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The Shroud of Turin

Scientific Confirmation of a Hoax

W hy, over the years, has the Christian world those who are embalmed, but separately, so
remained silent and produced no cham- that he could come out of the tomb at the
pion who could have challenged the command of Christ, though he could not walk
claims made for the Shroud of Turin? The freely till the rollers were taken away.” How-
weight of Scriptural evidence and an analysis of ever, the body of the Messiah was embalmed
the burial practices of the time can lead to only and completely wrapped in the linen rollers.
one logical conclusion -- namely, that Yeshua Both Matthew 27 and Mark 15 confirm that
the Messiah was not wrapped in the shroud at the the body of the Messiah was wound with
time of burial. No such method was in vogue in linen rollers, or grave clothes, when placed in
the practice of the time. the new sepulcher in the garden (John 19).

“And there came also Nicodemus, which at the The first day of the week, following the Cru-
first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mix- cifixion, Mary Magdalene came to the sepul-
ture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound cher early in the morning and saw that the
weight. Then took they the body of Jesus, and stone that covered the entrance to the tomb
WOUND it in linen clothes with the spices, as had been taken away. The account states:
the manner of the Jews is to bury” (John “Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Pe-
19:39-40). ter, and to the other disciple (who was John),
whom Jesus loved, and said unto them, They
Wound or wrapped in linen clothes! NOT a have taken away the Lord out of the sepul-
shroud. Turning to the eleventh chapter of John cher, and we know not where they have laid
we read about Lazarus who had died and was him. Peter therefore went, and that other dis-
buried. When Jesus cried with a loud voice, ciple, and came to the sepulcher. So they ran
“Lazarus, come forth,” the account states that: both together: and the other disciple did out-
“He that was dead came forth, bound hand and run Peter, and came first to the sepulcher.
foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound And he stooping down, and looking in, saw
about with a napkin. Jesus said unto them, the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in.
Loose him and let him go.” Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and
went into the sepulcher, and seeth the linen
In his Commentary Dr. Adam Clarke states that clothes lie, and the napkin, that was about
the phrase, “bound hand and foot with grave his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but
clothes,” means “swathed about with roll- wrapped together in a place by itself. Then
ers...These were long slips of linen a few inches went in also that other disciple, which came
in breadth, with which the body and limbs of the first to the sepulcher, and he saw, and be-
dead were swathed, and especially those who lieved” (John 20).
were embalmed.” Dr. Clarke continued: “It is
evident that Lazarus had not been embalmed” What did John see that convinced him that Je-
(Martha’s comment in the 39th verse would indi- sus had, indeed, risen from the dead? The
cate this to be true); “it is probable that his limbs linen wrappings remained in place as though
were not swathed together, as is the case with they were still around the body: they merely

The Berean Voice March-April 2003