A new discovery of a burial cloth woven during the era when Jesus Christ purportedly walked the Earth casts further doubt on the already debunked Shroud of Turin, believed by many of the faithful to be the Jewish godman's burial cloth. This latest find from a tomb of an apparent Jewish priest of the first century reveals a very simple pattern in comparison to the much more complex weave of the shroud housed at Turin. Skeptical scholars have held for decades that the Turin Shroud is a fake, having been created in the 14th century, based on its history, carbon-14 dating and its "intricate twill weave."
In addition to this discrepancy in the weave, the burial cloth genuinely dating to the relevant era is composed of two pieces, whereas the Shroud of Turin is a single cloth. As MSNBC relates, "If the remains in the Jerusalem tomb represent typical burial shrouds widely used at the time of Jesus, this casts strong doubt that the Turin Shroud originated from Jesus-era Jerusalem."
Concerning the dating of the Shroud, MSNBC further states, "Three reputable laboratories concluded that the shroud was medieval, dating from 1260 to 1390, and not a burial cloth wrapped around the body of Christ." All these facts should put to rest the ongoing tomfoolery concerning the Shroud, the latest of which came from a Vatican researcher, Barbara Frale, who claimed to have found in the cloth the "burial certificate of a man named 'Yeshua Nazarani.'"
Here is yet another nail in this Catholic coffin which demonstrates that not only is the Shroud itself bogus but that the Church has engaged in the creation of phony relics for centuries, passing them off as the "real thing" in order to bolster the faith. As my readers will know, there is no concrete, scientific evidence, whether historically or archaeologically, for the existence of Jesus Christ as a historical figure, and this sort of priestly sham - abundant in the history of Christianity - serves to demonstrate that fact even further. For more such scientific analysis of various aspects of Christian history, including a close "CSI-style" scrutiny of the gospels themselves, see my book Who Was Jesus? Fingerprints of The Christ.
Sources & Further Reading
'Jesus-era' cloth casts doubt on Turin Shroud
'Jesus-era' burial shroud discovered; shows Shroud of Turin not used on Christ, scientists say
Shroud of Turin a fake?!
The Shroud of Turin and Other "Holy Relics"
Kriss