A NEWLY discovered medieval document has cast doubt on one of the world’s most famous religious relics.
The Shroud of Turin, a piece of linen believed to have been used to wrap Jesus after his death on the cross, draws thousands of faithful visitors every year.
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It appears to bear the image of a man after crucifixion, leading many to claim it was the very shroud that bore Christ’s body.
But bombshell fresh evidence suggests the cloth is fake.
Stunned experts have uncovered a new clue in the earliest known “official” written evidence to date.
It was noted by a highly-respected Norman theologian, Nicole Oresme, who went on to become a bishop.
More on the Shroud of Turin
In the document he rejects the Shroud as a “clear” and “patent” fake.
He also claims that the relic is nothing more than a deception by “clergymen” in the mid-12th century.
The mystery around the Shroud of Turin has caused fierce debate for centuries about whether it is genuine or not.
Despite mounting evidence suggesting it’s not real, many Christian supporters of its authenticity maintain their belief.
Earlier this month, new digital modelling analysis cast further doubt.
Brazilian 3D digital designer Cicero Moraes used digital modelling software to study the cloth and concluded that the imprints on the linen could only have been made by a sculpture, not an actual person’s body.
Researchers also believe that the linen was made towards of the 13th or 14th century.
“This now-controversial relic has been caught up in a polemic between supporters and detractors of its cult for centuries,” said Dr Nicolas Sarzeaud, who led the new study.
“What has been uncovered is a significant dismissal of the Shroud.
“Oresme asserts, ‘I do not need to believe anyone who claims: Someone performed such a miracle for me, because many clergymen thus deceive others, in order to elicit offerings for their churches.’
“This is clearly the case for a church in Champagne, where it was said that there was the shroud of the Lord Jesus Christ, and for the almost infinite number of those who have forged such things, and others.”
Shroud of Turin expert Professor Andrea Nicolotti reacted to the findings saying that it’s “further historical evidence that even in the Middle Ages, they knew that the Shroud was not authentic”.
“With this document the story we already knew from other sources is perfectly confirmed,” she said.
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What are the theories about the Shroud of Turin?
SCHOLARS have wondered what caused the image on the Shroud of Turin for centuries. Here are some of the main theories.
- It’s a painting – Some believe that the Shroud was painted but investigations into this theory haven’t shown any signs of paint being present on the cloth
- It’s a natural process – Raymond Rogers of the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico argued in 2002 that a chemical transformation could cause it. He suggested that even moderate heat of around 40C or so, a temperature that post-mortem physicians told him a dead body could briefly attain if the person died from hyperthermia or dehydration – could be enough to discolour the sugary carbohydrate compounds that might be found on the surface of cotton fibres.
- It’s a photo – Scholars have concluded that the image is a “negative” meaning that it is dark where it should be light. This has led to some scholars suggesting it could be a form of primitive photography. The key to the idea is the light-sensitive compound silver nitrate which was known in the 8th Century but no evidence has been found that they could use it in this manner.
- It was caused by the Resurrection – The final theory is that the image was caused by the divine process that brought Jesus back to life. Some Christians believe that the picture on the cloth was caused by energy released when Christ was revived on the first Easter Sunday.
