What is the Shroud of Jesus Christ. Solving the mystery of the Shroud of Turin: the canvas is real

For several centuries, in the cathedral of the Italian city of Turin, a large canvas 4.3 m long and 1.1 m wide has been kept. Blurry spots of brown tones appear against its yellowish-white background - from a distance, in the arrangement of these spots, the vague outlines of a human figure and a male face with beard and long hair. Tradition says that this is the Shroud of Jesus Christ Himself.

For the Western European citizen of the second half of the 14th century. she appeared “from nowhere” in the town of Lirey near Paris, on the estate of Count Geoffroy de Charny. The death of the count hid the secret of her appearance in France. In 1375 it was exhibited in the local church as the true Shroud of Christ. This attracted many pilgrims to the temple. Then doubts arose about its authenticity. The local bishop Henri de Poitiers reproached the rector of the temple for presenting it as the original Shroud of Christ. His successor, Pierre d'Arcy, received permission from Pope Clement VII to exhibit the Shroud as an ordinary icon, but not as the true burial shroud of the Savior.

One of the heirs of the Count de Charny gave the Shroud to her friend the Duchess of Savoy, whose husband, Louis I of Savoy, built a beautiful temple for the relic in the city of Chambery. Subsequently, the Savoy dynasty reigned in Italy.

Although false shrouds were shown in different cities, only this one was perceived by the mass popular consciousness as true. It burned three times and miraculously survived. To remove the soot and make sure it wasn’t painted, they boiled it in oil several times and washed it, but the image remained.

In 1578, the elderly Archbishop of Milan, Charles Borromeo, canonized by the Catholic Church, went from Milan to Chambery in the winter to venerate the Holy Shroud. To save the elder from crossing the winter Alps, the Shroud was brought out to meet him. The meeting took place in Turin, in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, where, with the blessing of the bishop, she currently rests. In the 18th century The revolutionary troops of France under the command of Bonaparte destroyed the cathedral in Chambery, where the shrine was once kept, and Turin found itself aloof from all the turbulent events and still preserves the shrine of the entire Christian world.

History of the Shroud

The history of the Shroud is complex and eventful. The most important of them for believers is the burial and resurrection of Christ, and for everyone - its appearance to the godless world on the threshold of the twentieth century.

In 1898, an international exhibition of religious art was held in Paris. They also brought the Shroud from Turin, presenting it as a poorly preserved creation of ancient Christian artists. The shroud was hung high above the arch, and before the exhibition closed they decided to photograph it. On May 28, archaeologist and amateur photographer Secondo Pia took two photographs. One negative turned out to be spoiled, and the other, 60x50 cm in size, was put into the developer in the evening of the same day and became numb: against the dark background of the negative, a positive photographic portrait of Christ the Savior was revealed - a Face with an unearthly expression of beauty and nobility. Secondo Pia sat all night in reverent contemplation, without taking his eyes off the portrait of Christ the Savior, who so unexpectedly appeared in his house.

“The Holy Shroud of Christ,” he reflected, “in some unimaginable way itself is a photographically accurate negative; and even with great spiritual content! This Holy Shroud, this amazing human-sized negative, is much more than a thousand years old. But our newly invented photography is only 69 years old!.. Here, in these brown prints from the Holy Sepulcher, lies an inexplicable miracle” (2).

What was the meaning of the appearance of the Holy Shroud of Christ at the end of the 19th century?

It was a time when humanity was moving away from faith. Science became a worldview, the conviction developed that in the future, and soon, mathematical formulas It will be possible to calculate the movement of all particles of the universe in time and space. The formula “science has proven” was often used in conversations. In a conversation with Metropolitan Philaret (Drozdov), one very self-confident young man said: “Do you know, Vladyka, that science has proven that there is no God?” The Metropolitan replied: “King David wrote thousands of years ago: The speech of a fool in his heart is not God” (3).

From the second half of the 19th century. Anti-Christian protests in noble and intellectual salons, lecture halls and the press noticeably intensified. The works of Protestant theologians, professors and associate professors (Strauss, Ferdinand and Bruno Bauer), who denied the deity of Jesus Christ, also became widespread. Leo Tolstoy cut the Gospel according to his own understanding, whose cherished dream was to found a new religion. The image of a sentimental moralist, fornicator and favorite of women was painted by Renan in his once very popular book “The Life of Jesus”. He, like Tolstoy, denied the Divinity and miracles of Christ. Our outstanding spiritual writer Bishop Mikhail (Gribanovsky) called his work “The Gospel of the Philistines.” The success of these and other similar works is explained by the fact that many in society, in their earthly complacency and human pride, did not want to accept the Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ and His miracles, which the deterministic science of the 19th and early 20th centuries was unable to explain. The myth of Christ was thought to have arisen around the historical figure of Jesus of Nazareth, an old idea dating back to the early centuries, particularly to Celsus.

But the pinnacle of all this anti-Christian supposedly scientific literature were the works of the professor of theology and history Draves. He argued that there was no Jesus of Nazareth, that Christ and other gospel characters like Pilate, etc. - these are mythical personalities without any real historical prototypes, that Christ is a folk myth about the Sun. His book met with a joyful and sympathetic reception in wide circles of society. For a long time Soviet publications and schools stated: science has proven that Christ is a myth.

Using the Draves method, the witty Frenchman Prevost proved with even greater logical convincing that Napoleon is a French folk myth about the power and incinerating power of the Sun. Indeed! He rose in the east of France (born on the island of Corsica), set in Atlantic Ocean(died on St. Helena), had twelve marshals, which means twelve signs of the Zodiac. He even resurrected - the famous 100 days of Napoleon. They believed Draves, - some perceived Prevost’s work as a parody of Draves’s work, - Napoleon was too close, - for most this work remained unknown. The sophisticated and caustic Celsus (late 2nd century), in his major work against Christianity, did not dare to assert that Jesus of Nazareth did not exist: Jesus Christ was too close for his era. In all the anti-Christian literature of the last two or three centuries, the only thing new is the complete denial of the historicity of Jesus of Nazareth, and at the same time that of Pilate.

Thus, it can be argued that the discovery of the image of Christ on the Shroud of Turin is a miracle that meets the needs of the time: “You claim that Jesus of Nazareth, Christ is a myth, but I appear to you to support your wavering faith,” it seems to say Christ who loves us.

Secondo Pia perceived the appearance of Christ on a photographic plate as a miracle. He sat in reverence before the Image that appeared to him all night: “Christ has come to our house.” On that memorable night, he clearly understood that the Shroud was not made by hand, that not a single artist of antiquity, without any ideas about the negative, could have drawn it, making essentially an almost invisible negative.

Later, the Shroud of Turin was repeatedly photographed in various rays of the spectrum from X-ray to infrared radiation. It was studied by criminologists, forensic experts, doctors, art historians, historians, chemists, physicists, botanists, paleobotanists, and numismatists. International Sindological congresses were convened (from the word sindone, which means shroud).

The Shroud is not made by hands

It has become common for scientists of different views and nationalities to believe that Shroud of Turin not made by hand, is not the work of an artist and bears the signs of great antiquity. Picky criminologists did not find anything on the Shroud that would refute the gospel story about the suffering, death on the cross, burial and resurrection of Christ; her research only complements and clarifies the narratives of the four evangelists (4). Someone called the Shroud of Turin the “Fifth Gospel.”

The Shroud of Turin confirms the truth of the saying of the English thinker Francis Bacon (1561-1626), that little knowledge moves away from God, and great knowledge brings us closer to Him. Many scientists, based on a careful and comprehensive study of the Shroud, recognized the fact of the resurrection of Christ and from atheists became believers. One of the first was an atheist and freethinker, professor of anatomy in Paris Barbier, who understood, as a doctor and surgeon, that Christ came out of the Shroud without unrolling it, as He passed through closed doors after the resurrection. Only a few specialists who studied the Shroud did not accept the resurrection of Christ due to extra-scientific reasons: there was no resurrection because it cannot exist at all.

And during this growing triumph, at the end of 1988, a sensational message appeared: according to the radiocarbon method, the age of the Shroud of Turin is only 600-730 years, that is, it should be dated not to the beginning of the Christian era, but to the Middle Ages - 1260-1390. The Archbishop of Turin accepted these results and stated that neither he nor the Vatican had ever considered St. The Shroud was a relic, but they treated it like an icon.

Many sighed with relief and gloating: “The myth has been dispelled.” Although it has been repeatedly proven that the Shroud is not made by hand, attempts have again been made to attribute it to the brushes of Leonardo da Vinci or some other great artist (5). In addition, the Shroud reflects such anatomical details human body, which were not known to medieval masters. Finally, there are no traces of paint associated with the image on the Shroud of Turin. Only in one place on the edge was it slightly stained with paint, perhaps when Dürer wrote a copy from it in 1516.

The idea arose that medieval Christian fanatics staged the burial of Christ with one of their co-religionists and thus received miraculous image. Even atheists did not pay attention to this idea because of its absurdity.

In connection with radiocarbon dating, the following questions arise: 1) are the initial analytical data and the calculations made from them correct; 2) how the results of the latter relate to all other data directly or indirectly related to the problem of the origin and age of the Shroud of Turin.

The first fact that clearly speaks in favor of the ancient Middle Eastern origin of the Shroud is the fabric itself - it is linen, woven in a 3 by 1 zigzag pattern. Such fabrics were made in the Middle East, in particular during the 2nd-1st centuries. BC and until the end of the 1st century. according to R.H. and received the name “Damascus”. In earlier and later times they are unknown. They were expensive. The use of Damascus for the Shroud testifies to Joseph’s wealth, as noted in the Gospel (“a rich man from Arimathea” - Matthew 27:57), and his respect for the Crucified One. flax, several cotton fibers of the Western Asian type were found in the fabric.

Accepting radiocarbon calculations of the age of the Shroud and its late Christian European origin, we are obliged to explain where and how it appeared in the 13th-14th centuries. fabric made by a method lost over a thousand years ago. What kind of scientific potential must the “hoaxers” of the Middle Ages have had to provide for all these details, including even the use of cotton threads, which grow only in Western Asia?

The ancient age of the Shroud is confirmed by the imprints of coins that covered the eyes of the Deceased. This is a very rare coin, the “Mite of Pilate”, minted only around 30 AD, on which the inscription “Emperor Tiberius” (TIBEPIOY KAICAPOC) is misspelled: CAICAPOC. Coins with this error were not known to numismatists until the publication of photographs of the Shroud of Turin. Only after this were five similar coins discovered in different collections. “Pilate’s Mite” dates the most ancient possible date burials - 30s. according to R.H. It is impossible to assume that the counterfeiters of the Middle Ages figured out (and even physically could) use rare coins of the 1st century to make a forgery. with the rarest of errors.

Thus, the nature of the fabric and the imprint on the Shroud of the “mite of Pilate” make it possible to determine its age between about the thirties and the end of the 1st century. according to R.H., which fits well into the chronology of the New Testament.

Antiquity of the Shroud

The antiquity of the Shroud is also evidenced by the detailed accuracy of the observance of the rite of Roman execution through crucifixion and the Jewish funeral ritual, which became known as a result of archaeological excavations only last decades. The remains of a certain Johann, described in detail in the work of J. Wilson, are of particular scientific value. Of course, they did not have such knowledge in the Middle Ages. Some details were presented differently in the Middle Ages; in particular, driving nails not into the palms, as is depicted on icons, including medieval ones, but into the wrist. Let us note that the mark of the nail on the Shroud exactly corresponds in shape and size to the shape and size of the nail kept in the Church of the Holy Cross in Rome and, according to legend, is one of the nails with which Christ was crucified. To create a forgery, did the forgers really study nails from different eras and different purposes, or, knowing about the nail from the Church of the Holy Cross, drew the corresponding wounds or made similar nails to crucify their victim?

Opponents of the ancient origin of the Shroud usually appeal to the alleged absence of any reliable historical references to the Shroud before 1353, when it was exhibited in the temple of the town of Lirey. However, in Byzantium, unlike Western Europe they knew about it well and treated it as the greatest shrine. Numerous historical documents testify to this. In the ancient Mozarabic liturgy, which, according to legend, dates back to the holy Apostle James, the brother of the Lord, it says: “Peter and John hurried together to the tomb and saw on the shrouds clear traces left by the One who died and rose again.”

According to legend, the Shroud was kept for some time by the holy Apostle Peter (6), and then passed from student to student. In the writings of the pre-Constantine era, it is practically not mentioned, because it was too large a shrine and information about it could serve as a reason for the pagan authorities to search for it and lead to its destruction. At that time, all objects of Christian worship were frequently destroyed, especially books and, first of all, the Gospels, which were hidden in secret places and brought into prayer meetings for reading only on short time {7}.

After the triumph of Christianity under Emperor Constantine, references to the Shroud are quite numerous.

It is known that the sister of Emperor Theodosius II, Saint Pulcheria, in 436 placed the Shroud of Christ in the Basilica of the Most Holy Theotokos in Blachernae, near Constantinople. Saint Braulin, Bishop of Zaragoza, mentions the Holy Shroud in his letter.

In 640, Arnulf, Bishop of Gaul, in describing his pilgrimage to Jerusalem, mentions the Holy Shroud and gives its exact measurement. About the stay of the Holy Shroud in Jerusalem in the first years of the 9th century. Epiphanius of Monaco testifies. Return of the Holy Shroud from Constantinople to Jerusalem in the 7th century. apparently connected with the development of iconoclasm in Byzantium (635-850) and the danger of its destruction.

At the end of the 11th century. information about the Holy Shroud from Constantinople appears again. Emperor Alexius Comnenus, in a letter to Robert of Flanders, mentions that “among the most precious relics of the Savior are the Funeral Cloths found in the Tomb after the Resurrection.” There is also a mention of the “bloody Shroud of Christ” in the “Catalog of Constantinople Relics” by the rector of the Icelandic monastery Nikolai Somundarsen for 1137. According to the testimony of Bishop William of Tire, in 1171 Emperor Manuel Komnenos showed him and King Amorin I of Jerusalem the Holy Shroud of Christ, which was then kept in the Basilica of Boukleona in Constantinople.

Of particular value is the message of Nicholas Mazarite, who saved the Holy Shroud from fire during the riot of the imperial guard in 1201. “Funeral Robes of the Lord. They are made of linen and still smell fragrant with the anointing; they resisted decomposition because they covered and clothed the naked, myrrh-strewn Body of the Infinite in death.” Mazarite was struck by the fact that Christ on the Shroud was completely naked - no Christian artist could take such liberty.

Evidence of the disappearance of the Shroud from Constantinople during the defeat of the city in 1204 by the crusaders is given by the chronicler of the IV Crusade, Robert de Clari: “And among others there was a monastery known as Holy Virgin Mary of Blachernae, where the Shroud with which our Lord was wrapped was kept. Every Friday this Shroud was carried out and raised for worship so well that it was possible to see the Face of our Lord. And no one, be it Greek or Frank, knew what happened to this Shroud after the defeat and plunder of the city.”

After the disappearance of the Shroud from Constantinople, its history is full of events. Now she found herself in obscurity, now she appeared from nowhere; she was kidnapped and burned repeatedly. All the vicissitudes of her fate have now been traced in detail by historians (8).

A study of the composition of pollen collected from the fabric of the Shroud of Turin and studied by the botanist Frey, with a report in Albuquerque in 1977, confirms the presence of the Holy Shroud in Palestine and its transfer to Byzantium and Europe. The pollen composition is dominated by either Palestinian forms proper, or those found in addition to the environs of Jerusalem and in neighboring countries (39 species out of 49). European forms are represented by single species. Frey's conclusions fit well with historical information about the movement of the Shroud. The corresponding maps have been published in scientific publications.

The results of these studies exclude the European origin of the Shroud of Turin. It is impossible to assume that medieval falsifiers, having no idea about modern palynological analysis (the study of spores and pollen) and fearing revelations by descendants, traveled from Europe to Jerusalem and collected pollen from plants growing only in the vicinity of this city.

Thus, based on the entire body of evidence, summarized in five points, the age of the Shroud of Turin is dated very clearly: from 30 to 100 AD, and its Middle Eastern origin cannot be in doubt. This is contradicted only by the data of calculations of its age based on radiocarbon analysis.

Let us consider the reliability and validity of the radiocarbon chronology method in relation to the Shroud of Turin. Let us first note that gross errors in determining the concentration of C14 in her tissue are excluded: the analyzes were carried out by three independent laboratories equipped with modern equipment and staffed by highly qualified specialists. The only question that can arise is about the reliability of the radiocarbon chronology method itself and the possibility of its application to such an object as the Shroud of Turin.

The radiocarbon dating method was developed in the mid-50s. V. Libby and is based on measuring the activity of carbon C14. The latter, according to modern concepts, is formed in high layers of the atmosphere as a result of the action of cosmic rays on nitrogen atoms N14. Oxidized to C14O2, it enters the general carbon cycle. Due to good mixing of the atmosphere, the content of the C14 isotope at different geographical latitudes and at different absolute levels is almost the same.

During photosynthesis, C14, along with other carbon isotopes, enters plants. When an organism dies, it stops extracting new portions of carbon from the air. As a result, due to radioactive decay, the ratio of C14 to stable carbon isotopes in his tissues changes. Since the decay rate is a constant value, by measuring the content of this isotope in the total amount of carbon, the age of the sample can be calculated using the appropriate formulas.

The results of such a calculation will be plausible under the following assumptions:
• the isotopic composition of the atmosphere during the life of the sample was close to the modern one;
• the isotopic system of the sample at that time was in equilibrium with the atmospheric one;
• The isotope system of the sample after the death of the organism was closed and did not undergo any changes under the influence of external factors of local or temporary significance. These three assumptions are the boundary conditions for the applicability of the radiocarbon chronology technique.

However, there are a number of factors that planetarily or locally influence the concentration of C14 in the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and in plant and other tissues, and therefore complicate and limit the use of the radiocarbon method in chronology.

Artificial or natural radio emission. Neutrons released in nuclear and thermonuclear reactions, as well as cosmic rays, act on N14 and convert it into radiocarbon. From 1956 to August 1963, the content of C14 in the atmosphere doubled. A sharp increase in C14 began after thermonuclear explosions in 1962. Changes in tension magnetic field The Earth affects the intensity of bombardment of its atmosphere by cosmic rays, which is reflected in the concentration of C14 in the atmosphere and vegetation.

Changes in solar activity also affect the C14 content according to an inverse relationship.

There is a connection between the concentration of C14 and supernova explosions, and the study of historical documents and tree rings has shown significant changes in its content over time. Even meetings were convened on the problem of “Astrophysical phenomena and radiocarbon.” The influence of volcanic gases near their outlets on the specific content of C14 was noted by L.D. Sulerzhitsky and V.V. Cherdantsev (9).

Fuel combustion has a significant impact on the C14 content in the atmosphere. Thus, the combustion of fossil fuels, that is, very ancient fuels formed many millions of years ago, during which almost all radioactive carbon C14 decayed, leads to a decrease in its specific concentration in the atmosphere (the so-called Suess effect). As a result, due to the combustion of fossil fuels, the concentration of C14 in the atmosphere will decrease by 20% by 2010. And when soot from the combustion of newer objects penetrates into ancient objects, the age of the first ones, determined by the radiocarbon method, turns out to be less than the actual one.

Since it is often very difficult to take into account all the factors that can disturb the state of isotopic systems (not only carbon ones), in geology, for example, where isotope chronology methods are used very widely, an entire control system has been developed to obtain reliable methods for determining age. In a number of cases, age calculations using radiochronological methods give clearly absurd values ​​that contradict the entire available body of geological and paleontological data. In such cases, the obtained “absolute chronology” figures must be disregarded as clearly unreliable. Sometimes the discrepancies between geochronological determinations by different radioisotope methods reach tenfold values.

Shroud. Doubts and questions

In 1989, the British Science and Technology Council tested the accuracy of radiocarbon dating (see New Scientist, 1989, 8). To evaluate the accuracy of this method, 38 laboratories from different countries peace. They were given samples of wood, peat, carbon dioxide salts, the age of which was known only by the organizers of the experiment, but not by the analysts. Satisfactory results were obtained only in 7 laboratories; in the rest, errors reached two, three, or more multiples. When comparing data obtained by different researchers and using various variations of identification technology, it became clear that errors in determining age are associated not only with inaccuracies in determining the radioactivity of a sample, as was previously thought, but also with the technology of preparing the sample for analysis. Distortions in diagnostics occur when the sample is heated, as well as during certain methods of its preliminary chemical treatment.

Everything suggests that age calculations using the radiocarbon method must be treated very carefully, be sure to compare the results obtained with other data.

From the above reasoning, it is clear why among specialists who use radiochronological data in their daily work, radiocarbon dating of the age of the Shroud of Turin raises many doubts and questions.

The boundary conditions for the applicability of radioisotope chronology were formulated above. Let us consider to what extent they are observed in relation to the Shroud of Turin, given its history.

The history of the Shroud documents events in which its fabric was supposed to be contaminated with younger carbon. In 1508, the Shroud was solemnly brought out for worship by the people and, in order to prove its authenticity (that the Shroud is “still the same,” unwritten), they boiled it in oil for a long time, heated it, washed it and rubbed it a lot, but they could not remove and destroy the prints. In this case, contamination could occur due to oil carbon; In addition, as a result of heating, the equilibrium of the isotope system could be disrupted. The Shroud burned repeatedly, or at least caught fire in 1201, 1349, 1532, 1934. Traces of these fires are clearly visible on it, including even traces of drops of molten silver burning through the fabric.

In this case, contamination of the Shroud could have occurred due to carbon deposited on it in the soot from objects of different ages burning around it. However, as calculations show, in order to shift the isotopic ratios of the tissue of the beginning of our era so much that at present its age would be rejuvenated by 1200-1300 years, in the 16th century. it was necessary to replace 20-35% of its composition, which neither boiling nor fires could do.

Physicist J. Carter suggested that the image on the Shroud is the result of its radioactive irradiation by the body of the deceased. Through experiments, he managed to obtain similar prints on the canvas. Question: What causes the radioactivity of the Shroud? It was hypothesized that it was caused by the Resurrection of Christ, which was accompanied by some kind of nuclear processes. Of course, this was not an atomic bomb explosion, after which shadows of disappeared objects remained on the walls of buildings. As a result of these processes, Christ was resurrected into new flesh: he began to pass through “closed doors,” which he had not done before, etc. This assumption is also supported by the fact that what is invisible on the Shroud with the naked eye becomes visible in photographs (10).

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If indeed the Resurrection of Christ was accompanied by some nuclear reactions, then the isotope ratios of the Shroud should be disrupted in the direction of a significant increase in the C14 content, that is, when trying to date it using the radiocarbon method, an error in the direction of a sharp “rejuvenation” of age is inevitable. With this assumption, the appearance of the image and the sharp enrichment of the tissue with the indicated isotope are a consequence of the same cause - the Resurrection.

A number of researchers have expressed doubts about the reliability of the results of determining the age of the Shroud of Turin using radiocarbon chronology methods, sometimes offering very dubious explanations for the supposed rejuvenation of the tissue.

The following conclusions logically follow from the materials under consideration:

The fabric of the Shroud of Turin is a material that is by no means favorable for radiocarbon dating, since it cannot be considered throughout its history as a strictly isolated system that was not subject to external influences. The study of fabric and coin prints makes it possible to date the age of the Shroud with sufficient certainty in the range of 30-100 years. according to R.H. The Shroud of Turin is of Middle Eastern rather than European origin. The sharp enrichment of the canvas of the Shroud of Turin C14 and the appearance of the image, based on modern scientific ideas, most likely is a consequence of radiation at the moment of the Resurrection of Christ.

The last of the four conclusions should naturally raise doubts among the unbelieving reader. Yes, and believing Christians are accustomed to believing that the fact of the Resurrection of Christ is an object of pure faith, purely internal religious experiences, which can hardly have a natural scientific explanation. However, the Shroud of Turin bears strong evidence of the Resurrection of Christ.

As the forensic medical examination of the Shroud established, the body of the Deceased had many intravital bleeding wounds from the crown of thorns, from beating with whips and a stick, as well as post-mortem effusions from perforation by a spear, which, according to doctors, pierced the pleura, lung and damaged the heart. In addition, there are traces of the outpouring of blood at the time of the removal from the cross and the placement of the Most Pure Body on the Shroud.

The terrible traces of bodily suffering were miraculously captured on the Holy Shroud. Christ was beaten a lot. They beat me on the head with sticks and broke the bridge of my nose. By studying the Shroud, scientists were able to determine even the thickness of the stick that damaged the Sufferer’s nose. Thanks to forensic medical examination, we know about the torment of Jesus Christ even more and in more detail than they are told about in the Gospel.

What does the Shroud say?

They also beat Him with whips. As the Shroud testifies, two warriors were scourged: one tall, the other shorter. Each whip in their hands had five ends, in which sinkers were sewn in so that the lashes would grip the body more tightly, and, when pulled away from it, they would tear skin. According to forensic experts, Christ was tied to a pole by his upstretched arms and beaten first on the back, and then on the chest and stomach.

Having finished the beating, they placed a heavy cross on Jesus Christ and ordered him to carry it to the place of the upcoming crucifixion - Golgotha. This was the custom: the condemned themselves carried the instruments of their painful execution.

The shroud imprinted a deep mark from the heavy beam of the cross on the right shoulder of Christ. Christ, physically exhausted and exhausted, repeatedly fell under the weight of His burden. During the fall, his knee was broken, and the heavy beam of the cross hit His back and legs. Traces of these falls and blows are imprinted, according to expert testimony, on the fabric of the Shroud. Forensic medical experts came to the conclusion that in less than 40 hours the post-mortem process stopped, because otherwise the preservation of blood stains, lymph, etc. would have been significantly different: by the fortieth hour of contact, all prints would have blurred beyond recognition. From the Gospel we know that Christ was resurrected 36 hours after His burial.

Forensic scientists and doctors noticed that the body of the Crucified One was separated from all blood clots, from all hardenings of ichor and pericardial fluid, without disturbing any of them. And every doctor, every nurse They know how difficult it is to remove bandages from dried wounds. Removing bandages can be a very difficult and painful process. Until recently, dressings were sometimes considered worse than surgery. Christ came out of the Shroud without unrolling it. He came out of it the same way as after the Resurrection he walked through closed doors. The stone from the tomb was rolled away not for Christ, but so that the myrrh-bearing women and disciples of the Lord could enter the tomb.

How could the disappearance of the Body from the Shroud occur without its unfolding and the tearing of the wounded body from the cloth? It was this fact-question that made the atheist and freethinker professor of comparative anatomy I. Delage and the atheist professor of surgery P. Barbier believe in Christ and become apologists and preachers of the Shroud. Having become acquainted with the research materials, the unbelieving Sorbonne professor Ovelag plunged into deep thought and suddenly whispered with an enlightened face: “My friend, He really has risen!” Having begun to study the Shroud, the unbelieving Englishman Wilson became a Catholic in the process of his research. Thus, both medical forensic and isotopic studies of the Shroud of Turin lead to the recognition of the fact of the Resurrection of Christ. Does everyone accept this?

Forensic, criminological evidence of the Resurrection is accepted by the overwhelming majority of Sindologists. Some experts believe that the Resurrection could not have happened because it is completely impossible. They believe that to explain the intactness and non-unfolding of the Shroud at the moment of removal of the Body from it, other rationalistic (that is, materialistic-atheistic) explanations are necessary.

As has been shown, radiocarbon chronology cannot be applied to the Shroud of Turin as it contradicts the entire complex of well-connected historical data on its age. The high content of C14 in it, as well as the image itself, in our opinion, along with other data, testify to the resurrection of Christ.

There is a deep meaning in the aphorism: “The empty tomb of Christ was the cradle of the Church.” The Savior never spoke about His suffering and death without mentioning His Resurrection.

The preaching of the apostles is, first of all, a sermon about the Risen Christ. In his first sermon on the day of Pentecost in Jerusalem, the Apostle Peter said: This Jesus God raised up, of which we are all witnesses (Acts 2:32). And then Paul wrote: If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, and your faith is also in vain (1 Cor 15:14).

Having experienced the crucifixion and death of their Teacher, the apostles, seeing the risen Christ and meeting Him repeatedly, overcame depression and confusion and were filled with very complete joy. Ardent faith, firm knowledge, personal experience, by the grace of the Holy Spirit received on the day of Pentecost, they brought to the world the preaching that Christ has truly risen and His commandments. He... revealed Himself alive through His suffering with many true proofs,” testifies the Apostle Luke, who, after carefully examining everything, first described everything in order (Luke 1:3).

And here are the conclusions of lawyers and historians. Edward Clarke writes: “I have undertaken a careful examination of the evidence surrounding the events of the third day of Easter. This evidence seems indisputable to me: working in the Supreme Court, I... happen to make verdicts on the basis of evidence that is much less convincing. Conclusions are drawn from evidence, and a truthful witness is always artless and tends to minimize the effect of events. The Gospel testimonies about the Resurrection belong precisely to this kind, and as a lawyer I accept them without reservation as the reports of truthful people about facts that they could confirm” (11).

The author of the three-volume work “History of Rome”, Professor T. Arnold, a sophisticated subversive historical myths and errors, states: “The satisfactory evidence of the life, death and Resurrection of our Lord has been proven repeatedly. They meet the generally accepted rules by which reliable evidence is distinguished from unreliable evidence” (12).

Another researcher, Professor Edwin Selvin, emphasizes: “The resurrection of Christ from the dead on the third day in complete preservation of body and spirit is a fact that seems as reliable as any other confirmed by historical evidence” (13).

To the Apostle Thomas, who doubted His Resurrection, Christ showed the wounds from the nails on his hands and the wound in His ribs and said do not be an unbeliever, but a believer. Thomas exclaimed: My Lord and God! Jesus said to him: You believed because you saw Me; Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed (John 20:29). After all, they are given spiritually experienced heartfelt knowledge of the risen Lord, the victory of life over death, and comprehension of the Eucharist.

Having spent many years collecting materials about the Shroud of Turin and understanding the reasons for the anomalous high content in its fabric C14, the author of these lines felt that the words of Christ spoken to the Apostle Thomas no longer applied to him: ... blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed (John 20:29). I put my fingers into the wounds of the nails and my hand into His side.

And it seems that after so much evidence from both the ancients and the Shroud of Turin, only the one who tries to explain everything in the world with his limited and sinful mind, the one who does not want to know anything, the one whom God prevents from living according to his thoughts, can not recognize the Resurrection of Christ. passions and pride. The famous Bakunin, the idol of youth at the end of the last century, said: “If God exists, He must be banned.”

Shroud. Prohibitions

The shroud was also prohibited. For decades, there has been no public information about her in Soviet Union not received. It was not even mentioned in anti-religious lectures. The first publication about her in the journal “Science and Religion” (1984, #9) appeared only after the editors received “provocative” letters from readers. It contained many fundamentally important omissions. In subsequent years, many small articles are published in the aforementioned journal, as well as in other domestic and foreign publications, in which the most incredible and unfounded explanations are given to individual isolated facts, and the entire body of known data is ignored. One author claims that “the negative was made by lightning,” another that the image arose due to the serious illness of the crucified man, and the third that as a result of the activity of microbes, ignoring the results of studying the “burn effects of tissue.” The idea of ​​an unknown genius artist, the inconsistency of which has been repeatedly emphasized, is extolled again and again. It was argued that the image arose as a result of some bionic or psychic energy according to N.K. Roerich and the yogism of the Deceased. They write something about extrasensory perception. The absurd opinion has already been mentioned that in the Middle Ages, Christian fanatics crucified a certain person to perform a ritual and obtain an image, although nothing is known about such a practice in history. A completely incredible idea arose that Christ did not die on the cross, and He was taken down alive, so sweat secretions and human energy were imprinted on the Shroud. Jesus of Nazareth, a great ambitious man and actor, in order to leave His name for centuries, decided to do something unusual: he deliberately went to the cross, acted out death and His resurrection. But what about the unexpanded Shroud that amazed Barbier and others? And not only with this.

The unreality of such a point of view was understood by David Friedrich Strauss, who denied the Divinity of Jesus Christ and His resurrection. He wrote:

“It cannot be that a person who was kidnapped from a tomb in a half-dead state, who could not stand on his feet due to weakness, who needed health care, bandages, treatment, and who was in the grip of physical suffering, would suddenly make such an impression on his disciples: the impression of a man who conquered death, the Lord of Life - and it was precisely this impression that became the basis of all future sermons. Such a revival could only weaken the impression He made on them in life and death. IN best case scenario, it might add some elegiac note, but it could in no way transform their grief into enthusiasm, nor raise their respect for Him to religious worship.”

Just as they did not and do not accept Christ, so they do not accept His Holy Shroud, which clearly testifies to the suffering and Resurrection of our Lord. Some, having seen and studied it, accept faith, while others invent all sorts of false and untenable explanations just to justify their rejection of Christ.

Our faith is not in the Shroud, not in rational knowledge, but in the heart, in reverence and spiritual experience. “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” The Shroud is needed for Thomas the Unbeliever. And for those who reject God, she is an unpleasant thorn that must be forgotten. There are people who demanded to stop publishing materials about the Shroud of Turin.

When we Orthodox Christians respond to the jubilant Easter exclamation “Christ is Risen!” We answer “Truly he is risen!”, we testify to our faith, and in the chant “Having seen the Resurrection of Christ,” we testify to our religious, spiritual experience. He is in our worship, our prayers and life, He is in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.

LITERATURE

Arutyunov S. A., Zhukovskaya N. L. Shroud of Turin: a body imprint or an artist’s creation? // Science and Life, 1984, ? 12, ss. 102-111.
Butakov N. A. Holy Shroud of Christ. Jordanville (USA), 1968.
Gavrilov M. N. Shroud of Turin: Description and scientific explanation. Brussels, 1992. Isotope geology. M., 1984.
Isotope dating of vulcanization and sedimentation processes. M., 1985.
Priest Gleb Kaleda. The Holy Shroud and its significance for Christian consciousness and spiritual life // Moscow Church Bulletin, 1991, ? 2.
Priest Gleb Kaleda. The Shroud of Turin and its age // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate, 1992, ? 5.
Libby V.F. Radiocarbon method for determining age // Proceedings of the International Conference on the Peaceful Use of Atomic Energy. T. 16. Geneva. M., 1987, pp. 41-64.
McDowell, J. Undeniable evidence (Historical evidence, facts, documents of Christianity). M., 1990.
Radiocarbon. Sat. articles. Vilnius, 1971.
Shroud of Turin // Logos, 1978, ? 21/22, ss. 93-115.
Turkham, Henry. Is the Shroud kept in Turin genuine? Brussels, 1965. Beecher P. A. The Holy Shroud of Turin // Irish Eccl. Rec., 1938, ser. 5, vol. 25, pp. 49-66.
Nydal R. Increase in radiocarbon from the most recent series of three nuclear tests // Nature, 1963, vol. 200, pp. 212-214.
Waliszewski, St. Calun Turynski Dzisial. Krakov, 1987.
Wilson I. The Shroud of Turin. N.Y., 1979.

NOTES

(1) Epigraph translated by Bishop. Cassian (Bezobrazova).
(2) S. Pia published his memoirs of photographing the Shroud of Turin in 1907. Excerpts from them have been quoted by various authors.
(3) Reference to Ps 13:1.
(4) This is noted by all researchers of the Shroud of Turin. Stanislav Waliszewski compiled a table of comparisons between the gospel narratives and the “evidence” of the Shroud of Turin (hereinafter, see the list of references on p. 27).
(5) The authors of such notes in popular magazines do not think about how a medieval artist could paint an image in the form of a negative, when there were no ideas about photography yet, not to mention the psychological and technological difficulties of painting shadows as light; for whom he wrote, what goal he pursued when he embarked on a conscious mystification, as if anticipating all the laws and rules of photography.
(6) Saint Nina, the enlightener of Georgia, spoke about this.
(7) There is an opinion that the Shroud of Jesus Christ long time was kept in Edessa (modern southeastern Turkey), with the descendants of King Abgar (Avgar).
(8) Chronological table of the history of the Shroud of Turin from the 30s. I century before the Sindological conference in 1977 in Albuquerque (USA) gives in his great job J. Wilson.
(9) See collection of articles “Radiocarbon” (Vilnius, 1971).
(10) Let us recall that radioactivity was discovered by Becquerill thanks to traces on an unexposed photographic plate.
(11) McDowell, J. Undeniable evidence (Historical evidence, facts, documents of Christianity). M., 1990, p. 175.
(12) Ibid.
(13) Ibid., p. 174.

More than a hundred years have passed since the day when the Italian photographer Secondo Pia took the first photographs of the Shroud of Turin. We asked the director about the methods and results of research on this shrine and about the scientific integrity of believing scientists Russian Center Shroud of Turin physics Alexandra BELYAKOVA.

The face on the Shroud (“negative”) and in the photo (“positive”)

The Shroud of Turin is a golden-brown linen cloth 437 cm long and 111 cm wide, on which is imprinted the image of a human body wrapped in it. For more than 100 years, none of its researchers can say how the prints appeared on the fabric. According to Christians, this is the same Shroud that was wrapped around the body of Jesus Christ after suffering on the cross and death. On the Shroud there are two full-length images of a naked male body, located symmetrically to each other, head to head. On one half of the Shroud there is an image of a man with his hands folded in front and his legs lying flat; on the other half - the same body from the back. The fabric shows signs of bruises on the head, traces of blood on the wrists and soles of the feet, marks from whips on the chest, back and legs, and a large bloody stain from a wound in the left side. Historians and pathologists have concluded that the man on the Shroud of Turin was crucified according to ancient Roman customs. The image on the Shroud is not bright, but quite detailed, golden yellow in color varying degrees saturation. Facial features, beard, hair, lips, fingers are distinguishable. Special studies showed that the image completely correctly conveys the features of the anatomy of the human body, which cannot be achieved in images made by the hand of the artist. According to legend, the Shroud was kept for some time by the holy Apostle Peter, and then passed from student to student. Historians in last years managed to trace its path through the Middle East, and found mention of it during the sack of Constantinople by the crusaders in 1204. Perhaps it was taken to Europe by knights during the Crusades. Since the 17th century it has been located in the Italian city of Turin. In 1898, archaeologist and amateur photographer Secondo Pia first photographed the Shroud and discovered that the image on the cloth resembled a negative. Pia's discovery made a stunning impression. The negative reproduction, which turned out to be positive, made it possible to discern not only in the face, but also in the figure, details that were previously impossible to see. Since that time, scientists have been studying the Shroud. Four hypotheses of the origin of the Shroud were considered: the Shroud is the work of an artist, the image on the Shroud is the result of direct contact with an object, the image on the Shroud is the result of diffusion processes, the image on the Shroud is the result of radiation processes. These hypotheses were subjected to theoretical and experimental studies. Scientists have come to the conclusion that the image on the Shroud has characteristics that, taken together, cannot be simultaneously explained either by any of the hypotheses proposed so far, or by any natural method at all.

Just the factsThe shroud was opened for scientific research only once - in 1978 (not counting those cases when scientists gave their recommendations on methods for storing it); the rest of the time, hypotheses were based on the study of photographic images. Forty scientists of various specialties (physicists, mathematicians, biochemists, biologists, forensic and medical experts), united in an international group, spent five days, or 120 hours, replacing each other and using the most advanced technology, examined the Shroud. The scientists set themselves three tasks. The first is to find out the nature of the image, the second is to determine the origin of the blood stains, and the third is to explain the mechanism by which the image appears. Research was carried out directly on the Shroud, but using non-destructive methods (such as the radiocarbon method, when the research object is burned). For chemical analyzes they took only the smallest threads that remained on the adhesive tape after it touched the Shroud. The results of scientific research in 1978 showed: firstly, the image on the Shroud is not the result of adding any dyes to the fabric. This completely excludes the possibility of the artist participating in its creation. The color change is caused by a chemical change in the tissue, possibly a burn. Secondly, physical and chemical studies confirmed that the stains were blood, and they appeared earlier than the main image. The blood has penetrated deep into the tissue, but the image is “written” only in a thin surface layer. Thirdly, pollen particles were found on the fabric various plants, characteristic only of Palestine, Turkey and Central Europe, that is, precisely those countries where the Shroud is supposed to have visited. The fourth important discovery showed that the intensity of the color on it depends on the distance between the Shroud and the body at the moment the image appears. To put it simply, the Shroud conveys the three-dimensional shape of the human body, and not just a negative image. So, during the allotted 120 hours of continuous work, scientists received answers to the first two questions: about the nature of the image and about the nature of the blood stains on it. However, it was not possible to explain the mechanism by which the image appeared.

Inexplicable image

The very first hypothesis about how the image appeared dates back to the 10th century and belongs to Archdeacon Gregory from the Church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. Before the sack of Constantinople by the Crusaders in 1204, the Shroud was kept in the Eastern Orthodox Church. Archdeacon Gregory made the assumption that the miraculous image arose due to the perspiration of death on the face of the Savior. Modern scientists have experimentally and with the help of computer models explored all the hypotheses about what could cause a change in the chemical structure of the Shroud’s fabric and thereby create an image on it. However, the data obtained in the 1978 studies were sufficient to refute all existing hypotheses. A whole science arose - sindology (from the Greek sindon - shroud). According to one hypothesis, the negative image on the Shroud appeared from a strong stream of light, when ordinary fabric itself became like “photographic film.” But even in modern laboratories it was not possible to reproduce anything like this. Some scientists argued that to obtain such an image, a greater flow of light was needed than during the nuclear explosion in Hiroshima, but the tissue itself would also have to burn. The studies carried out clearly led scientists to the idea that this stream of light was not of a natural nature, that is, it did not obey the laws of physics - the laws of diffusion or the laws of light propagation. Such an “unknown light” could well shine at the moment of resurrection. It is not for nothing that in the most ancient hymns dedicated to the resurrection of Christ, they sing: “luminous resurrection”, “we will see Christ shining in the unapproachable light.” At the moment of the resurrection, miraculous events occurred that caused processes that further developed naturally according to the laws of nature. Natural scientific research methods, of course, cannot explain a miracle, but they can ultimately indicate that the cause of a particular event was a miracle.

One picture

And yet, science cannot prove whether this is the authentic Shroud of Jesus Christ. If it turns out that the fabric actually dates back to the 14th century, it can be considered proven that it is not genuine. But how can you prove the opposite? Who knows the physics of resurrection? If it turns out that this is not the Shroud of Jesus Christ, all believing scientists, including me, will have to come to terms with it. Although the more I learn about the Shroud, the less likely the version about the man-made image on this canvas seems to me.
There are many arguments for “authenticity”. The data obtained as a result of the study of the Shroud reveals new details of the events known from the Gospel. Taken together, all the arguments in favor create a holistic picture of what happened, but none of them is decisive. For example, it is known that there are two images on the Shroud: the contours of one are “written” in blood, the other appeared as a result of a burn. Both of them indicate that the man depicted on the Shroud was punished twice. Before crucifixion, he was subjected to scourging so severe that he could have died from the blows and loss of blood. Probably, at first they wanted to limit themselves to this punishment, and it was assumed that this person would be released, but then he was nevertheless crucified on the cross. The Gospel of Luke describes similar events as follows: “Pilate, having called the chief priests and rulers and the people, said to them:<…>I examined before you and did not find this Man guilty of anything of which you accuse Him;<…>So, having punished Him, I will release Him. And he needed to release one prisoner to them for the holiday. But all the people began to shout: Death to Him!..” (Luke 23: 13-18). It can be assumed that the man from the Shroud is the twice-punished Jesus Christ.
The Gospels mention that Jesus Christ was scourged before his crucifixion, but only the Shroud tells us how cruel it was. There were two soldiers who scourged Jesus Christ, and the belts of their scourges had specially tied knuckles at the ends, as was customary in the Roman army. There were far more than forty blows, and their marks covered the entire back, chest and legs. The Gospels say that the executioners placed a crown of thorns on the head of Jesus Christ, but we also learn from the Shroud that this was not only a method of humiliation, but a continuation of torture. The thorns of the crown of thorns were so large that they pierced the vessels on the head, and blood flowed abundantly through the hair and face. By examining the Shroud, experts recreate the events that are written about in the Gospels: the strangulation of Jesus Christ, His carrying of the cross, His fall under a burden from exhaustion. Based on the direction of blood streams from nail wounds driven into the wrists and feet, experts can even recreate the position of the body of Jesus Christ on the cross. The Shroud testifies to the Calvary sufferings of Jesus Christ, and for researchers the gospel events become almost tangible.

The only argument

There are many such coincidences indicating that this is exactly the same Shroud in which the body of Jesus Christ was wrapped during burial, but there is only one argument “against”, but a very strong one. This is the dating of the Shroud to the 14th century using the radiocarbon method. In 1988, it was allowed to cut a piece of fabric from it measuring about seven square centimeters. It was divided into three more parts and given to researchers. All three independent laboratories came to the same result: the Shroud was made in the 14th century, that is, it is not the original Shroud of Jesus Christ. The results of this experiment were a very serious blow to the trust in the Shroud. There is a crisis in research. The situation was further aggravated by the fact that it was from the 14th century that it was possible to document the historical path of the Shroud in Europe. The dating result contradicts all other facts obtained during the study of the Shroud! Therefore, several hypotheses have been proposed to explain the error in radiocarbon dating, but it is still difficult to believe that all participants in the experiment were mistaken at the same time. Most likely, the answer is that the Shroud cannot be dated using the radiocarbon method. That is, in different parts of the canvas this method can show different results. One thread will date back to the first century, another to the fourteenth, and the third to the twenty-fifth. We have now developed a research project that will help prove or disprove our hypothesis. We hope that the Italians will meet us halfway and open the Shroud to scientists once again.

During the fire in 1532. The Shroud was kept folded in a silver ark. Drops of hot tin, which were used to solder the silver parts, burned through the fabric. Stains remained on it after attempts to extinguish the fire with water. The figure shows the process of formation of holes and stains on the Shroud

Pilgrimage to Turin - after 18 years
Since 2000, access to the Shroud kept in Turin has been closed for 25 years. Dmitry VLASOV, editor-in-chief of the religious information agency Blagovest-info, organized a pilgrimage trip to Turin seven years ago, when the Shroud was last opened for worship by believers:

— In my youth, I read a lot about the Shroud of Turin, its history influenced my churching. So when I first came to Turin in 1991, I went to the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, where it is kept. But it turned out that the Shroud itself is inaccessible even to view; it lies folded in a special ark with seven locks. All historical information about it was printed on a special stand, and next to it hung an exact full-size photocopy of the canvas.

Cathedral of John the Baptist in Turin, where the Shroud is kept

In 1998, I learned that on the centenary of Secondo Pia's famous photographs, the Shroud of Turin would be opened to pilgrims. The Italians then created a very convenient website where you could find all the necessary information for your trip and sign up for a queue. The Shroud is opened only a few times a century, usually for some celebrations or anniversaries, as is customary among Catholics. Moreover, they open not for one day, but for several months, so that everyone can have a look. To pay for the trip, I decided to form a group. There were a lot of admirers of the Shroud; there was a whole double-decker bus, sixty people. When we finally got to the Cathedral of John the Baptist in Turin and began to look for parking on the small Italian streets for our huge bus, I was amazed by the Italians: “Park, park right here!” — passers-by advised us. “What will the police say?” The Italians waved their hands: “What can they say?!” Russian pilgrims traveled three thousand kilometers to venerate the Shroud of Turin! And do you think they will somehow object?”

Previously, the Shroud was kept rolled up in a glass ark (above). Now it is in a special container, where it is stored unfolded to its full length. The Shroud is in it and is displayed for worship by believers (below)

The shroud hung high above the altar of the cathedral in a special armored cabinet, one of the walls of which was glass. This cabinet is made in a special way, it constantly swings, and an inert gas is passed through it: scientists claim that this will better preserve the ancient cloth of the Shroud. So you still can’t venerate the Shroud - but at least see it with your own eyes!

AIR or shroud?

All Orthodox Christians know the wonderful pre-Easter services of the Removal and Burial of the Shroud. What do our Shrouds have in common with the Turin Shroud? When and how did the custom of using the shroud in worship arise? Olga DROZDOVA, author of the study “Iconography of the mourning and burial of Christ in facial embroidery,” talks about this.

After the resurrection of Christ, the Apostle Peter and John the Theologian discovered “the linen cloths lying in the tomb” (John 20:5). They took them with reverence and kept them as great shrine. In Christian worship, inextricably linked with the remembrance of the death of the Lord (1 Cor. 11:26), already in ancient times there were liturgical fabrics symbolizing the Holy Shroud. If at first it was a linen orithon spread on the throne, then later the so-called air (a large quadrangular cloth with which the Holy Gifts are covered at certain moments of the liturgy) became the symbol of the Shroud of the Lord. The earliest surviving airs with an embroidered image of the deceased Savior date back to the end of the 13th - beginning of the 14th century. In the XIV-XVI centuries. such airs are gradually appearing in many large monasteries and cathedrals, but by no means everywhere. Probably, such airs were used only once a year - at liturgy Holy Saturday. The presence of texts from the Matins of Holy Saturday on some airs of the 14th-15th centuries suggests their use in this service as well. Judging by cathedral officials and monastic regulations of the 16th century, after the Great Doxology such an air-Shroud was carried along with the Gospel, and then solemnly brought into the altar and placed on top of the Gospel on the Throne. Then the custom arose, when singing the Trisagion, to carry the air-Shroud in a procession around the temple. At first, only the abbot of the monastery applied to the air-Shroud, but over time they began to lay it out for kissing by the brethren in the center of the temple on a special table. That is, the development of the rite of removal and worship of the Shroud of the Lord occurred gradually. Since the 17th century, air (still symbolizing the Holy Shroud at every liturgy) and the so-called. The Lord's Shroud, as an accessory to the Passionate Service, becomes two functionally different objects. Outside the period of liturgical use, the Shroud of the Lord in many churches rests on a special elevation, the so-called Holy Sepulcher. Although there are many iconographic types of the Lord's Shroud, all of them, if not in graphic detail, then programmatically, go back to the miraculous image of Jesus Christ on His Holy Shroud, now known as the Turin Shroud. Moreover, one of the earliest surviving embroidered airs, the air of King Uros Milutin, created at the end of the 13th or beginning of the 14th century, is literally an embroidered icon of the Shroud of the Lord. Interestingly, the Holy Shroud itself disappeared after the capture of Constantinople by the Crusaders in 1204, and artists could not literally copy it. But if we compare the images on the Milutin air and on the Shroud of Turin, it becomes clear that the Holy Shroud of the Lord has always been especially revered by believers and, even despite its physical absence, was “before the eyes” of the artists.

Prepared by Ekaterina STEPANOVA

The phenomenon of the Shroud of Turin has been revealed. Was Christ's body wrapped in it after death?

Scientists who deny the very fact of God's existence are sometimes faced with mysteries for which science is unable to find an explanation. For skeptics who are sure that it is just a regularly repeated lightning strike, the Shroud of Turin remains the most mystical Christian phenomenon. Is the face of the Creator really imprinted on her or is the story about her a beautiful fairy tale on a biblical theme?

History of the Shroud

The Shroud is mentioned in all four books of the Gospel. The books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, with slight discrepancies, speak of a four-meter-long linen cloth in which Joseph wrapped the body of Jesus Christ after he was taken down from the crucifixion. After the miraculous resurrection of Christ, the same piece of fabric was found in the tomb. On it, the imprint of a male silhouette is barely visible with wounds in the area of ​​​​the feet, head, arms and chest.

“When evening came, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also studied with Jesus; He came to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered the body to be given up; and, taking the body, Joseph wrapped it in a clean shroud and laid it in his new tomb, which he carved out of the rock; and, having stopped big Stone to the door of the tomb, he left"

The first suspicions that the story of the shroud was nothing more than a fantasy were provoked by church fashion in Byzantium in the 11th century. Among the priests there, altar covers with the image of Christ began to be popular - essentially, copies of that same funeral shroud. In every church in Constantinople one could find several such covers.

For the first time in history, the original Shroud of Turin became known in 1353. The French knight Geoffroy de Charny displays the shroud for veneration on his estate near Paris, willingly showing it to everyone and telling the story of the canvas. In 1345 he took part in a campaign against the Turkish yoke, where in battle he managed to get his hands on a Christian shrine. Geoffrey's find was appreciated by the royal family: with their money, a church was built around the shroud and pilgrimages to it were established.

Sharni managed to quickly become rich and pass the shroud on to his descendants when the English invaded the estate. They took her to Switzerland and sold her at a profit to the Dukes of Savoy. The noble family invited specialists from the Vatican to examine the shroud. their verdict was:

“An ordinary drawing with no value.”

In 1983, the dukes transferred the shroud to Turin - its owner was the Vatican, which many years ago considered it a useless piece of fabric.

Shocking results of the shroud study

So, the shrine is a linen cloth with two male images. Criminologists believe that the person wrapped in it became a victim of violent death, before which he was tortured by scourging. On one half is his face with folded hands and legs lying together. On the other is the back of the same person with bruises. Their research confirmed that the imprint on the fabric appeared when the dead body was wrapped in it.

The version of criminologists forced us to extract records from the dusty Vatican library about a case that occurred at the end of the 19th century. Photographer Secondo Pia took several photographs, and when the negative was developed, he saw a clear imprint of Jesus Christ. Moreover, on it the minor nuances of the face were more noticeable than on the fabric itself.

“While working with film negatives in the darkness of the darkroom, I suddenly saw how a positive image of Jesus Christ began to appear on the photographic plate. Since then the excitement knew no bounds. I checked and double-checked my discovery all night. Everything was exactly like this: a negative image of Jesus Christ was imprinted on the Shroud of Turin, and a positive one can be obtained by making a negative image of the Shroud of Turin.”

Have the skeptics been able to prove otherwise?

In 1988, the only case in history was recorded when Rome allowed a small piece of the shroud to be cut off for examination. He was divided into three parts and sent to different parts of the world: to the University of Arizona in the USA, the Polytechnic Institute in Zurich, Switzerland, and the University of Oxford in the UK. Scientists agree that the fabric was created between 1275 and 1381. The diagonal way of weaving it, in their opinion, confirms the impossibility of its creation in ancient times - this method was invented in the Middle Ages. They were unshakable in the diagnostic results, because the latest technologies were used for it: ultraviolet scanning, spectroscopy and radiocarbohydrate dating.

Inexplicable events related to the Shroud of Turin

The reasoning of historians and archaeologists makes us doubt the accuracy of modern technology. While scientific instruments were proving that the shroud was made of cotton, scientists missed important property this fabric. Cotton is susceptible to rotting, so fabric with imprints simply would not survive to this day - unlike linen. All fabrics created in the Middle Ages were mixed: wool or cotton was added to them. Did it make sense for counterfeiters to make a special loom for weaving from 100% flax?

The Shroud can be called the “Fifth Gospel,” if only because analysis confirms that the traces on it are stains of human blood. In the forehead area there are visible imprints of vascular blood streams. They could have arisen from the crown of thorns: its thorns cut into the skin, pierced it and caused profuse bleeding. The blood is mixed with ancient microorganisms and pollen from plants that grow exclusively in Palestine, Turkey and Central Europe.

The fact that the image is presented in yellow-brown tones is explained by an amazing hypothesis. Such a color can be imparted to fabric only by chemical deformation of tissue molecules that occurs when heated or exposed to ultraviolet radiation. This once again confirms the fact that the Shroud of Turin witnessed not only the death, but also the resurrection of Jesus.

In 1997, the shroud proved its sacred power. During preparations for the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the first scientific study of the Turin shrine, a serious fire occurred. One of the firefighters felt an incredible surge of strength. He did it without special effort break the fireproof and bulletproof glass of a sarcophagus with fabric, which is beyond your control to an ordinary person. How else can you call this event if not the miracle of the Shroud of Turin?

The main shrine of the Christian world is kept in the Italian city of Turin - the shroud in which the body of Christ was wrapped after death. Christians all over the world believe in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, but there are also many atheists. One day I had to have a long conversation with an unbelieving friend about the fact of the resurrection of Christ.

I gave him convincing scientific arguments and told him that the shroud of Christ testifies to his miraculous resurrection. Unfortunately, it was not possible to convince him. But I believe my words planted a seed in his heart. They will definitely rise in due time. In the article I will tell you about the Shroud of Turin and the history of its acquisition by believers.

The shroud is a piece of fabric measuring 4.3 x 1.1 meters. On the canvas, yellowed by centuries, brownish spots clearly appear, which outline a male figure with long hair and a beard. The history of this shrine is full of secrets and adventures. According to legend, the shroud was kept by the apostle, and then it passed from student to student. The shrouds were kept in deep secrecy so that they would not attract adventurers of all stripes.

It should be clarified that during the time of persecution of the followers of Christ, all shrines were carefully hidden from the pagans, so the shrouds were not reported anywhere. The shroud was too valuable a treasure for Christians to put on display. But after the adoption of Christianity as the state religion by Emperor Constantine, they began to talk openly about the shroud.

It is known that for some time the shroud was preserved in Constantinople, but after the defeat Byzantine Empire Turks and crusaders know nothing about the shrine. No one knows for certain how it appeared in Europe. But one fact remains reliable, what happened to the Italian photographer Secondo Pia.

Now the Shroud of Turin is in the Church of John the Baptist in Turin.

The shrouds were brought to an exhibition of religious art, where Pia photographed them. When the photographer developed the films, one of them became completely exposed. But another one, when developed, left the photographer in awe and horror. The image of a man of incredible beauty and nobility was very clearly visible on the shroud - it was the Face of Jesus Christ. The photographer could not fall asleep until the morning and take his eyes off the divine. This happened in 1898 in Paris.

Shroud of Turin, high resolution photo:

Why did the Savior appear before humanity in his true form? Because in modern society lost faith and forgot about the true meaning of life. The Savior reminded of himself in such a form that everyone would think about their soul. People began to rely on scientific evidence of the absence of the existence of God and fell into Gnosticism. However, in the 21st century, science is no longer so categorical about the denial of the divine principle and has even found evidence in quantum theory.

Miraculous image

The Shroud is not made by hands and bears evidence of its ancient origin. Scientists cannot doubt this because detailed research has been carried out. Even criminologists carefully examined the shroud, but found no evidence of forgery or falsification.

Many scientists who studied the shroud believed in the possibility of the resurrection of Christ and turned from atheists to Christians.

Evidence of the authenticity of the shroud:

• linen fabric woven using a now lost ancient technique;
• the cotton from which the linen is made grows only in Western Asia;
• imprint of coins from the era of Pilate (they covered the eyes of the deceased);
• mark from a nail driven into the wrist;
• lack of dyes and artistic creativity;
• the age of origin dates back to 30-100 years after the birth of Christ.

The botanist Frey studied the composition of the dust from the shroud and confirmed that it corresponds to the composition of the dust of Palestine, Byzantium and Europe. Thus, the transfer of the shrine from area to area was confirmed.

results scientific research the shroud excludes its artificial origin in Europe.

The history of the shroud also includes events when it was washed, boiled in oil and heated. But despite all efforts, the Holy Face could not be destroyed. Also, the shroud was caught in fires more than once, but retained its integrity and remained unharmed.

The Shroud of Turin fully proves the fact of the resurrection of Jesus.

The most surprising discovery was the discovery of radioactive radiation. How could it have gotten onto the shroud in those distant times? This was explained by the fact of Christ's resurrection from the dead, when various nuclear processes occurred in his body. Thanks to qualitative changes in the body, the Savior could emerge from the shroud without untying and pass through the walls.

Lawyer Edward Clarke's conclusion about the Shroud of Turin:

Traces of torture

The traces of the torture of Christ’s body, which are imprinted on the canvas, deserve special attention. Scientists scrupulously examined every spot on the fabric and revealed details that were not mentioned in the gospel. Firstly, the nationality of the body wrapped in a cloth was established - Jewish or Arab. Secondly, the stains on the canvas are formed by blood. Thirdly, the fabric of the shroud was expensive for those times, and only a wealthy person (he was a pious person) could buy it.

• Blood stains on the fabric appeared before the image was imprinted - this indicates that a nuclear reaction occurred during the resurrection.
• Analysis of blood stains indicates that the linen covered the body of the deceased for no more than two/three days.
• The thorns from the crown of thorns damaged the blood vessels of the brain, as evidenced by blood stains on the shroud in the area of ​​the head and beard.
• There were bloody wounds on the knees, which testifies to the fall of the Savior under the weight of the cross carried to Calvary.
• The nail wounds are on both feet.
• In the area of ​​the ribs there was a blurry stain formed by the ichor - when Jesus’ ribs were pierced with a spear.

The facts of brutal torture are simply terrible. Scientists have reconstructed the picture of the Savior’s death throes, which were not mentioned in the Gospel. was subjected to severe scourging by two men. The whips had iron balls with hooks that tore out pieces of skin when struck. Each blow left a bloody mark on the canvas. In a beaten and tormented state, Christ carried a heavy wooden cross to the place of execution - Golgotha.

Shroud of Turin - photo of Jesus Christ:

Removal of the Shroud

In Russia, the term “shroud” appeared only in the 16th century. Since the original is in Russian Orthodox Church it wasn’t, then they created an icon. It depicted Jesus Christ in the tomb. But this icon is not painted on wood, but on canvas. It can be painted or cross-stitched.

On Good Friday, Easter services are held in churches and the Holy Shroud is taken out. This is the most mournful and sad day for believers, when the suffering of Jesus on the cross is remembered.

The removal of the shroud takes place on Good Friday in the afternoon at 14-00. The priest takes out the shrine and places it in the center of the temple on a special elevation, symbolizing the coffin. The shroud is decorated with fresh flowers, and the gospel is placed in the center of the cloth.

On Good Friday in the evening the burial ceremony is performed, in this service the shroud plays main role. The service is held in mournful tones, the clergy sing mourning troparia. During the liturgy, a procession of the cross takes place around the church accompanied by funeral bells.

After the burial ceremony is completed, the shroud is brought to the royal doors, and then returned to the center of the temple. At this time, all believers can venerate it. The shrine can be worshiped until late Saturday evening. Then the shroud is taken to the altar before Matins, symbolizing the arrival of the good news of the resurrection.

Everything about religion and faith - “the shroud of Christ prayer” with a detailed description and photographs.

The Holy Shroud is an icon of Christ in the tomb. On the holy shroud is written in bloody letters the history of the salvation of the human race! Worshiping the holy shroud and kissing it is a very deep spiritual experience and an opportunity to restore one’s faith in Christ and love for the Lord, who died on the cross out of love for us.

How to venerate the shroud correctly?

Make 3 prostrations.

When kissing the Holy Shroud, they kiss the honest hands and then the honest feet. Don't kiss your face!

Prayer “Blessed Joseph”, stichera, tone 5:

Orthodox icons and prayers

Information site about icons, prayers, Orthodox traditions.

Shroud of Turin: history, where it is located

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In Christianity there are a number of relics that are very valuable among Christians. One of them is occupied by the Shroud of Turin. Its authenticity and history of origin still raise a large number of doubts and questions, despite the long research process.

For most Christian believers, this is not just a piece of material that was used as a shroud during burial. It's something more. Many of them believe that this is the true canvas that was used for the burial of Christ, on which His face was subsequently miraculously imprinted.

It is generally accepted that the Shroud of Jesus Christ evokes strange feelings(awe and reverence), since everyone who contemplates it sees evidence of all the torments and sufferings of Christ. The Pope, as well as high-ranking priests, never cease to insist that it was Jesus who was depicted on this canvas.

History of the Shroud

For more than 4 centuries, this relic has been kept in the city of Turin, Italy in the Church of St. John the Baptist. Many scientists adhere to the version that this linen piece of fabric was an eyewitness to the events of the 1st century that took place in Palestine.

In appearance, it is a rectangular piece of yellowish fabric, slightly more than 4 meters long and 1 meter wide.

For a better view of the image, it is recommended to move 2 meters away from the relic. It is from this distance that you will be able to see the face of Jesus on the Shroud. This whole picture is composed of golden-yellow lines of varying saturation. So, what will we see there?

• These are two images of a man.
• They are located symmetrically from each other, head to head. There is a small distance between them; it is located at the site of the crown.
• It is generally accepted that Christ was covered with this cloth from head to toe after he was taken down from the cross.
• You can clearly see facial features, hair, and fingers in the image.
• There is also dark spots on the body, which indicate bloody wounds. It is they who confirm the theory that this was the burial shroud of Christ.
• So the wounds on the head are clearly visible. They could have been caused by the crown of thorns.
• Further great amount wounds on the body that could have been caused by whips. Then there are bloody marks on the wrists and feet, which may indicate crucifixion.
• After all, this is exactly how the God-Man was nailed to the cross. A large bloody spot on the left side is also characteristic. After all, it was there that the spear struck.

If you look closely at the canvas, you can see dark brown spots. They were caused by a fire. The most interesting thing is that the divine image was not affected.

The image of Jesus on the Shroud of Turin raises a lot of doubts about its originality. A large number of Scientists conducted various studies in order to prove or disprove all the hypotheses. So, after carrying out certain actions, it was discovered that the Shroud contains:

• Coins on the eye sockets
• Pollen and microorganisms from Jerusalem
• Aragonite in the blood
• Limestone particles from the Dead Sea region
• Blood that belonged to a male

To conduct their research, scientists used methods such as:

• Ultraviolet rays
• Radiography
• Radiocarbon dating
• Infrared radiation
• Electron microscopy
• Thermography
• Macro photography
• DNA analysis
• Computer techologies
• Scientific modeling
• Modern achievements of chemistry and biology

Turin Shroud of Christ

Since this relic causes a lot of discussion and attracts a lot of attention, it was logical that a lot was written about it and it became the main subject of the film.

So one day the book “Leonardo da Vinci and the Brotherhood of Zion” saw the light of day. Revelations of the Templars." Written by Clive Prince and Lynn Picknet. In it they talked about how certain attitude Leonardo da Vinci has a connection to this painting. You can also read there about many other secrets that may be hidden behind the sacred cloth.

There is also the film “The Shroud of Turin”. It belongs to the documentary and its main task is to establish the true age and originality. The film presents various hypotheses of scientists who express themselves about the history of its appearance. You can see this video at the end of the article.

Since this relic raises so many questions, it is normal that many people want to see it.

Where is the Shroud of Christ?

This painting is kept in Turin in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. It has survived to this day and is perfectly preserved due to the arid climate and lack of air access.

If you have any doubts about the authenticity of the Shroud and the image on it, then it is better to see it with your own eyes.

Temple of the Prophet Elijah

WHAT IS A SHROUD? HOW TO CORRECTLY APPLY TO THE SHROUD?

The Holy Shroud is an icon of Christ in the tomb. On the Holy Shroud, the history of the salvation of the human race is written in bloody letters... Worshiping the Holy Shroud and kissing it is a very deep spiritual experience and an opportunity to restore one’s faith in Christ and love for the Lord, who died on the cross out of love for us.

You can venerate the Shroud from mid-day Good Friday and before the start of the Easter service. The Shroud is taken to the altar before the Easter service begins on Saturday night.

How to venerate the Shroud correctly?

Make 3 prostrations. On pre-holiday days, there will be a long line to the shrine, so prayers and bows should be done in advance so as not to delay anyone.

When kissing the Holy Shroud, honest feet and honest hands are kissed (the Gospel is usually placed on honest hands for kissing). Honest Face (face) is not kissed!

Prayer “Noble Joseph”, stichera, tone 5:

Come, let us please the ever-memorable Joseph, who came to Pilate in the night and asked for the life of everyone: give me this strange one, who has nowhere to lay his head: give me this strange one, whose evil disciple betrayed him to death: give me this strange one, whose mother saw him on the cross hanging, crying, crying and motherly exclaiming: alas for Me, My Child! alas for Me, My Light and My beloved womb! Simeon foretold in the church today will happen: My heart has passed through the weapon, but turn your tears into the joy of Your resurrection.

We worship with Your passion, Christ, We worship with Your passion, Christ, We worship with Your passion, Christ, and the Holy Resurrection.

Popular materials

Official website of the Church of the Prophet Elijah in the city of Michurinsk, Tambov region (Michurinsk and Morshansk Diocese). Here you will find information about the temple, the life of its parish, spiritual readings, information about Orthodox holidays, articles about Orthodoxy, excerpts from the works of the holy fathers, Orthodox videos and much more. This is a site for Orthodox Michurinites, as well as for all Orthodox Christians. Join us!

Be with God - be with the temple!

Temple address: 393740, Tambov Region, Michurinsk city, Sovetskaya street, 349

Mozhaisk deanery

SHROUD OF OUR LORD JESUS ​​CHRIST.

Archpriest Gleb Kaleda

Authenticity of the shroud. Myth or reality?

The Shroud is a testimony to the Resurrection of Christ.

to the fall and rise of many in Israel

and as a sign that can be contradicted"

For several centuries, a large canvas 4.3 m long and 1.1 m wide has been kept in the cathedral of the Italian city of Turin. Blurry spots of brown tones appear against its yellowish-white background - from a distance, in the arrangement of these spots, the vague outlines of a human figure and a male face with beard and long hair. Tradition says that this is the Shroud of Jesus Christ Himself.

For the Western European citizen of the second half of the 14th century. she appeared “from nowhere” in the town of Lirey near Paris, on the estate of Count Geoffroy de Charny. The death of the count hid the secret of her appearance in France. In 1375 it was exhibited in the local church as the true Shroud of Christ. This attracted many pilgrims to the temple. Then doubts arose about its authenticity. The local bishop Henri de Poitiers reproached the rector of the temple for presenting it as the original Shroud of Christ. His successor, Pierre d'Arcy, received permission from Pope Clement VII to exhibit the Shroud as an ordinary icon, but not as the true burial shroud of the Savior.

One of the heirs of the Count de Charny gave the Shroud to her friend the Duchess of Savoy, whose husband, Louis I of Savoy, built a beautiful temple for the relic in the city of Chambery. Subsequently, the Savoy dynasty reigned in Italy.

Although false shrouds were shown in different cities, only this one was perceived by the mass popular consciousness as true. It burned three times and miraculously survived. To remove the soot and make sure it wasn’t painted, they boiled it in oil several times and washed it, but the image remained.

In 1578, the elderly Archbishop of Milan, Charles Borromeo, canonized by the Catholic Church, went from Milan to Chambery in the winter to venerate the Holy Shroud. To save the elder from crossing the winter Alps, the Shroud was brought out to meet him. The meeting took place in Turin, in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, where, with the blessing of the bishop, she currently rests. In the 18th century The revolutionary troops of France under the command of Bonaparte destroyed the cathedral in Chambery, where the shrine was once kept, and Turin found itself aloof from all the turbulent events and still preserves the shrine of the entire Christian world.

The history of the Shroud is complex and eventful. The most important of them for believers is the burial and resurrection of Christ, and for everyone - its appearance to the godless world on the threshold of the twentieth century.

In 1898, an international exhibition of religious art was held in Paris. They also brought the Shroud from Turin, presenting it as a poorly preserved creation of ancient Christian artists. The shroud was hung high above the arch, and before the exhibition closed they decided to photograph it. On May 28, archaeologist and amateur photographer Secondo Pia took two photographs. One negative turned out to be spoiled, and the other, measuring 60x50 cm, was put into the developer in the evening of the same day and became numb: against the dark background of the negative, a positive photographic portrait of Christ the Savior was revealed - the Face with an unearthly expression of beauty and nobility. Secondo Pia sat all night in reverent contemplation, without taking his eyes off the portrait of Christ the Savior, who so unexpectedly appeared in his house.

“The Holy Shroud of Christ,” he reflected, “in some unimaginable way itself is a photographically accurate negative; and even with great spiritual content! This Holy Shroud, this amazing human-sized negative, is much more than a thousand years old. But our newly invented photography is only 69 years old. Here, in these brown prints from the Holy Sepulcher, lies an inexplicable miracle.”

What was the meaning of the appearance of the Holy Shroud of Christ at the end of the 19th century?

It was a time when humanity was moving away from faith. Science became a worldview, and the belief developed that in the future, and soon, using mathematical formulas it would be possible to calculate the movement of all particles of the universe in time and space. The formula “science has proven” was often used in conversations. In a conversation with Metropolitan Philaret (Drozdov), one very self-confident young man said: “Do you know, Vladyka, that science has proven that there is no God?” The Metropolitan replied: “King David wrote thousands of years ago: The speech of a madman in his heart is not God.”

From the second half of the 19th century. Anti-Christian protests in noble and intellectual salons, lecture halls and the press noticeably intensified. The works of Protestant theologians, professors and associate professors (Strauss, Ferdinand and Bruno Bauer), who denied the deity of Jesus Christ, also became widespread. Leo Tolstoy cut the Gospel according to his own understanding, whose cherished dream was to found a new religion. The image of a sentimental moralist, fornicator and favorite of women was painted by Renan in his once very popular book “The Life of Jesus”. He, like Tolstoy, denied the Divinity and miracles of Christ. Our outstanding spiritual writer Bishop Mikhail (Gribanovsky) called his work “The Gospel of the Philistines.” The success of these and other similar works is explained by the fact that many in society, in their earthly complacency and human pride, did not want to accept the Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ and His miracles, which the deterministic science of the 19th and early 20th centuries was unable to explain. The myth of Christ was thought to have arisen around the historical figure of Jesus of Nazareth, an old idea dating back to the early centuries, particularly to Celsus.

But the pinnacle of all this anti-Christian supposedly scientific literature were the works of the professor of theology and history Draves. He argued that there was no Jesus of Nazareth, that Christ and other gospel characters like Pilate, etc. - these are mythical personalities without any real historical prototypes, that Christ is a folk myth about the Sun. His book met with a joyful and sympathetic reception in wide circles of society. For a long time, Soviet publications and schools stated: science has proven that Christ is a myth.

Using the Draves method, the witty Frenchman Prevost proved with even greater logical convincing that Napoleon is a French folk myth about the power and incinerating power of the Sun. Indeed! He rose in the east of France (born on the island of Corsica), set in the Atlantic Ocean (died on the island of St. Helena), had twelve marshals, which means twelve signs of the Zodiac. He even resurrected - the famous 100 days of Napoleon. They believed Draves, - some perceived Prevost’s work as a parody of Draves’s work, - Napoleon was too close, - for most this work remained unknown. The sophisticated and caustic Celsus (late 2nd century), in his major work against Christianity, did not dare to assert that Jesus of Nazareth did not exist: Jesus Christ was too close for his era. In all the anti-Christian literature of the last two or three centuries, the only thing new is the complete denial of the historicity of Jesus of Nazareth, and at the same time that of Pilate.

Thus, it can be argued that the discovery of the image of Christ on the Shroud of Turin is a miracle that meets the needs of the time: “You claim that Jesus of Nazareth, Christ is a myth, but I appear to you to support your wavering faith,” it seems to say Christ who loves us.

Secondo Pia perceived the appearance of Christ on a photographic plate as a miracle. He sat in reverence before the Image that appeared to him all night: “Christ has come to our house.” On that memorable night, he clearly understood that the Shroud was not made by hand, that not a single artist of antiquity, without any ideas about the negative, could have drawn it, making essentially an almost invisible negative.

Later, the Shroud of Turin was repeatedly photographed in various rays of the spectrum from X-rays to infrared radiation. It was studied by criminologists, forensic experts, doctors, art historians, historians, chemists, physicists, botanists, paleobotanists, and numismatists. International Sindological congresses were convened (from the word sindone, which means shroud).

The belief that the Shroud of Turin is not made by hands, is not the work of an artist, and bears signs of great antiquity has become universal among scientists of different views and nationalities. Picky criminologists did not find anything on the Shroud that would refute the gospel story about the suffering, death on the cross, burial and resurrection of Christ; her research only complements and clarifies the narratives of the four evangelists. Someone called the Shroud of Turin the “Fifth Gospel.”

The Shroud of Turin confirms the truth of the saying of the English thinker Francis Bacon (1561-1626), that little knowledge moves away from God, and great knowledge brings us closer to Him. Many scientists, based on a careful and comprehensive study of the Shroud, recognized the fact of the resurrection of Christ and from atheists became believers. One of the first was an atheist and freethinker, professor of anatomy in Paris Barbier, who understood, as a doctor and surgeon, that Christ came out of the Shroud without unrolling it, as He passed through closed doors after the resurrection. Only a few specialists who studied the Shroud did not accept the resurrection of Christ due to extra-scientific reasons: there was no resurrection because it cannot exist at all.

And during this growing triumph, at the end of 1988, a sensational message appeared: according to the radiocarbon method, the age of the Shroud of Turin is only 600-730 years, that is, it should be dated not to the beginning of the Christian era, but to the Middle Ages - 1260-1390. The Archbishop of Turin accepted these results and stated that neither he nor the Vatican had ever considered St. The Shroud was a relic, but they treated it like an icon.

Many sighed with relief and gloating: “The myth has been dispelled.” Although it has been repeatedly proven that the Shroud is not made by hand, attempts have again been made to attribute it to the brushes of Leonardo da Vinci or some other great artist. In addition, the Shroud reflects such anatomical details of the human body that were not known to medieval masters. Finally, there are no traces of paint associated with the image on the Shroud of Turin. Only in one place on the edge was it slightly stained with paint, perhaps when Dürer wrote a copy from it in 1516.

The idea arose that medieval Christian fanatics staged the burial of Christ with one of their fellow believers and thus obtained a miraculous image. Even atheists did not pay attention to this idea because of its absurdity.

In connection with radiocarbon dating, the following questions arise: 1) are the initial analytical data and the calculations made from them correct; 2) how the results of the latter relate to all other data directly or indirectly related to the problem of the origin and age of the Shroud of Turin.

1. The first fact that clearly speaks in favor of the ancient Middle Eastern origin of the Shroud is the fabric itself - it is linen fabric woven in a 3 by 1 zigzag pattern. Such fabrics were made in the Middle East, in particular during the 2nd-1st centuries. BC and until the end of the 1st century. according to R.H. and received the name “Damascus”. In earlier and later times they are unknown. They were expensive. The use of Damascus for the Shroud testifies to Joseph’s wealth, as noted in the Gospel (“a rich man from Arimathea” - Matthew 27:57), and his respect for the Crucified One. flax, several cotton fibers of the Western Asian type were found in the fabric.

Accepting radiocarbon calculations of the age of the Shroud and its late Christian European origin, we are obliged to explain where and how it appeared in the 13th-14th centuries. fabric made by a method lost over a thousand years ago. What kind of scientific potential must the “hoaxers” of the Middle Ages have had to provide for all these details, including even the use of cotton threads, which grow only in Western Asia?

Thus, the nature of the fabric and the imprint of the “mite of Pilate” on the Shroud make it possible to determine its age between about the thirties and the end of the 1st century. according to R.H., which fits well into the chronology of the New Testament.

In the ancient Mozarabic liturgy, which, according to legend, dates back to the holy Apostle James, the brother of the Lord, it says: “Peter and John hurried together to the tomb and saw on the shrouds clear traces left by the One who died and rose again.”

According to legend, the Shroud was kept for some time by the holy Apostle Peter, and then passed from student to student. In the writings of the pre-Constantine era, it is practically not mentioned, because it was too large a shrine and information about it could serve as a reason for the pagan authorities to search for it and lead to its destruction. At that time, all objects of Christian worship were frequently destroyed, especially books and, first of all, the Gospels, which were hidden in secret places and brought into prayer meetings for reading only for a short time.

After the triumph of Christianity under Emperor Constantine, references to the Shroud are quite numerous.

It is known that the sister of Emperor Theodosius II, Saint Pulcheria, in 436 placed the Shroud of Christ in the Basilica of the Most Holy Theotokos in Blachernae, near Constantinople. Saint Braulin, Bishop of Zaragoza, mentions the Holy Shroud in his letter.

In 640, Arnulf, Bishop of Gaul, in describing his pilgrimage to Jerusalem, mentions the Holy Shroud and gives its exact measurement. About the stay of the Holy Shroud in Jerusalem in the first years of the 9th century. Epiphanius of Monaco testifies. Return of the Holy Shroud from Constantinople to Jerusalem in the 7th century. apparently connected with the development of iconoclasm in Byzantium (635-850) and the danger of its destruction.

At the end of the 11th century. information about the Holy Shroud from Constantinople appears again. Emperor Alexius Comnenus, in a letter to Robert of Flanders, mentions that “among the most precious relics of the Savior are the Funeral Cloths found in the Tomb after the Resurrection.” There is also a mention of the “bloody Shroud of Christ” in the “Catalog of Constantinople Relics” by the rector of the Icelandic monastery Nikolai Somundarsen for 1137. According to the testimony of Bishop William of Tire, in 1171 Emperor Manuel Komnenos showed him and King Amorin I of Jerusalem the Holy Shroud of Christ, which was then kept in the Basilica of Boukleona in Constantinople.

Of particular value is the message of Nicholas Mazarite, who saved the Holy Shroud from fire during the riot of the imperial guard in 1201. “Funeral Robes of the Lord. They are made of linen and still smell fragrant with the anointing; they resisted decay because they covered and clothed the naked, myrrh-strewn Body of the Infinite in death.” Mazarite was struck by the fact that Christ on the Shroud was completely naked - no Christian artist could take such liberty.

Evidence of the disappearance of the Shroud from Constantinople during the defeat of the city in 1204 by the crusaders is given by the chronicler of the IV Crusade, Robert de Clary: “And among others there was a monastery known as the Blessed Virgin Mary of Blachernae, where the Shroud with which our Lord was wrapped was kept. Every Friday this Shroud was carried out and raised for worship so well that it was possible to see the Face of our Lord. And no one, be it Greek or Frank, knew what happened to this Shroud after the defeat and plunder of the city.”

After the disappearance of the Shroud from Constantinople, its history is full of events. Now she found herself in obscurity, now she appeared from nowhere; she was kidnapped and burned repeatedly. All the vicissitudes of her fate have now been traced in detail by historians.

The results of these studies exclude the European origin of the Shroud of Turin. It is impossible to assume that medieval falsifiers, having no idea about modern palynological analysis (the study of spores and pollen) and fearing revelations by descendants, traveled from Europe to Jerusalem and collected pollen from plants growing only in the vicinity of this city.

Thus, based on the entire body of evidence, summarized in five points, the age of the Shroud of Turin is dated very clearly: from 30 to 100 AD, and its Middle Eastern origin cannot be in doubt. This is contradicted only by the data of calculations of its age based on radiocarbon analysis.

Let us consider the reliability and validity of the radiocarbon chronology method in relation to the Shroud of Turin. Let us first note that gross errors in determining the concentration of C14 in her tissue are excluded: the analyzes were carried out by three independent laboratories equipped with modern equipment and staffed by highly qualified specialists. The only question that can arise is about the reliability of the radiocarbon chronology method itself and the possibility of its application to such an object as the Shroud of Turin.

The radiocarbon dating method was developed in the mid-50s. V. Libby and is based on measuring the activity of carbon C14. The latter, according to modern concepts, is formed in high layers of the atmosphere as a result of the action of cosmic rays on nitrogen atoms N14. Oxidized to C14O2, it enters the general carbon cycle. Due to good mixing of the atmosphere, the content of the C14 isotope at different geographical latitudes and at different absolute levels is almost the same.

During photosynthesis, C14, along with other carbon isotopes, enters plants. When an organism dies, it stops extracting new portions of carbon from the air. As a result, due to radioactive decay, the ratio of C14 to stable carbon isotopes in his tissues changes. Since the decay rate is a constant value, by measuring the content of this isotope in the total amount of carbon, the age of the sample can be calculated using the appropriate formulas.

The results of such a calculation will be plausible under the following assumptions:

1. the isotopic composition of the atmosphere during the life of the sample was close to the modern one;
2. the isotopic system of the sample at that time was in equilibrium with the atmospheric one;
3. The isotope system of the sample after the death of the organism was closed and did not undergo any changes under the influence of external factors of local or temporary significance. These three assumptions are the boundary conditions for the applicability of the radiocarbon chronology technique.

However, there are a number of factors that planetarily or locally influence the concentration of C14 in the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and in plant and other tissues, and therefore complicate and limit the use of the radiocarbon method in chronology.

1. Artificial or natural radio emission. Neutrons released in nuclear and thermonuclear reactions, as well as cosmic rays, act on N14 and convert it into radiocarbon. From 1956 to August 1963, the content of C14 in the atmosphere doubled. A sharp increase in C14 began after thermonuclear explosions in 1962.
2. Changes in the strength of the Earth's magnetic field affect the intensity of bombardment of its atmosphere by cosmic rays, which affects the concentration of C14 in the atmosphere and vegetation.
3. Changes in solar activity also affect the C14 content according to an inverse relationship.

There is a connection between the concentration of C14 and supernova explosions, and the study of historical documents and tree rings has shown significant changes in its content over time. Even meetings were convened on the problem of “Astrophysical phenomena and radiocarbon.”

Since it is often very difficult to take into account all the factors that can disturb the state of isotopic systems (not only carbon ones), in geology, for example, where isotope chronology methods are used very widely, an entire control system has been developed to obtain reliable methods for determining age. In a number of cases, age calculations using radiochronological methods give clearly absurd values ​​that contradict the entire available body of geological and paleontological data. In such cases, the obtained “absolute chronology” figures must be disregarded as clearly unreliable. Sometimes the discrepancies between geochronological determinations by different radioisotope methods reach tenfold values.

In 1989, the British Science and Technology Council tested the accuracy of radiocarbon dating (see New Scientist, 1989, 8). To evaluate the accuracy of this method, 38 laboratories from around the world were involved. They were given samples of wood, peat, carbon dioxide salts, the age of which was known only by the organizers of the experiment, but not by the analysts. Satisfactory results were obtained only in 7 laboratories; in the rest, errors reached two, three, or more multiples. When comparing data obtained by different researchers and using various variations of identification technology, it became clear that errors in determining age are associated not only with inaccuracies in determining the radioactivity of a sample, as was previously thought, but also with the technology of preparing the sample for analysis. Distortions in diagnostics occur when the sample is heated, as well as during certain methods of its preliminary chemical treatment.

Everything suggests that age calculations using the radiocarbon method must be treated very carefully, be sure to compare the results obtained with other data.

From the above reasoning, it is clear why among specialists who use radiochronological data in their daily work, radiocarbon dating of the age of the Shroud of Turin raises many doubts and questions.

The boundary conditions for the applicability of radioisotope chronology were formulated above. Let us consider to what extent they are observed in relation to the Shroud of Turin, given its history.

The history of the Shroud documents events in which its fabric was supposed to be contaminated with younger carbon. In 1508, the Shroud was solemnly brought out for worship by the people and, in order to prove its authenticity (that the Shroud was “still the same”, unwritten), they boiled it in oil for a long time, heated it, washed it and rubbed it a lot, but they could not remove and destroy the prints. In this case, contamination could occur due to oil carbon; In addition, as a result of heating, the equilibrium of the isotope system could be disrupted. The Shroud burned repeatedly, or at least caught fire in 1201, 1349, 1532, 1934. Traces of these fires are clearly visible on it, including even traces of drops of molten silver burning through the fabric.

In this case, contamination of the Shroud could have occurred due to carbon deposited on it in the soot from objects of different ages burning around it. However, as calculations show, in order to shift the isotopic ratios of the tissue of the beginning of our era so much that at present its age would be rejuvenated by 1200-1300 years, in the 16th century. it was necessary to replace 20-35% of its composition, which neither boiling nor fires could do.

Physicist J. Carter suggested that the image on the Shroud is the result of its radioactive irradiation by the body of the deceased. Through experiments, he managed to obtain similar prints on the canvas. Question: What causes the radioactivity of the Shroud? It was hypothesized that it was caused by the Resurrection of Christ, which was accompanied by some kind of nuclear processes. Of course, this was not an atomic bomb explosion, after which shadows of disappeared objects remained on the walls of buildings. As a result of these processes, Christ was resurrected into new flesh: he began to pass through “closed doors,” which he had not done before, etc. This assumption is also supported by the fact that what is invisible on the Shroud with the naked eye becomes visible in photographs.

If indeed the Resurrection of Christ was accompanied by some kind of nuclear reactions, then the isotopic ratios of the Shroud should be disrupted in the direction of a significant increase in the C14 content, that is, when trying to date it using the radiocarbon method, an error in the direction of a sharp “rejuvenation” of age is inevitable. With this assumption, the appearance of the image and the sharp enrichment of the tissue with the indicated isotope are a consequence of the same cause - the Resurrection.

A number of researchers have expressed doubts about the reliability of the results of determining the age of the Shroud of Turin using radiocarbon chronology methods, sometimes offering very dubious explanations for the supposed rejuvenation of the tissue.

The following conclusions logically follow from the materials under consideration:

1. The fabric of the Shroud of Turin is a material that is by no means favorable for radiocarbon dating, since it cannot be considered throughout its history as a strictly isolated system that was not subject to external influences.
2. The study of fabric and coin prints makes it possible to date the age of the Shroud with sufficient certainty in the range of 30-100 years. according to R.H.
3. The Shroud of Turin is of Middle Eastern rather than European origin.
4. The sharp enrichment of the canvas of the Shroud of Turin C14 and the appearance of the image, based on modern scientific ideas, most likely is a consequence of radiation at the moment of the Resurrection of Christ.

The last of the four conclusions should naturally raise doubts among the unbelieving reader. Yes, and believing Christians are accustomed to believing that the fact of the Resurrection of Christ is an object of pure faith, purely internal religious experiences, which can hardly have a natural scientific explanation.

However, the Shroud of Turin bears strong evidence of the Resurrection of Christ.

As the forensic medical examination of the Shroud established, the body of the Deceased had many intravital bleeding wounds from the crown of thorns, from beating with whips and a stick, as well as post-mortem effusions from perforation by a spear, which, according to doctors, pierced the pleura, lung and damaged the heart. In addition, there are traces of the outpouring of blood at the time of the removal from the cross and the placement of the Most Pure Body on the Shroud.

The terrible traces of bodily suffering were miraculously captured on the Holy Shroud. Christ was beaten a lot. They beat me on the head with sticks and broke the bridge of my nose. By studying the Shroud, scientists were able to determine even the thickness of the stick that damaged the Sufferer’s nose. Thanks to forensic medical examination, we know about the torment of Jesus Christ even more and in more detail than they are told about in the Gospel.

They also beat Him with whips. As the Shroud testifies, two warriors were scourged: one tall, the other shorter. Each whip in their hands had five ends, in which sinkers were sewn in so that the lashes would grip the body more tightly, and, when pulled away from it, they would tear the skin. According to forensic experts, Christ was tied to a pole by his upstretched arms and beaten first on the back, and then on the chest and stomach.

Having finished the beating, they placed a heavy cross on Jesus Christ and ordered him to carry it to the place of the upcoming crucifixion - Golgotha. This was the custom: the condemned themselves carried the instruments of their painful execution.

The shroud imprinted a deep mark from the heavy beam of the cross on the right shoulder of Christ. Christ, physically exhausted and exhausted, repeatedly fell under the weight of His burden. During the fall, his knee was broken, and the heavy beam of the cross hit His back and legs. Traces of these falls and blows are imprinted, according to expert testimony, on the fabric of the Shroud.

Forensic medical experts came to the conclusion that in less than 40 hours the post-mortem process stopped, because otherwise the preservation of blood stains, lymph, etc. would have been significantly different: by the fortieth hour of contact, all prints would have blurred beyond recognition. From the Gospel we know that Christ was resurrected 36 hours after His burial.

Forensic scientists and doctors noticed that the body of the Crucified One was separated from all blood clots, from all hardenings of ichor and pericardial fluid, without disturbing any of them. And every doctor, every nurse knows how difficult it is to separate bandages from dried wounds. Removing bandages can be a very difficult and painful process. Until recently, dressings were sometimes considered worse than surgery. Christ came out of the Shroud without unrolling it. He came out of it the same way as after the Resurrection he walked through closed doors. The stone from the tomb was rolled away not for Christ, but so that the myrrh-bearing women and disciples of the Lord could enter the tomb.

How could the disappearance of the Body from the Shroud occur without its unfolding and the tearing of the wounded body from the cloth? It was this fact-question that made the atheist and freethinker professor of comparative anatomy I. Delage and the atheist professor of surgery P. Barbier believe in Christ and become apologists and preachers of the Shroud. Having become acquainted with the research materials, the unbelieving Sorbonne professor Ovelag plunged into deep thought and suddenly whispered with an enlightened face: “My friend, He really has risen!” Having begun to study the Shroud, the unbelieving Englishman Wilson became a Catholic in the process of his research. Thus, both medical forensic and isotopic studies of the Shroud of Turin lead to the recognition of the fact of the Resurrection of Christ. Does everyone accept this?

Forensic, criminological evidence of the Resurrection is accepted by the overwhelming majority of Sindologists. Some experts believe that the Resurrection could not have happened because it is completely impossible. They believe that to explain the intactness and non-unfolding of the Shroud at the moment of removal of the Body from it, other rationalistic (that is, materialistic-atheistic) explanations are necessary.

As has been shown, radiocarbon chronology cannot be applied to the Shroud of Turin as it contradicts the entire complex of well-connected historical data on its age. The high content of C14 in it, as well as the image itself, in our opinion, along with other data, testify to the resurrection of Christ.

There is a deep meaning in the aphorism: “The empty tomb of Christ was the cradle of the Church.” The Savior never spoke about His suffering and death without mentioning His Resurrection.

The preaching of the apostles is, first of all, a sermon about the Risen Christ. In his first sermon on the day of Pentecost in Jerusalem, the Apostle Peter said: This Jesus God raised up, of which we are all witnesses (Acts 2:32). And then Paul wrote: If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, and your faith is also in vain (1 Cor 15:14).

Having experienced the crucifixion and death of their Teacher, the apostles, seeing the risen Christ and meeting Him repeatedly, overcame depression and confusion and were filled with very complete joy. With ardent faith, solid knowledge, personal experience, and the grace of the Holy Spirit received on the day of Pentecost, they brought to the world the preaching that Christ is truly risen and His commandments. He... revealed Himself alive through His suffering with many true proofs, - testifies the Apostle Luke, who, after carefully examining everything, first described everything in order (Luke 1:3).

And here are the conclusions of lawyers and historians. Edward Clarke writes: “I have undertaken a careful examination of the evidence surrounding the events of the third day of Easter. This evidence seems indisputable to me: working in the Supreme Court, I... happen to make verdicts on the basis of evidence that is much less convincing. Conclusions are drawn from evidence, and a truthful witness is always artless and tends to minimize the effect of events. The Gospel testimonies about the Resurrection belong precisely to this kind, and as a lawyer I accept them without reservation as the reports of truthful people about facts that they could confirm.

The author of the three-volume work “History of Rome,” Professor T. Arnold, a sophisticated subverter of historical myths and errors, states: “The satisfactory evidence of the life, death and Resurrection of our Lord has been proven repeatedly. They meet the generally accepted rules by which reliable evidence is distinguished from unreliable evidence."

Another researcher, Professor Edwin Selvin, emphasizes: “The resurrection of Christ from the dead on the third day in complete preservation of body and spirit is a fact that seems as reliable as any other confirmed by historical evidence.”

To the Apostle Thomas, who doubted His Resurrection, Christ showed the wounds from the nails on his hands and the wound in His ribs and said do not be an unbeliever, but a believer. Thomas exclaimed: My Lord and God! Jesus said to him: You believed because you saw Me; Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed (John 20:29). After all, they are given spiritually experienced heartfelt knowledge of the risen Lord, the victory of life over death, and comprehension of the Eucharist.

Having spent many years collecting materials about the Shroud of Turin and understanding the reasons for the abnormally high content of C14 in its fabric, the author of these lines felt that the words of Christ spoken to the Apostle Thomas no longer applied to him: ... blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed (John 20:29) . I put my fingers into the wounds of the nails and my hand into His side.

And it seems that after so much evidence from both the ancients and the Shroud of Turin, only the one who tries to explain everything in the world with his limited and sinful mind, the one who does not want to know anything, the one whom God prevents from living according to his thoughts, can not recognize the Resurrection of Christ. passions and pride. The famous Bakunin, the idol of youth at the end of the last century, said: “If God exists, He must be banned.”

The shroud was also prohibited. For decades, no publicly available information about her was received by the Soviet Union. It was not even mentioned in anti-religious lectures. The first publication about her in the journal “Science and Religion” (1984, No. 9) appeared only after the editors received “provocative” letters from readers. It contained many fundamentally important omissions. In subsequent years, many small articles are published in the aforementioned journal, as well as in other domestic and foreign publications, in which the most incredible and unfounded explanations are given to individual isolated facts, and the entire body of known data is ignored. One author claims that “the negative was made by lightning,” another that the image arose due to the severe illness of the crucified man, and the third that as a result of the activity of microbes, ignoring the results of studying the “burn effects of tissue.” The idea of ​​an unknown genius artist, the inconsistency of which has been repeatedly emphasized, is extolled again and again. It was argued that the image arose as a result of some bionic or psychic energy according to N.K. Roerich and the yogism of the Deceased. They write something about extrasensory perception. The absurd opinion has already been mentioned that in the Middle Ages, Christian fanatics crucified a certain person to perform a ritual and obtain an image, although nothing is known about such a practice in history. A completely incredible idea arose that Christ did not die on the cross, and He was taken down alive, so sweat secretions and human energy were imprinted on the Shroud. Jesus of Nazareth, a great ambitious man and actor, in order to leave His name for centuries, decided to do something unusual: he deliberately went to the cross, acted out death and His resurrection. But what about the unexpanded Shroud that amazed Barbier and others? And not only with this.

The unreality of such a point of view was understood by David Friedrich Strauss, who denied the Divinity of Jesus Christ and His resurrection. He wrote:

“It cannot be that a man who was kidnapped from a tomb in a half-dead state, who could not stand on his feet due to weakness, who needed medical attention, bandages, treatment, and who was in the grip of physical suffering, would suddenly make such an impression on his students: the impression of a man who conquered death, the Lord of Life - and it was this impression that became the basis of all future sermons. Such a revival could only weaken the impression He made on them in life and death. At the best it might impart some elegiac note, but it could in no way transform their grief into enthusiasm, nor raise their respect for Him to the level of religious adoration.”

Just as they did not and do not accept Christ, so they do not accept His Holy Shroud, which clearly testifies to the suffering and Resurrection of our Lord. Some, having seen and studied it, accept faith, while others invent all sorts of false and untenable explanations just to justify their rejection of Christ.

Our faith is not in the Shroud, not in rational knowledge, but in the heart, in reverence and spiritual experience. “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” The Shroud is needed for Thomas the Unbeliever. And for those who reject God, she is an unpleasant thorn that must be forgotten. There are people who demanded to stop publishing materials about the Shroud of Turin.

When we Orthodox Christians respond to the jubilant Easter exclamation “Christ is Risen!” We answer “Truly he is risen!”, we testify to our faith, and in the chant “Having seen the Resurrection of Christ,” we testify to our religious, spiritual experience. He is in our worship, our prayers and life, He is in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.

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Priest Gleb Kaleda. The Shroud of Turin and its age // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate, 1992, No. 5.

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Epigraph translated by the bishop. Cassian (Bezobrazova).

This is noted by all researchers of the Shroud of Turin. Stanislav Waliszewski compiled a table of comparisons between the gospel narratives and the “evidence” of the Shroud of Turin (hereinafter, see the list of references on p. 27).

The authors of such notes in popular magazines do not think about how a medieval artist could paint an image in the form of a negative, when there were no ideas about photography yet, not to mention the psychological and technological difficulties of painting shadows with light ones; for whom he wrote, what goal he pursued when he embarked on a conscious mystification, as if anticipating all the laws and rules of photography.