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The Shroud as EvidenceThe Shroud of Turin as evidence of the savaging of JesusA scholar's account of what the Shroud of Turin bears witness to: the torture of our Lord.
As we approach Palm Sunday, we recall Jesus’ heroic entrance into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey as hundreds laid down palms in front of him. We should remind ourselves, however, of the terrible betrayals, torture and horrible death of our Savior before His resurrection on Easter morning. In the second installment of the occasional series on The Shroud of Turin, we will look at the evidence contained on the Shroud of what our Lord endured during the final hours of His human life, as interpreted by researcher Alfred P. Righini. Righini is one of a handful of scholars who dedicate their lives to examining the Shroud and everything relating to it. Although what is known about the Shroud and what is interpreted about the Shroud has filled dozens of texts, this article dwells on the humanity of Jesus and the physical suffering inflicted on Him. While the Romans didn’t invent crucifixion, they certainly perfected it, according to Shroud researcher Alfred P. Righini. There were typically four types of crucifixion devices: a straight pole, a small t, a capital T, and an x. It is believed Jesus was crucified on a T. The top of the T would weigh between 70 and 80 pounds and he would have been forced to carry it, said Righini. If you look at a dorsal view of the Shroud, you can see the whip marks and smear marks where the tunic would have rubbed against the wounds. The Shroud only gives one nail image and that is through the foot. The nails used to crucify Jesus were square, so that they would not twist, and about 10 inches long. Pictured on the Shroud is a chest wound that was probably made post mortem owing to the amount of blood that pooled around the back after the body was laid down, said Righini, and the clear liquid immediately around the wound. Additionally, it is evident that the cartilage of the nose was broken and there was swelling under one eye. Rather than a crown of thorns, the Shroud depicts a cap of one-inch-long thorns. There are over 100 whip marks on the back. According to Righini, we can tell the scourging was performed by two men of different heights. The above is a partial list of what our Lord endured for us. Righini and other experts report that Mel Gibson’s The Passion recreates the torture of Jesus exactly. As Palm Sunday is the prelude to the somber Holy Week, we look forward to the Resurrection on Easter, realizing in our own way the enormity of what He endured for us.
The copyright of the article The Shroud as Evidence in Catholicism is owned by Michelle Anderson. Permission to republish The Shroud as Evidence in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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