As a new study has suggested that the famous Shroud of Turin may not be a medieval forgery, renewed attention has fallen on other relics of Jesus’ clothing, including one that could “prove” the Shroud story.
This week, many have highlighted the connections between the Shroud and the Shroud of Oviedo, a relic kept in a Spanish cathedral, which scientists have shown “matches” the face on the Shroud.
A new analysis by researchers in France and Italy has revisited a landmark 1988 UK study of the Shroud of Turin, which found the shroud was a medieval forgery and not the cloth in which Jesus was buried, suggesting the result is not definitive.
Tristan Casabianca, an independent French researcher who made the discovery, told DailyMail.com that his findings do not confirm that the shroud is older or that the cloth used to bury Jesus is older.
But could other relics, including the Shroud of Oviedo, offer evidence of Jesus’ life and death, or even prove that the Shroud of Turin is real?
Could other relics, including the Shroud of Oviedo, offer evidence of Jesus’ life and death, or even prove that the Shroud of Turin is real?
Shroud of Oviedo
The Oviedo Shroud has been described as ‘the Turin Shroud 2′ and some have claimed that markings on the cloth (said to have been wrapped around Jesus’ head when he died) suggest it was used in conjunction with the Turin Shroud.
This week, social media has been highlighting that it “matches perfectly” with the Shroud, and may even prove its authenticity.
A shroud is a sweat cloth believed to have been placed over Jesus’ face.
The Shroud is preserved in a cathedral in Oviedo (Alamy)
The shroud is kept in the Cathedral of Oviedo: unlike the Holy Shroud of Turin, it does not have a clear face, but rather distinctive marks.
In John chapter 20, verses six and seven, the Bible says: ‘Simon Peter also came after him, entered the tomb, and saw the linen cloth lying on the ground, and the face cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloth but rolled up in a place by itself.
The history of the cloth was documented by a 12th-century bishop, who claimed that it was in Palestine until 614 AD, when it was taken from Jerusalem and given to the Bishop of Seville.
The shroud is found in the Holy Ark, an elaborate reliquary
The Shroud presents several details that suggest that it may have covered the same face as the Shroud of Turin.
Although no face is visible on the Shroud, the stains offer clues about the person whose face it covered, who appears to have died in a position consistent with crucifixion.
The blood group is the same (AB) and the length of the nose of the person whose face was covered by the Shroud is the same as that of the Holy Shroud of Turin.
In 1984, Dr. Alan Whanger of Duke University used a polarized superposition technique to compare the two.
Whanger said: “We have found about 130 points of congruence between the shroud and the cloth covering the face. We believe this is strong evidence that both were in contact with the same person.”
The Shroud is known to date back at least to the 9th century, but there are also earlier references.
Radiocarbon dating suggested an origin around 700 AD, but researcher Cesar Barta suggested that this could be due to contamination with oils, as there are references to its presence in Jerusalem as early as 570 AD.
The image of Edessa
Other icons showing the face of Jesus were supposedly not made by hand, but miraculously printed.
But could one of them actually have been the Shroud of Turin, showing where it was in previous centuries?
The Mandylion of Edessa from the Pope’s private chapel in the Vatican
Author Ian Wilson has suggested that the Edessa image, also known as the Mandylion and first mentioned in the 4th century, may actually have been the shroud folded four times.
The image of Edessa supposedly dates back to an ancient king, King Abgar of Edessa, who requested Jesus to cure him of an illness.
Jesus refused, but they sent him a letter that was supposedly from Jesus and they painted or “made God” an image.
Some have argued that the image venerated as the Image of Edessa was in fact the Shroud of Turin.
The Holy Shelter
In John 19:24, the Bible says that the soldiers at Jesus’ crucifixion ‘said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.”‘
Several churches across Europe claim to have the Holy Tunic (or seamless tunic) or parts of it.
The collarless collar of Jesus’ seamless robe
In Argenteuil, France, the church contains pieces of the tunic that was supposedly given to the Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne in 800.
The tunic was preserved until the French Revolution, when a parish priest cut it into smaller pieces for fear it might be destroyed.
Veil of Veronica
The Veil of Veronica is displayed in Vatican City during Lent: believers claim it bears the image of Jesus’ face after a woman named Veronica wiped his face with a cloth.
Believers claim that it bears the image of Jesus’ face after a woman named Veronica wiped his face with a cloth.
Protected by the Vatican, it dates back to the 14th century and Pope Innocent II composed a prayer in its honour in 1207, but a “Veronica chapel” already existed during the reign of Pope John VII in 705-708.
The image is supposed to show a bearded face, but during Lent only the frame is visible.
CRUCIFIXION EXPLAINED: HOW PAINFUL WAS IT AND WHEN WAS IT USED AS DEATH PUNISHMENT?
Pictured: A 19th-century illustration of rebels being crucified by the Carthaginians in 283 BC.
What is crucifixion?
Crucifixion was an ancient method of punishment, commonly associated with the Romans, but also practiced by the Carthaginians, Macedonians and Persians.
The name of the procedure literally means ‘fixed to a cross’ and is the etymological root of the word ‘unbearable’: literally, a pain so strong that it is as if one were ‘outside the crucifixion’.
The victim eventually died from asphyxiation or exhaustion and the process was long, drawn out and painful.
The law was used to publicly humiliate slaves and criminals—in order to deter witnesses from perpetrating similar acts—and was also a method of execution employed on individuals of very low status or those whose crimes were against the state.
This is the reason given in the Gospels for the crucifixion of Jesus.
As King of the Jews, Jesus challenged Roman imperial supremacy (Matthew 27:37; Mark 15:26; Luke 23:38; John 19:19-22).
Crucifixion could be carried out in several ways.
In Christian tradition, it is assumed that the limbs are nailed to the wood of the cross, and the debate centers on whether the nails would pierce the structurally more solid hands or wrists.
But the Romans did not always nail crucifixion victims to their crosses, but sometimes tied them there with ropes.
Other forms of this practice included victims being tied to a tree, or even impaled on a stake.
In fact, the Roman philosopher Seneca the Younger wrote that he saw crosses “not just of one kind, but made in many different ways: some have their victims with their heads towards the ground; some impale their private parts; others extend their arms on the gallows.”
Until recently, the only archaeological evidence of the practice of nailing crucifixion victims was an ankle bone from the tomb of Jehohanan, a man executed in the first century AD.
Why is there so little evidence for this?
The victims were usually criminals and their bodies were often dumped in rubbish dumps, meaning archaeologists never see their bones.
Identification is made even more difficult by scratch marks from scavenging animals.
Nails were widely believed to have magical properties.
This meant that they were rarely left on the victim’s heel and the holes they left could be mistaken for puncture marks.
Most of the damage occurred to soft tissue, so bone damage may not have been as significant.
Finally, wooden crosses often do not survive because they degrade or end up being reused.