WTE: Thanks to the Laramie County Library for hosting Shroud scholar

The Laramie County Public Library recently hosted Dr. Cheryl White of Louisiana State University. More than 130 came out on a Saturday morning for her scholarly presentation on the Shroud of Turin.

This linen cloth made its first modern appearance in Lirey, France, in 1354. Some believe it is the cloth referred to by the apostles, Matthew (27:59) and John (20:5-7), in their account of Jesus’ resurrection. Others believe that the Shroud, kept in Turin, Italy since 1584, is the masterpiece of a medieval artist.

Two features of the Shroud can be seen by the naked eye. The full-scale image of a man with arms crossed over his waist is superimposed over numerous stains that have the appearance of blood. For centuries, this was all that could be known.

Then, in 1898, Secondo Pia made a startling discovery. While developing the first photographs taken of the shroud, he saw that the film’s negative image was an anatomically perfect, positive image of the man. This discovery was the first of many that saw compelling details previously hidden in the Shroud.

The Shroud of Turin Research Project (STURP) is the most ambitious scientific examination to date. Led by Dr. John P. Jackson, two dozen researchers examined the Shroud around the clock between October 8th and 13th, 1978. That data continues to be accessed and analyzed to this day.

The 1981 final report of STURP concluded, “the Shroud image is that of a real human form of a scourged, crucified man. It is not the product of an artist. The blood stains are composed of hemoglobin and also give a positive test for serum albumin. The image is an ongoing mystery and until further chemical studies are made, perhaps by this group of scientists, or perhaps by some scientists in the future, the problem remains unsolved.”

At the time, Cheryl White was a student. STURP captured her attention and set her feet on a life-long journey of “sindonology” (study of the Shroud). Then, an October 13, 1988 press conference announced that Carbon 14 analysis dated the cloth between 1260 and 1390 A.D. This strongly suggested that the Shroud was the work of a medieval artist.

While people everywhere lost interest in the Shroud, White simply shifted her focus. How did an unknown medieval artist produce the amazing detail both of blood stains and a photographic negative imprinted on a non-photosensitive medium (linen)?

Meanwhile, those who were closest to the STURP project questioned the C-14 results. The dates simply could not be reconciled with The Hungarian Pray Manuscript dated between 1192 and 1195. Decades before the earliest C-14 date, an artist depicted unmistakable details of the Shroud.

Then, last year a paper was published in the journal “Archeometry” that examined newly acquired raw data from the 1988 study. This study sent shockwaves through the scientific community. White commented, “I think there is just a very high interest in the Shroud right now, probably more than there has been in the last 40 years, because of the invalidation of the Carbon-14 dating.”

With the C-14 evidence in question, pollen studies, soil analysis, hematology, historical references and dozens of other scientific disciplines are now being given greater weight. Barrie M. Schwortz, from the STURP team, has gathered most of this data at shroud.com.

As scientific techniques become ever more exacting, Shroud studies will, doubtless, yield more startling facts still to be discovered. Science has already determined the type of blood (AB) that permeates the fabric. Close examination reveals a very distinctive weave, while microscopes can identify the type of thread. How long before science can identify the species of flax plant of which the linen was made?

The environment also deposited microscopic evidence on the cloth. Pollen analysis has identified spores from plants found only in specific parts of the ancient world. Soil from the foot region of the Shroud matches an identifiable formation of limestone.

Forensic evidence has determined that the body wrapped in the linen was a male five feet, 10 inches tall, weighing approximately 170 lbs. He has a measurable pattern of wounds—both pre- and post-mortem. Whether that man was the Man Christians worship, or a detailed copy, the Shroud remains the perfect confluence of science and faith.

Whatever you believe about the Shroud, it is no wonder that it has become the most studied object in the world. If authentic, it is material evidence of Jesus’ resurrection. If not, it was created by a technology that not even the most learned scientists can fathom. This alone, commends it for further study.

I am grateful to the Laramie County Public Library for bringing Dr. White’s informative presentation to Cheyenne. If you want to learn more, she has published a 36-part podcast at: https://manoftheshroud.wordpress.com/.

Also published in the Wyoming Tribune Eagle on March 20, 2020.