The Shroud of Turin’s ‘Blood’ Images: Blood, or Paint? A History of Science Inquiry Author: David Ford <
[email protected]>, a graduate of the University of Maryland Baltimore County that majored in history and philosophy. Date: 10 December 2000 Keywords: Shroud of Turin, ‘blood’ images, McCrone, iron oxide and vermilion paint, Heller & Adler, blood tests “It is the essence of scientific investigation to seek to much ‘blood’ and a clear fluid as if from a lance conform thought to the nature of its object, as wound, and seemingly unbroken legs.10 Because of encountered in its interaction with us.” this close similarity, the image is universally believed -- John Polkinghorne1 to depict Jesus,11 yet much controversy remains about whether the Shroud is Jesus’ actual burial shroud or Introduction merely a forgery. A ‘strong-authenticity’ view holds that the body image was produced by supernatural According to the New Testament’s book of means involving Jesus’ body, while a ‘weak- John, Roman soldie rs “flogged” Jesus of Nazareth, authenticity’ view holds that the body image was “twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his produced by Jesus’ body via unusual natural head,” “struck him in the face,” and, along with two processes. In both the strong- and weak- authenticity others, “crucified him.”2 Because the next day was views, the ‘blood’ images arose via contact of the unsuitable for the display of crucified individuals, a cloth with a bloody Jesus. request that those crucified have their “legs broken” and their “bodies taken down” was made and A point of argument against the Shroud of granted.3 (With their legs broken, victims of Turin being Jesus’ actual burial cloth is that it can be crucifixion could no longer push up their bodies to traced with certainty only from about AD 1355.