Dr. Brucker, an expert on the Shroud of Turin, is an Arizonaphysician and has written previously for Linacre. Several articles have appeared recently in newspapers and magazines stating that the Shroud of Turin is a forgery and not the burial cloth of Christ. What has happened is that three very qualified scientific centers tested , by carbon dating techniques , pieces of the Shroud of Turin and determined by mUltiple analyses that the cloth dates its origin between 1260 and 1380 A. D. Let's first review briefly the important aspects historically of the Shroud and then let's look at this question offorgery to determine if this is a reasonable conclusion. We have recorded history of the Shroud appearing in the possession of Godfrey de Charney about 1354 in the village of Lirey, France, and at this same time period, from about 1356 to 1389, we have two bishops ofTroyes (a village about 12 miles from the town of Lirey, France). The first bishop, Henry of Poitiers, and later Bishop Peter d' Arcis , writing letters to the popes, stated they were concerned about the Shroud being shown and venerated by the people when they knew it to be a cunning forgery , a painting, and not really the Shroud of Christ, and they personally knew the artist, but in neither instance did they name the individual and there is no record of a followup of these statements. The popes, and in particula r Clement VII , in about 1389, wrote to Bishop d'Arcis and required of him to remain silent about this matter. Characteristics of Shroud The Shroud of Turin is a linen burial cloth, about 700 years old , with an imprint of a man and quite obviously not painted. Oh yes, there is iron oxide pigment in small amounts identified on the cloth, but certainly not in sufficient quantities to account for the frontal and dorsal image that we have of the body. We certainly expect some oxide present as there is
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