Diving Deep

Thanks for coming to see what I have to say about the Turin Shroud. Welcome!

I have an interest in the shroud going back to the late 70's when I first saw the face on the shroud in a book such as this one.

    

In 1985 I was (mysteriously or synchronistically) given a photo-copy of the shroud face, but with eyes, and other features that clearly were not on the shroud cloth image and which had a deeply soul penetrating effect to behold. I framed this picture and it was displayed in my home wherever I lived, until 2010 when I moved back from South Africa to UK and at present (2016) it is still packed in a box somewhere!

I will add the rest of my story later as right now I want to share with you my current main points of interest. 

Firstly I will  address the claims that the image was created by an artist in the 14th century. There are a few visible details that would need to be explained if that were the case.

I'll start with my no.1 evidence that the exact shroud image was known of in at least 695AD. Here are a few coins minted between 695 and 976AD - there are more versions. All of them show many details that can only have been included because at least the first artist had direct access to the shroud, and copied it as faithfully as he could.

The last one has the shroud image next to it is know as the Tremissis coin (692 – 695) minted during the reign of Justinian II and has, it is claimed, 188 points of congruence with the Shroud face. That probably includes the neckline non shown here, but I can see at least 10 points of congruence in these pictures and such details at the eyes/eye sockets have such similarities that to me, could only have been made by the artist making the coin image and not the other way around - by a 14 c artists making a copy of the coin!

This painting, called The Pray Codex from 1192, also shows many details that can only have come from seeing the same actual shroud cloth and image that we know today. 

The weave of the cloth is indicated (though not 100% accurate) and 2 sets of 'L-shaped' holes, caused, it is thought, by several drops of molten lead or silver from a fire - as these holes are repeated on the cloth in a progression from large to small, showing how the cloth was folded at the time.

 

An EXTREMELY detailed analysis of the shroud material weave and yarns and even looms used, plus pictures of the samples used for carbon dating, where from on the shroud, methods etc. can be found here:

http://editionsassailly.com/books/The%20Shroud%20htm.htm

Artists copy of the shroud from 1516 made before the second fire damage of 1532 showing the four sets of small burn holes

For me, the coins and the above painting are enough to prove that the shroud was NOT created in the 14th Century. Some have suggested it could have been created photographically by Leonardo da Vinci - but he lived from 1452 - 1519. 

However, there are lighting effects on the shroud image which do indicate an external light-source and a photographic process of 'some sort'. I noticed these myself a week ago, and yesterday I found a whole book written on a very detailed analysis of this lighting effect and proposing a method whereby the image came to be formed. (however, I do not as yet, necessarily agree with the authors conclusions).

Regarding the red crosses on the back of the shroud in the painting, I am suggesting at this point that these symbolise the scourge marks, blood and sacrifice, but I have yet to expand my research on this for more evidence. For now, this theory is good enough for me.