October 7, 2009

Scientist creates replica Shroud of Turin


by Benjamin Graham

An Italian scientist has created a replica of the Shroud of Turin to prove that the original fabric, revered by many Christians as the cloth that covered Jesus in the tomb, is a fake.

Luigi Garlaschelli used techniques that were available in the Middle Ages, including applying pigment to cloth then heating it in the oven, to reproduce the famous shroud.

Garlaschelli said his experiment backs up 20-year old research dating the fabric to between 1260 and 1390.

Believers, however, say the cloth bears the authentic image of Christ.

The linen cloth measures around 4.4 metres by 1.1 metres and bears the concealed image of a man with signs of crucifixion, including blood stains.

Tests from 1988 proving the fabric to be from the Middle Ages have been repeatedly challenged, and until now scientists could not say how the image was created on the cloth.

“Many still believe that the shroud has unexplainable characteristics that cannot be reproduced by human means,” Garlaschelli said.

“But the result obtained clearly indicates that this could be done with the use of inexpensive materials and with a quite simple procedure.”

He added that his research is unlikely to convince the religious faithful that the shroud is a fake.

“If they don’t want to believe carbon dating done by some of the world’s best laboratories they certainly won’t believe me,” he said.

Professor Garlaschelli was commissioned to undertake the research by the Italian Committee for Checking Claims on the Paranormal, a group of skeptics and atheists.

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One Response to “Scientist creates replica Shroud of Turin”

  1. Dan on October 7th, 2009 8:17 pm

    The Italian group think that they may have been able to recreate the Shroud of Turin. Maybe they have? But, I’d love for them to try and recreate the coffee stained image of the Virgin Mary I personally have. A few photos of the image can be found here on Flickr. http://www.flickr.com/photos/7690119@N03/sets/72157617453203072/detail/

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