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TThhee SShhrroouudd ooff TTuurriinn A Critical Summary of Observations, Data and Hypotheses If the truth were a mere mathematical formula, in some sense it would impose itself by its own power. But if Truth is Love, it calls for faith, for the ‘yes’ of our hearts. Pope Benedict XVI Version 4.0 Copyright 2017, Turin Shroud Center of Colorado Preface The purpose of the Critical Summary is to provide a synthesis of the Turin Shroud Center of Colorado (TSC) thinking about the Shroud of Turin and to make that synthesis available to the serious inquirer. Our evaluation of scientific, medical forensic and historical hypotheses presented here is based on TSC’s tens of thousands of hours of internal research, the Shroud of Turin Research Project (STURP) data, and other published research. The Critical Summary synthesis is not itself intended to present new research findings. With the exception of our comments all information presented has been published elsewhere, and we have endeavored to provide references for all included data. We wish to gratefully acknowledge the contributions of several persons and organizations. First, we would like to acknowledge Dan Spicer, PhD in Physics, and Dave Fornof for their contributions in the construction of Version 1.0 of the Critical Summary. We are grateful to Mary Ann Siefker and Mary Snapp for proofreading efforts. The efforts of Shroud historian Jack Markwardt in reviewing and providing valuable comments for the Version 4.0 History Section are deeply appreciated. We also are very grateful to Barrie Schwortz (Shroud.com) and the STERA organization for their permission to include photographs from their database of STURP photographs. Barrie served as a lead photographer during the 1978 STURP expedition to Turin, Italy to study the Shroud and today is recognized worldwide as the founder and administrator of the important Shroud research repository site http://www.shroud.com. John Jackson, PhD physics Keith Propp, PhD physics Rebecca Jackson Ares Koumis Jim Bertrand Bob Siefker (Co-author Version 1.0, document maintenance) Turin Shroud Center of Colorado www.shroudofturin.com All Shroud and STURP photographs are ©1978 STERA Inc. unless otherwise noted. (See photo and Image Credits). Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1979 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner. The Turin Shroud Center of Colorado is a proud education partner of ACHS: The American Confraternity of the Holy Shroud www.shroudconfraternity.org Copyright 2017, Turin Shroud Center of Colorado Table of Contents Introduction 3 Section 1: Historical Evidence (Items H1-H28) 7 Section 2: Medical Forensic Evidence (Items M1-M17) 47 Section 3: Linen Cloth Evidence (Items L1-L14) 57 Section 4: Image Characteristic Evidence (Items C1-C6 / B1-B11) 69 Section 5: Image-Formation Hypotheses (F1-F10) 81 Section 6: Rating the Image-Formation Hypotheses 89 Section 7: Dating the Shroud 91 Concluding Comments 99 Appendix 1: STURP Team Members 101 Appendix 2: Rating Details for Image-Formation Hypotheses 103 Appendix 3: Evidence Revision Log 114 References 117 Photograph and Image Credits 133 1 (Fig. 1) Christ Pantocrator Icon discovered at St. Catherine’s Monastery in the Sinai Desert of Egypt and dated to the year ca. 550 AD. See Item H9 in the History Section for extended discussion. 2 INTRODUCTION Introduction In 1978 PhD in physics John Jackson, who today serves This is a remarkable claim. Can it be true? Only through as the president of the Turin Shroud Center of a serious examination of the evidence can the inquirer Colorado, led a large research team from the United begin to come to a justified judgment regarding the States on an historic project to study the Shroud in answer to that potentially life-changing question. The Turin, Italy. The team, under the auspices of the Critical Summary is designed to help the inquirer begin Shroud of Turin Research Project (STURP), was that examination. given unprecedented hands-on access to the Shroud. For 120 continuous hours, the Shroud was examined in depth. Such direct research access to the Shroud had How the Critical Summary is organized not been given prior to this, nor has it been given since. The Critical Summary is designed to be maintained and The STURP team consisted of outstanding scientists, evolve over time as important new historic, scientific and research assistants and professional photographers. forensic evidence on the Shroud is discovered. Because Appendix 1 lists the names and home organizations of of this we would characterize the Critical Summary as a the STURP team members. The team used advanced “living’” summary of the high points of Shroud research. scientific instruments for their five days and nights of Each new edition will be given a new version number. examining the Shroud. Among the methods used to New editions corresponding to the inclusion of extremely gather data were direct microscopy, infrared important new research findings regarding the Shroud spectrometry, X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, X-ray will be given a cardinal number designation, for example radiography, thermography, and ultraviolet fluorescence Version 4.0. Less important new evidence will be spectrometry. In addition, a broad spectrum of documented in an on-line only edition (i.e. Version 4.1), photographic data was collected. Ultraviolet that may be accessed on the TSC website fluorescence photographs, raking-light photographs, (http://www.shroudofturin.com). All changes to Shroud normal front-lit photographs and backlit photographs of evidence documented in the Critical Summary can be the entire Shroud were taken. The STURP team also tracked through reference to the Evidence Revision collected sticky tape samples from the surface of the Log contained in Appendix 3. Shroud cloth as well as thread samples. The Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Corporation (3M) designed Data items presented in Sections 2, 3 and 4 are based and produced a special tape specifically for the STURP on forensic and scientific study of the Shroud. The project: an amorphous, inert, pure-hydrocarbon scientific method requires that such evidence be adhesive that would not contaminate the Shroud presented as a proposition that may, by its very nature, samples. All of these samples were retained and be subject to further study and possible revision. At a returned to the United States for further studies. The minimum, all such items of evidence must be evaluated subsequent studies of the tape samples were carried and assessed. The Critical Summary uses the following out using microscopy, pyrolysis-mass-spectrometry, ratings for each item of forensic evidence in these three laser-microbe Raman analysis and various methods of sections: microchemical testing. The results of the STURP research were published in twenty peer-reviewed Class 1: This rating is given to items of evidence scientific journal articles over the course of four years that are firmly supported by scientific following the team’s work in Turin. and/or forensic research. The purpose of the Critical Summary is to provide an Class 2: This rating is given to an item of evidence up-to-date summary of what is known about the Shroud. generally supported by scientific and/or The Critical Summary includes many pieces of data that forensic research, but the item requires trace their source back to the research conducted by the additional confirming research in order to STURP team, as well as data from the broad spectrum be upgraded to Class 1. of other scientific and historical research that has been conducted on the Shroud, both before and after the Class 3: This rating is given where the item is STURP expedition to Turin. One thing is certain: The documented or reported as Shroud Shroud is an artifact that plainly exists. It is of interest evidence but remains disputed by many because it is the informed judgment of many that the researchers including the TSC Shroud is the actual burial cloth of Jesus of Nazareth. organization. 3 INTRODUCTION Evidence Presentation and Photographs Shown below is an example of how an item of evidence is in the Critical Summary have been reversed so that presented and how the Item Identification is linked to the images are presented as if an actual body is being reference section of the Critical Summary. The example viewed. To help the reader avoid confusion key Shroud shown is from Section 3: Linen Cloth Evidence. photographs have been labeled to indicate whether the Following the example of how the evidence is presented Shroud Image or Body Image view is being presented. are two photographs that show how Shroud photographs The following three benchmarks will also be helpful in are presented in the Critical Summary. The first establishing orientation when viewing frontal negative photograph shows the image side of the Shroud, as it photographs of Body Images. would be viewed in natural light. This photograph shows the locations where the frontal and dorsal images of a 1. The blood flow on the forehead when looking at the human body are imprinted on the cloth. Noted on this body resembles the letter “3”. photograph are also the prominent burn and scorch lines 2. The chest wound is on the right side of the body. left on the cloth by a fire that damaged the Shroud in the 3. The left hand of the body crosses the right hand. year 1532. The second photograph is a negative photograph of the Shroud showing the upper body portion It will also be helpful to remember that in positive of the Shroud Frontal Image.

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