The Shroud of Turin, medieval hoax?

New discoveries on the Shroud of Turin inspire viral AI image of Jesus

What is your reaction to this image?

New Evidence for the Authenticity of the Shroud of Turin: Digging for Truth Episodes 248/249

Items reported to be represented by the shroud:

image itself
blood
native flowers
native pollen
native dirt at nose feet and knees
bruises
120 lacerations 700 wounds
bent nose
crown of thorns and associated wounds
thumbs bent under fingers
bent knees
pints of blood soaked through fibers
the image only on the fiber surface
burn marks
patches containing cotton and linen
nail marks at wrists and feet
scourge marks
spear wound in side
red blood due to stress effects
no artist paints or dyes
type AB blood?
Bruised cheek and shoulder abrasions potentially due to carrying the crossbeam (patibulum).
coins on eyes?
fibers showing decay for 2000 years
patches dated to be about 700 years old.

BOA question: Which of the above reported findings do you find to be the most compelling, unusual, unexpected?

BOA question: After examining the information above do you believe that the Shroud is:
A. Still a medieval hoax
B. Still indeterminate
C. The actual burial shroud of Jesus Christ

BOA question: If you selected C above, how does this inform and or modify your relationship with Jesus Christ?

Questions asked to BOA concerning this shroud presentation?

1. How could pollen be on the shroud for this long?
https://www.shroud.com/danin2.htm
THE ORIGIN OF THE SHROUD OF TURIN
FROM THE NEAR EAST AS EVIDENCED BY
PLANT IMAGES AND BY POLLEN GRAINS
by Dr. Avinoam Danin,
Professor of Botany, Department of Evolution, Systematics, and Ecology
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel 91904 Copyright 1998

“Hundreds of images of plant parts, such as flowers, flowering buds, fruits, stems, and leaves were found on high-grade photographs made from negatives by Enrie of 1931.”
“Nearly thirty species have been identified visually from the Shroud images. This correlates significantly with the studies by forensic microscopist Dr. Max Frei, who took sticky tape samples from the Shroud in 1973 and 1978. He found many pollen grains on these tapes, and tentatively identified some fifty-eight genera or species, mostly from plants growing in the Near East. Gundelia tournefortii L., a thorn, is one of the plants whose images I identified near the anatomical right side of the head image. Dr. Uri Baruch, palynologist with the Israel Antiquities Authority who made his M.SC. and Ph.D. dissertations on the flora of Israel, analyzed most of Frei’s 1973 sticky tape pollen specimens and ten of the twenty-five 1978 sticky tapes. He examined 165 pollen grains, of which 45 (27.3%) were Gundelia tournefortii.”

AI Grok search: Has pollen been found on Egyptian mummy linen wrappings?
Yes, pollen has been found on Egyptian mummy linen wrappings, providing evidence of environmental conditions, embalming practices, and cultural uses of plants. Below are key findings and sources related to pollen on mummy wrappings:

Source: Clarke, R., & Merlin, M. (2013). Cannabis: Evolution and Ethnobotany.

Cannabis Pollen on Ramesses II’s Mummy Wrappings (19th Dynasty, ~1213 BCE)

Finding: Seven grains of cannabis pollen were identified on the linen wrappings of Pharaoh Ramesses II, alongside cotton pollen. Paleobotanists suggest these may indicate non-native plants, possibly introduced through trade.

Context: The cannabis pollen aligns with its documented use in ancient Egypt for medicinal purposes (e.g., in the Ebers Papyrus for treating glaucoma, inflammation, or as an enema) and ritual practices. The pollen could have adhered to the linen during embalming or from environmental exposure.

2. What kinds of blood analysis can be performed on the shroud of Turin due to its age?

AI Grok 3 response:

Yes, blood can be analyzed from remains thousands of years old, including Egyptian mummies, but it comes with significant challenges and limitations. Advances in biomolecular techniques have made it possible to detect and study ancient blood residues, proteins, or DNA, though preservation, contamination, and degradation pose hurdles. Below is an overview of the feasibility, methods, and evidence, with a focus on Egyptian mummies since you asked about pollen on them:

Analyzing blood on the Shroud of Turin is challenging due to its age (potentially 2,000 years old based on recent studies, though debated) and the degradation of organic material over time. The Shroud, a linen cloth bearing the image of a crucified man, has reddish stains believed by some to be blood. Below is an overview of the types of blood analysis that can be performed, considering the Shroud’s age and the limitations imposed by its condition, based on scientific studies and forensic techniques applied to ancient artifacts:1. Chemical Analysis for Blood Components Purpose: To confirm the presence of blood and identify its chemical makeup.Techniques:Spectroscopic Analysis: Techniques like ultraviolet (UV) fluorescence, infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and Raman spectroscopy can detect hemoglobin, porphyrins, or other blood-related compounds. Studies by the Shroud of Turin Research Project (STURP) in 1978 confirmed the presence of hemoglobin and serum albumin in the stains, indicating blood.Microchemical Tests: Tests for iron (from hemoglobin) and proteins can be conducted on microscopic samples. Heller and Adler (1980) used chemical tests to identify blood components on sticky tape samples from the Shroud.Chromatic Analysis: Examining the color and spectral properties of stains to distinguish blood from pigments or other substances. A 2014 study used chromatic ratios to confirm blood-like properties in the stains.Challenges Due to Age:Degradation of proteins and organic compounds over centuries can obscure results.Potential contamination from handling, environmental exposure, or repairs (e.g., after a 1532 fire) may introduce foreign materials.The bright red color of some stains is unusual for aged blood, which typically darkens. High bilirubin levels (from trauma) have been proposed as a reason for the color retention.2. Blood Typing Purpose: To determine the blood group (e.g., ABO system) and Rh factor.Techniques:Serological Analysis: Early studies in the 1980s claimed the blood on the Shroud is type AB, a rare group, using antigen-based tests. The Sudarium of Oviedo, believed to be related, also showed AB blood, suggesting consistency…

3. What is the Sudarium of Oviedo, aka the head cloth?

Merriam-Webster – sudarium “a linen square carried by the upper classes in Roman times (as for wiping perspiration from the face)

https://www.shroud.com/guscin.htm

The Sudarium of Oviedo:
Its History and Relationship to the Shroud of Turin
Mark Guscin, B.A. M.Phil. Copyright 1997

“The remarkable thing about this cloth is that both tradition and scientific studies claim that the cloth was used to cover and clean the face of Jesus after the crucifixion. We are going to present and look into these claims.”

“Coincidence with the Shroud

The sudarium alone has revealed sufficient information to suggest that it was in contact with the face of Jesus after the crucifixion. However, the really fascinating evidence comes to light when this cloth is compared to the Shroud of Turin.

The first and most obvious coincidence is that the blood on both cloths belongs to the same group, namely AB.

The length of the nose through which the pleural oedema fluid came onto the sudarium has been calculated at eight centimetres, just over three inches. This is exactly the same length as the nose on the image of the Shroud.

If the face of the image on the Shroud is placed over the stains on the sudarium, perhaps the most obvious coincidence is the exact fit of the stains with the beard on the face. As the sudarium was used to clean the man’s face, it appears that it was simply placed on the face to absorb all the blood, but not used in any kind of wiping movement.

A small stain is also visible proceeding from the right hand side of the man’s mouth. This stain is hardly visible on the Shroud, but Dr. John Jackson, using the VP-8 and photo enhancements has confirmed its presence.

The thorn wounds on the nape of the neck also coincide perfectly with the bloodstains on the Shroud.

Dr. Alan Whanger applied the Polarized Image Overlay Technique to the sudarium, comparing it to the image and bloodstains on the Shroud. The frontal stains on the sudarium show seventy points of coincidence with the Shroud, and the rear side shows fifty. The only possible conclusion is that the Oviedo sudarium covered the same face as the Turin Shroud.”

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=the+sudarium+of+oviedo

4. Is there pollen from the other regions that the shroud traveled to?

5. What is the explanation of the burn marks?

References:
source Dr. John Campbell

Shroud.com
https://www.shroud.com/menu.htm

Shroudphotos.com
https://shroudphotos.com

3D Image
https://shroud3d.com/conversion-of-2d-to-3d/3d-movies-of-the-head-and-body/

Shroud fabric – BROKEN LINK
https://www.shroud.com/pdfs/ssi3233pa…

3D reconstruction – BROKEN LINK
https://www.shroud.com/pdfs/ssi3233pa…

STURP conclusions
https://www.shroud.com/78conclu.htm

Study on radiocarbon result – BROKEN LINK
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science…

New dating study on X ray scattering
https://www.mdpi.com/2571-9408/5/2/47