium of Oviedo, can be considered a premier archaeological site of where Christianity began. The challenge for scientists is to find non-invasive means of pulling information from the cloth, and then correlating it with historical circumstances in order to learn more about Christ." Jackson affirms that to date, science has found nothing inconsistent with the Church's concept of Jesus. On the contrary, studies have greatly enriched our knowledge.
Tablecloth of the Last Supper?
Perhaps one of the most interesting studies examines the possibility that the Shroud of Turin was both the burial cloth of Jesus and the tablecloth of the Last Supper. It is the team effort of John Jackson, his wife Rebecca, associate director of the Turin Shroud Center, Dr. Keith E. Propp, and David Fornof. In the Latin rite of the Mass, it has been mandatory since the earliest days of Christianity that a white linen cloth be placed upon the altar, upon which the Sacred Host and Chalice are placed. This is the reenactment of the sacrifice on Calvary, upon a cloth that represents the burial Shroud of our Lord.
There is a tradition in the Russian Orthodox Church that, seven days after the Resurrection, St. James celebrated the first Eucharist on the burial Shroud of Christ. Science affirms that the Shroud was very possibly used during the Mass, because a set of four burn patterns are found that clearly did not come from the 1532 fire in Chambrey, France. They appear to have been created by an accident with a liturgical censor.
The symbolism of the linen altar cloth, however, is double. It not only represents the burial shroud of Jesus, but also the Lord's table. Scientific evidence includes the presence on the cloth of numerous spots and stains, conceivably from food. Drip patterns are greatest along the edge of the cloth, and are consistent with the motions used in eating. The Jacksons hope to obtain permission to perform chemical analyses of these spots to see if they can be associated with the food of the Jewish Passover Seder Meal.
Rebecca Jackson is involved primarily with researching the Middle Eastern aspects of the Shroud, particularly Jewish burial customs and Passover symbolism.
The Jacksons have also found convincing evidence that the Shroud of Turin is the same cloth displayed and revered in Byzantium for several centuries before the Crusader pillage of Constantinople in 1204 AD, proof that the Shroud pre-dates the radiocarbon date. John Jackson, noticing that the Shroud contained permanent fold line deformations, carefully studied the configuration. He found that the curious pattern allowed the Shroud to be raised from its storage position to a point where the upper part of the frontal image could be seen. The Jacksons constructed a full-size working model of this concept, which proved that it was indeed viable. They then found that it corresponds exactly to a number of unusual icons in the Eastern church that depict this very thing. The icons show Christ rising from a box with his arms folded in front of him, just like on the Shroud.
Finally, John Jackson has done compelling research that may begin to provide proof of the Resurrection. Because current theories do not begin to explain all of the characteristics of the Shroud, John has hypothesized that this may be impossible according to the accepted laws of physics. He believes that the only possible explanation would require two events: First, that the body became transparent as the image was being formed, and second, that it generated a stimulus that recorded the passage of the cloth through the body, such as radiation. This would explain each of the image characteristics found on the Shroud, such as the superficial body image, the lack of alignment between the bloodstains and the image itself, and the fact that the frontal image is three-dimensional, while the dorsal image is not. According to the Evangelist John, the burial cloths of Jesus were seen lying on the shelf where the body had been placed, but clearly flattened or deflated. According to Jackson's hypothesis, this is precisely the end condition of the Shroud after it has fallen through the body it wrapped.
The Shroud of Turin, far from being a dead issue, is more captivating than ever. In fact, this strip of linen bearing the image of the crucified Christ is now a powerful force in the evangelization of Russia. Two life-sized photographs of the Shroud of Turin, gifts of John and Rebecca Jackson, have become the object of constant veneration by the Russians, who have a great interest in the relic. The Shroud has always had a special place in the Russian orthodox liturgy, and now this icon of God's love for man has become a sign of future promise for their faith.
With regard to the carbon dating process, numerous publications have questioned the reliability of the method, particularly when used to test linen, and in the presence of contamination. Scientists have also developed theories that would explain the error in the case of the Shroud, such as alteration of the carbon content due to fire, and an organic bioplastic coating that forms on fabric, making it appear younger than it is. In order to test the first theory, the Jacksons have constructed a reaction chamber, derived from Russian experiments, that will allow them to incubate linen samples and subsequently determine the amount of radiocarbon shift. The bottom line in the debate, however, is that no reputable scientist believes that carbon dating is infallible.
For more information, contact the Turin Shroud Center at 719-599-5755.
