Three days ago, the U.K. newspaper, The Telegraph, published a story on the dating of the Shroud of Turin using Wide-Angle X-ray Scattering (WAXS) technology. This dating technique produced an age of approximately 2,000 years, fitting the relic into the historical time frame of Our Lord’s earthly sojourn.
We already ran something on this back in August, linking to a Catholic Herald article, but it’s good to know that the entirely secular Telegraph is willing to report on this: We proved how old the Shroud of Turin really is – the rest is a matter of faith (subscription needed, but a free subscription will allow you to see at least this article).
Here is a summary of the piece:
Scientists in Bari have used a novel method, Wide-Angle X-ray Scattering (WAXS), to analyze a fiber from the Shroud of Turin, providing evidence that suggests the relic is approximately 2,000 years old, aligning with the time of the New Testament. This contradicts earlier radiocarbon dating results from 1988 that suggested the Shroud was a medieval artifact. The findings, though significant, still leave room for belief as to whether the Shroud is indeed the burial cloth of Jesus Christ, highlighting the ongoing dialogue between science and faith.
Key Points
- Scientists in Bari used Wide-Angle X-ray Scattering (WAXS) to analyze a tiny fiber from the Shroud of Turin.
- The results indicate that the Shroud dates back around 2,000 years, supporting its historical authenticity.
- Previous radiocarbon dating in 1988 suggested the Shroud was from the medieval period, between 1260 and 1390 AD.
- Critics argue that past dating results were skewed by contamination from repairs and environmental exposure.
- The study’s findings were published in the journal Heritage, contributing to the ongoing debate on the Shroud’s authenticity.
- Despite the scientific findings, the Shroud’s authenticity still requires a leap of faith beyond the empirical evidence.
- The research team calls for independent verification by other laboratories using their non-destructive testing method.
Shroud of Turin, photo by Fabio Poggi, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
