May 21, 2009. The Holy Shroud, commonly known as the Shroud of Tourin, is one of the most studied religious objects in the world. But, it’s still riddled with unanswered questions that continue to puzzle experts.
There has been some progress, however, in better understanding it. The Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum in Rome invited Catholic and non-Catholic experts alike to come together and share their latest findings.
Avinoam Danim is a Jewish expert on botany. A few years ago, he discovered traces of plant life in the shroud that only bloom in March and April and are native to a very specific region.
Prof. Avinoam Danim
Hebrew Univesity of Jerusalem
One geographical conclusion is that the only place on earth where people could put the plants that are not wilted on the body of a man is between Jerusalem and Hebron. The distribution of these plants today are coinciding in that area.
After a fire that nearly destroyed the shroud in 2003, a group nuns repaired it with pieces of linen. After analyzing the repaired parts of the shroud, Professor Giulio Fanti discovered a second image of the face of the man behind the Holy Shroud
Prof. Giulio Fanti
Dept. of mechanical engineering, University of Padua
After comparing the top and the bottom parts, you can see perfectly that these anatomical details—the nose, the mouth, etc—correspond to the frontal image. This isn’t my opinion. It’s the result of a special analysis done through a computer that compared both parts
The Holy Shroud is kept in the Cathedral of Tourin in northern Italy. The Pope has authorized a public display of the shroud in the spring of 2010, the first time after a series of restorations.
DG
