My Shroud of Turin Studies

Six centuries ago, a linen cloth was discovered—believed by many to be the burial shroud of Jesus Christ. Imprinted in its fibers is the haunting image of a man scourged and crucified, every detail mirroring the Gospel accounts of Christ’s passion—body striped with lashes, punctured wrists and feet. Swollen face and bloody scalp, stab wound in one side. Whether or not the Shroud is truly His, it presents an unflinching portrait of crucifixion—an enduring testimony to suffering beyond imagination. My journey with the Shroud began in 1979 at the Brooks Institute of Photography, where I studied under two extraordinary mentors: Professor Vernon Miller, Chief Scientific Photographer for the Shroud of Turin Research Project (STURP), and Capt. John Jackson of the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Founder and Director of STURP. From them, I inherited both a passion for the Shroud and a lifelong pursuit to discover just what killed the man in the Shroud of Turin.

Art History & the Shroud:

In the 6th century, depictions of Jesus underwent a sudden transformation—and no one knows why. Some believe it was then that the Shroud first appeared, giving artists their first true glimpse of His face. Before this shift, Christ was often portrayed with a round, youthful, almost cherubic appearance. But the Mandylion (shown left) presents a very different image: a solemn Semitic man, with weary eyes, a gaunt expression, long flowing hair, and a forked beard. Remarkably, many of these features align with those seen on the Shroud. Most portraits since that time depict Christ in a similar manner.

3D Computerized Studies

No one knows exactly how or why, but the Shroud of Turin possesses a mysterious three-dimensional code—detectable only by a computer known as the VP-8 Image Analyzer, a device designed by NASA scientist Pete Schumacher to produce bas-relief images of the surface of Mars. When second-generation photographic negatives of the Shroud were processed through the system, the JP-8 produced the striking 3-D image shown on the left. Scientists then used that image to make detailed cardboard reconstructions, like the one shown. No other work of art has ever produced the same results, making the Shroud a unique three-dimensional artifact reproducible in true lifelike form.

Disproving the Painted Forgery Theory

Some dismiss the Shroud of Turin as a forgery—a clever painting by some gifted medieval artist. Yet the evidence against that theory is overwhelming. For instance, standing before the Shroud, one quickly notices that up close the image dissolves into obscurity; its details only emerge at a distance. An artist would have had to paint with impossible precision while working from far away. In one fascinating study, I joined Professor Vernon Miller, Chief Scientific Photographer for STURP, on a visit to the Special Collections Department at the University of California, Santa Barbara. The curator allowed us to examine a priceless 13th-century Bible. He explained how a monk spent years painstakingly handwriting the text and embellishing it with intricate painted details, examples of which you see here. The interesting point here is that when we turned off the lights and subjected the page to a black (ultraviolet) light, the paintings glowed brightly. The Shroud image however, does NOT glow, indicating that it was not produced with paints of that time. This is just one point used to disprove the painting theory.

Direct Contact Studies:

The photo shows me lying on a translucent tabletop in the same position as the victim seen in the Shroud of Turin—supine with hands crossed, one foot atop the other, frozen by rigor mortis. Dr. John Jackson and Professor Vernon Miller study the comparison of the direct contact of my body with the surface and what they see in the image of the Shroud. They concluded that there was a direct relationship between bodily contact and the density of the Shroud image. This finding adds another layer of credibility to the Shroud's authenticity and another strike against the idea that the Shroud could be a painting.

The Scourging:

Before Jesus went to the cross he endured the Roman scourge, most likely a cat of nine-tails with 1-1/2 inch lead dumbbell-shaped balls at the end of each leather strap. Lash marks seen across the Shroud indicate scourging front & back, torso & legs,, and from both sides, as shown in this painting by Bouguereau, 1880. The resulting trauma produced systemic inflammation and hemorrhagic shock, the combination of which would have most certainly proven lethal.  Jesus was next forced to pick up a 90-lb. timber and carry it toward Golgotha.

Details Pointing to the Accuracy of Shroud:

Crucifixion was the most horrible form of punishment known to man. The executioners knew exactly where to place the spikes for maximum torture. The Shroud reveals where the placement that would have been used to impale the victim's arms to the cross. Placed in this exact spot—called the Space of Destot—the nail was not only capable of supporting the weight of the body (which the hands will not) but it pushed the wrist bones aside to strike the great median nerve, a large afferent nerve that sends pain signals to the brain. Together with the nail wounds in the feet of the victim, the effect is said to be excruciating, a Latin term which means, "from the cross."

The Causes of Christ's Death:

A victim nailed to a cross in the manner seen here in these early paintings would have suffered unimaginable pain and physical distress. When hanging by the arms, intrathoracic pressure builds to deadly levels, putting the heart under tremendous pressure and making breathing difficult. In many cases, the victim's legs would be bent to make standing more difficult and eventually impossible. Jesus hung on the cross for six hours; already weakened by the effects of scourging,  at some point, he could no longer stand up to breathe. The result was slow, agonizing asphyxiation—a condition we know commonly as suffocation—and myocardial infarction—or heart attack—which could have caused his heart to rupture and fluid to fill his lungs. The God-Man Jesus paid the ultimate price.

What Killed the Man in the Shroud of Turin:

My friend Chad Harvey, Teaching Pastor at Cross Assembly Church in Raleigh, N.C. offered me the gracious opportunity to deliver my Shroud talk in December 2015. I enjoyed sharing my experiences, answering their questions, and finding a common bond of fascination by the subject matter. The Shroud is a true enigma that leads people to the scriptures to examine the horrors of crucifixion and the price paid by the man we know as Jesus. Contact me if you would like to arrange a presentation for your church or business. Click here to watch my presentation on YouTube: