Why the Shroud is the Burial Cloth of Jesus Christ

With the Tour of the Shroud preparing to begin only in a matter of weeks, and its unveiling once again before the public in about a decade, we will discuss why the Shroud of Turin may be the literal burial cloth of Jesus Christ.

The great amount of research conducted on the Shroud over the years has shown that it spent a large amount of time in the Middle East, specifically Jerusalem, Israel. Traces of a flower known as Zengofellium Dormosin, which grows only in an area outside of Jerusalem was found on it. Also, tests conducted by Botanists on the Shroud revealed that the highest concentration of pollen was located around the head of the victim, and was none other than a thorn bush known as Gundella Tuniforte.

All of the wounds on the Shroud reflect all of the wounds inflicted on Christ at the time of the crucifixion. All four gospels describe how the Roman soldiers "platted" a crown of thorns together and placed them upon Jesus' head. It also tells us of the brutal "scourging" that Jesus received just prior to His execution.

Historically, flogging was used as a legal preliminary to every Roman execution. The instrument of punishment used by the Roman soldiers was known as the flagrum. It consisted of several braided leather thongs of which small iron balls and sharp pieces of sheep bones were attached. This instrument of cruelty would bruise and cut deep into the skin, subcutaneous tissue, and even the skeletal muscle producing quivering ribbons of bleeding flesh. Furthermore, the negative photographic image of the Shroud reveals numerous scourge markings on the front and back torso of the body, including the arms, hips, thighs, and legs. Isaiah 53:5 says that "he was pierced for our transgressions."

Most artwork depicts the crucifixion with nails through the palms of the hands; however, the weight of the body cannot be supported by the palm of the hands, so the spikes about 5 to 7 inches in length were driven through the wrists. However, in the language of that day, the wrists were considered to be apart of the hand, and this is why the gospel writers would have wrote as such.

The gospel of John tells us that the religious leaders requested that the bodies not remain on the cross especially because it was the week of Passover Sabbath. So in order to speed up the death of their victims, the Roman soldiers broke their legs. This would prevent them from pushing up on the cross to exhale, and thereby, causing the victim(s) to succumb to asphyxiation.

Jesus' legs were not broken broken because like the passover lamb of the Exodus -"not a bone was to be broken." Instead, Jesus was speared in the side to insure that he was in fact dead. Thus, a side wound with a highlighted area of blood was also found on the Shroud.

The Bible tells us that Christ was placed in a borrowed tomb hewn out of limestone. Traces of limestone, which are native to Israel, was likewise found on the Shroud. So as you can see the Shroud contains more than enough evidence to suggest it to be the literal burial cloth of Jesus Christ. For it is an awesome symbol of the power of the resurrection. So just as Jesus got up, so will we!

"I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shal he live: And whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Believest thou this? -JESUS-