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Late Breaking Website News!
Updated December 7, 2024
Check here for important announcements and other Shroud of Turin Website news. This page will be updated whenever new page additions, articles and other resources are added to the site. Each item carries a posting date indicating when it first went online. The most recent update appears at the top of the page. As you scroll down through the page, you can review the items that were added this year in chronological order. You should find this an excellent way to sample the evolving content of this website. And you can also view every previous year's Website News pages at the links below:
Fall Update! December 7, 2024
Since the Summer Update, the Shroud has been very prominent in the News. At the Catholic National Eucharistic Congress held in Indianapolis, Indiana on July 17-21, a Shroud exhibit put together by the “Othonia” group of the Ateneo Pontificio Regina Apostolorum in Rome, which many people waited hours to visit. “The Chosen” actor Jonathan Roumie was given an individual tour of the exhibit.
In late August, a flurry of Shroud stories, many of which dealt with the resurfacing of the news from 2022 regarding a new dating technique known as “Wide Angle X-Ray Scattering”, which indicated that the Shroud was about 2,000 years old. There was also new research concerning the blood, that the Shroud wrapped a man who had been severely tortured. More recently, there has been a claim by a Brazilian graphics expert who asserts that the his research proves the Shroud is a forgery.
Before I took over as editor of shroud.com, I was sending out a weekly email posting about the latest Shroud news, books, articles, videos, etc. Apart from Lent/Easter season, most of my postings generally had 10-15 items per week. Since this flurry of stories came out in late August, the number of items has ballooned to about 20-40 items per week. I still send out these weekly postings, so if you would like to be added to the list, send me an email at JMarino240@aol.com. Everyone on the list is blind-copied, and one can request at any time to be removed from the list. It's a good way to keep with the latest on the Shroud happenings between the periodic shroud.com updates.
We lead off with updated information about an International Shroud conference to be held in St. Louis, Missouri on July 30 - August 3, 2025. It will be the first major Shroud conference in North America since the 2019 conference held in Ancaster, Ontario, CANADA. The conference had tentatively been planned at a hotel, but negotiations are being held with a national Catholic organization that recently bought a 250-acre complex only about 20 minutes from the St. Louis airport. More information will be given in my weekly email postings as mentioned above and also on the conference web site.
There is of course, a plethora of new books, papers, articles, videos, etc. found on the Internet and in print. Also there is a new issue of Sindon, in English and Italian, published by the International Center of Studies in Turin.
One last note: Barrie always did his once-a-year fundraising event in this November update. We recently posted information about Barrie and information about ways to help keep his legacy and work alive, which I will reproduce below.
In memory of the amazing Barrie Schwortz, we have recently added an IN MEMORIAM page in his honor. CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE MEMORIAM PAGE.
Although we miss him tremendously, Barrie Schwortz leaves behind a rich tapestry of memories and a profound impact on the world of shroud research and photography. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE.
Barrie Schwortz's legacy will endure through his contributions to science, his captivating photographs, and the countless lives he touched. CLICK HERE TO SEE OUR GROWING LIST OF DONORS AND SUPPORTERS.
You too can become an important part in sharing his life's work with the world. CLICK HERE TO KEEP BARRIE'S LEGACY ALIVE
Enjoy your visit!
Here is the Update Table of Contents:
- Latest News on the 2025 Shroud Conference in St. Louis
- Recently Published Papers & Articles
- Recently Published Books
- Shroud Related Videos and Audios
- The Shroud on the Internet
- And In Other News...
- Our Next Update
Posted December 7, 2024
Latest News on the 2025 Shroud Conference in St. Louis
Posted December 7, 2024
Recently Published Papers & Articles
Shroud Of Turin: What Happened To Jesus Christ's Human Body After Death?
by Giulio Fanti
There are 27 new papers added to the website in today's update! All have also been permanently archived on the Scientific Papers & Articles page (alphabetically by title) and the Website Library page (alphabetically by author) or, when appropriate, on the Religion and Philosophy page (alphabetically by title) and the Website Library page (alphabetically by author). Since there are far too many to include on this page, we are only including one here and have once again created a separate pdf file that includes all of the links and descriptions listed chronologically, with the most recent paper at the top of the list, all in a single file that you can download and view at your convenience (see link below).
Shroud Of Turin: What Happened To Jesus Christ's Human Body After Death? by Giulio Fanti / Journal Of Biomedical Research & Environmental Sciences - October 8, 2024 - 11 pages - Abstract: “Based on the compatibility between what can be scientifically detected on the TS (Turin Shroud) - having recognized Jesus Christ in the double body image visible there - and what is reported in the CHB (Christian Holy Bible), an attempt was made to highlight the various events that followed death by heart attack and ensuing hemopericardium. This description has been divided into five phases: rigor mortis of the body of Jesus, transport to the sepulcher and wrapping in the TS, deposition in the sepulcher and subsequent absence of movements, absence of putrefaction signs, and Jesus' exit from the TS. These points proved to be critical because they seem unable to provide a scientifically plausible answer to the evidence found on the TS, namely, how to explain that a human body emerged from the TS without disturbing it. The comments section therefore, attempts to explain the phenomena in question by providing a hypothesis that is for the moment, outside of science.”
Recently Published Papers & Articles - Fall 2024 - This is a link to a single pdf document file that includes links to all of the papers and articles featured in today's update. Authors represented include Liberato De Caro, Giulio Fanti, Jose Fernandez-Sanchez, Kelly Kearse, Joe Marino, Cicero Moraes, Larry Stalley.. You can either read it now or simply download the pdf file and review the links and materials at your leisure.
Posted December 7, 2024
Recently Published Books
Recently Published Books A number of new Shroud related books were published since our last update so we are listing them here and have also permanently archived the new titles on the Shroud of Turin Booklist page (alphabetically by author). To make it easy to find the newest additions, we have annotated the listings with "(Added 7 DEC 2024)" so you can simply search for that phrase on the Booklist page should you forget the titles.
Fraud Of Turin by James Francis Day
Here is the online description:
"What more is there to add about the Shroud of Turin? The linen cloth with the faint image of the crucified Jesus in the position of burial is perhaps more popular today than at any other time. But the Shroud unlocks for us another world, a forgotten world. THE FRAUD OF TURIN, written by Catholic writer James Day, objectively reviews the evidence for a medieval creation, but it is written for religious believers, art lovers, and history buffs showing just how all consuming the Passion of Jesus Christ was to the medieval mind. What emerges is an epic journey with crusaders to Jerusalem's Holy Sepulcher, into Arthurian lore and the search for the Holy Grail, and across the Black Sea into mysterious Constantinople. James Day boldly sets out to find the truth of the world's most famous religious artifact."
Publisher: Trine Day (October 15, 2024)
Language: English
Paperback: 200 pages
ISBN-10: 1634244753
ISBN-13: 978-1634244756
History's Greatest Mystery: The Improbable Convergence of Four Images of Christ by Paul F. Caranci
Here is the online description:
"It is the most studied cloth in history. But is the Shroud of Turin simply a worthless fabric or is it a compelling chronicle of the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ? History's Greatest Mystery: The Improbable Convergence of Four Images of Christ offers compelling evidence of the authenticity of the Shroud. By comparing and contrasting the evidence on the Shroud with that contained on two other historical pieces of fabric, the Veil of Veronica held in Manoppello, Italy, and the Sudarium of Oviedo secured in Oviedo, Spain, author and historian Paul F. Caranci begins to unravel the mystery. Using the plethora of available research into these cloths, and even unlocking information from some of the more obscure studies, the author offers a gripping argument for the Shroud's legitimacy. Further, Caranci demonstrates how the image of Divine Mercy, an early 20th-century painting directed by the hand of God, and centuries of Eucharistic Miracles, support the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin as containing evidence of both the passion and death of Jesus, as well as His glorious Resurrection."
Publisher: Stillwater River Publications (October 5, 2024)
Language: English
Paperback: 282 pages
ISBN-10: 1965733050
ISBN-13: 979-8888510186
The Shroud of Turin:: a Miracle or a Masterpiece? by Solomon Elias Carrington
Here is the online description:
"Discover the Truth Behind the World's Most Controversial Relic. Is the Shroud of Turin the true burial cloth of Jesus Christ, or is it history's most convincing hoax? The Shroud of Turin: Miracle or Masterpiece? by Solomon Elias Carrington is your ultimate guide to unraveling the mysteries that have baffled scientists, historians, and theologians for centuries. Dive deep into the heart of this enigmatic relic as Carrington expertly navigates through its fascinating history, from its first appearance in medieval France to the latest cutting-edge scientific investigations. Explore the gripping stories of miraculous healings, medieval forgeries, and fiery debates that have kept the Shroud at the center of religious and historical controversy. Packed with compelling analysis, intriguing facts, and thought-provoking insights, this book challenges you to question what you believe and invites you to explore the fine line between faith and evidence. Whether you're a skeptic or a believer, this will captivate your imagination and leave you pondering the possibilities long after you've turned the final page."
Publisher: Independently published (August 27, 2024)
Language: English
Paperback: 208 pages
ISBN-13: 979-8337522487
Jesus Christ's Shroud of Turin: A Scientific and Historical Investigation by Jeston Punnyman
Excerpt from the online description:
"For centuries, the Turin Shroud has fascinated millions, sparking intense debate, curiosity, and devotion. This enigmatic artifact has captivated the imagination of people from all walks of life, from scholars and scientists to believers and skeptics. Is it the authentic burial cloth of Jesus Christ, bearing witness to the most pivotal moment in human history? Or is it a masterful medieval forgery, crafted to deceive and manipulate? Embark on a captivating journey as we delve into the rich history of the Shroud, from its mysterious origins in the 14th century to the latest scientific discoveries that have shed new light on its age and significance. Explore the intricate web of faith and science that has evolved around this iconic relic, and discover the symbolism and meaning that has made it an enduring symbol of hope, inspiration, and reverence."
Publisher: Independently published (August 23, 2024)
Language: English
Paperback: 55 pages
ISBN-13: 979-8336714173
Sindone: un mistero millenario by Liberato De Caro
Excerpt from the online description:
"La Sindone di Torino, il famoso lenzuolo di lino che secondo la tradizione ha avvolto il corpo flagellato di Gesù Cristo, rimane un affascinante mistero. Nonostante molti credano che si tratti di un clamoroso falso medievale, resta un oggetto misterioso e pieno di significato che affascina gli uomini di ogni tempo e si presta al confronto con la scienza in tutte le sue branche, dalla fisica delle particelle alla medicina trasfusionale, dalla genetica all'ottica, dalla palinologia alla numismatica. Questo libro è un'indagine sui più recenti e importanti risultati della ricerca sulla Sindone: la nuova datazione di un campione del Santo Lenzuolo, ottenuta attraverso l'uso dei raggi X, ha mostrato che dovrebbe avere 2.000 anni e ha anche indicato una possibile nuova ipotesi per ricostruirne la storia nascosta prima del suo arrivo in Europa."
Data di pubblicazione: 28 maggio 2024
Language: Italiano
Pagine: 208 + 16 pp. immagini
ISBN-13: 979-1254781371
The Shroud of Turin for Kids: An Introduction for Everyone by Diane Princehouse
Here is the online description:
"A simple and clear introduction to the Shroud of Turin--the single most-studied artifact in history! Written especially for young readers with easy-to-understand language and full color pictures. An enjoyable beginner's guide to everything about the mysterious Shroud of Turin."
Publisher: Independently published (December 9, 2023)
Language: English
Paperback: 74 pages
ISBN-13: 979-8871241745
The Burial Shroud as it relates to Jesus: Colored edition by Arthur T. Cabanban
Excerpt from the online description:
"Starting from the Last Supper among Jesus and his disciples, journey with an ancient yet humble piece of linen cloth steeped in history of epic proportions as author Arthur T. Cabanban demonstrates how Christ's burial shroud traveled from Jerusalem to Turin. From pre-Nicene writings of early church fathers to scientific investigations that include everything from carbon dating to 3-D imaging, this well-researched book documents a variety of topics relating to the burial shroud of Jesus, including the final days of Christ, his trial, scourging, and crucifixion. The miracle that is the historic journey of the Shroud of Turin, when buttressed by both scripture and the photographic and anecdotal evidence of God's continuing work of miracles in the modern world, will speak to the hearts and minds of readers everywhere."
Publisher: Arthur T. Cabanban (November 20, 2017)
Language: English
Paperback: 92 pages
ISBN-10: 0692955444
ISBN-13: 978-0692955444
Posted December 7, 2024
Shroud Related Videos and Audios
Host Mike Creavey interviews Emanuela Marinelli and Tristan Casabianca about the 1988 C-14 dating There continues to be dozens of new Shroud videos each month. We can only highlight some of them here. For anyone who wants to see additional ones, my weekly email list has even more than found here. Everyone on the list is blind-copied and one can request at any time to be removed from the list. To be added, send me an email at JMarino240@aol.com .
Today's update includes a huge selection of links to interviews with or presentations by many notable Shroud scholars, from both scientific and religious points of view.
Shroud of Turin: Raw Data Controversy ¦ feat. Tristan Casabianca & Emanuela Marinelli - The Gracious Guest - July 24, 2024 - Video (1:00:46) - Here is an excerpt from the description: “Why did the British Museum refuse to release the 1988 Shroud of Turin carbon dating raw data until an FOIA request REQUIRED them to do so over 30 years later? Host Mike Creavey is joined by Tristan Casabianca, the independent Shroud researcher responsible for that FOIA request, along with renowned sindonologist Emanuela Marinelli, author of over 20 books on the Shroud. Don't miss it!”
Shroud Related Videos and Audios - December 7, 2024 - Link to a single pdf document file that includes a compilation of links to Shroud related videos, radio programs and podcasts that appeared online in the past few months. You can simply download the pdf file and review the materials and links at your leisure.
Posted December 7, 2024
The Shroud on the Internet
Dale Glover (Real Seekers)
Shroud Explorations - Discover The World's Greatest Unsolved Mystery Of All TimeAlthough this section is not as extensive as the videos and audios section mentioned above, there are still multiple pages of links to new internet content in today's update! Of course, we can't include everything on this page, so we have once again created a separate pdf file that includes all of the links and descriptions in a single file that you can download and view at your convenience (see link below). Items in that file are listed in chronological order with the most recent at the top of the list.
Shroud Explorations - Dale Glover of Real Seekers podcast - Here is an excerpt from the site that recently went online: “Investigating and studying the Shroud of Turin should be given importance within the church, because all four gospels mention the burial shroud of Christ by prioritizing these Biblical events as physical and eyewitness evidence for the resurrection after his crucifixion & burial.”
The Shroud on the Internet - November 2024 - Link to a single pdf document file that includes a compilation of links to various Shroud related websites and internet articles that appeared online in the past few months. You can simply download the pdf file and review the materials and links at your leisure.
Posted December 7, 2024
And In Other News...
3 UPCOMING EVENTS
NEWMAN LECTURE - SCIENCE AND THE FACE OF GOD - PRESENTED BY FR. ROBERT SPITZER, S.J. - SCHEDULED FOR WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2025 (CORVALLIS, OREGON) - DESCRIPTION: OSU Newman's 2025 Winter Term Lecture will be presented by Fr. Robert Spitzer. As President of the Magis Center from 2009 to the present, Fr. Spitzer has led the effort to create the largest science-based “faith and reason” institute in the U.S., producing parish programs, catechetical and youth ministry programs, and web-based resources. He was President of Gonzaga University from 1998 to 2009. During that time, he increased the programs and curricula in faith, ethics, service, and leadership.
Event at the Museum of the Bible: Shroud of Turin: Exploring the World's Greatest Unknown Mystery - SCHEDULED FOR THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2025. DESCRIPTION: “Come engage with one of the most mysterious artifacts known to exist: a linen cloth that bears the inexplicable image of a crucified man who was also beaten and crowned with thorns. From the perspectives of faith and reason, international Shroud scholars Father Peter B. Mangum and Dr. Cheryl White help unravel what is known - and still unknown - about the Shroud of Turin.”
Facebook posting by sindonologist Tristan Casabianca - Description: Event! Great debate to find out who created the #Suire of Turin! Monday, December 16th at 20:00 at the Saint Leon Theater in Paris! I'll debate it alongside Olivier Bonnassies vs. two supporters of the false medieval. I'll wait for you there, whatever your opinion is! #shroud #ShroudOfTurin. To reserve your place: https://my.weezevent.com/resurrection-du-christ-faux-du...
**********RECENT EVENTS
(4 articles/postings regarding the Cicero Moraes recent paper claiming that 3D evidence shows the Shroud is a forgery)
Do New 3D Software Programs Invalidate the Shroud?
by Russ Breault - November 16, 2024A research paper was recently published by Cicero Moraes of Brazil in the SSRN Journal (10-29-24) entitled Image Formation on the Shroud of Turin- a Digital 3D Approach. The focus of his paper is to discuss how certain new digital software techniques have been used to emulate how the Shroud of Turin was wrapped around a three-dimensional human form and whether it could be the result of an actual body or only a work of an artist.
While the techniques employed are new, they offer very little new information that we didn't already know from all the experiments that were done in preparation for the Shroud of Turin Research Project (STURP) in 1978 and subsequent research following the project's conclusions rendered in 1981.
The extreme either-or proposition continues to perplex researchers, even those using the latest technologies. The key proposition is that the Shroud is either the actual burial cloth of Jesus or it isn't, and if it isn't, then what is it? It must be to work of an artist, or the work of human effort as the fraud of the millennium. However, the work of the Shroud Project was clear that there is no visible trace of paint, ink, dye, pigment, or stain to be found on the linen. Secondly, the image is purely superficial and penetrates only the top one to two microfibers of the cloth, not threads. Each thread is composed of approximately 200 microfibers, meaning the image penetrates only about 1% of a single thread. Adding to the complexity is that the image density is the same wherever it is observed either on the front image or the dorsal image, a seemingly impossible result without the use of modern technology.
Now with regards to the recent article, Moraes proposes that the image could not have draped a full human form because once the cloth is pulled flat the image would be highly distorted with the face looking like a round dinner plate as opposed to the face that we see on the Shroud. Therefore, they conclude that it could not have wrapped a three-dimensional human form. However, this is a conundrum that we've known about since the beginning of Shroud research and is precisely why physicists and other Shroud researchers have described the image as being “vertically collimated,” meaning that the image forming process appears to be perpendicular to the cloth itself, it is not a radial phenomenon. The absence of the sides of the face, the sides of the body, and the top of the head indicate it is NOT a radial phenomenon. This has not led to a dismissal of the Shroud but rather an investigative clue as to the unique physics of the image.
However, Moraes assumes that the image, if it were the result of a miraculous light generating event, must be a radial phenomenon if it indeed wrapped a full three-dimensional body. Based on that assumption, the author dismisses the possibility of the cloth being authentic but fails to mention other possibilities posed by prominent physicists as mentioned above.
The author then shift gears and proposes that the Shroud image correlates with having been draped over a bas relief sculpture. This also is not a new proposal and has been discussed by world-class artists such as Isabel Piczek, who once said that if the Shroud image was the result of a bas relief, then it would have been one of the most miraculous sculptures ever made. The best example of a bas relief is a simple coin, such as with a quarter where we see the image of George Washington somewhat elevated above the background of the coin. The problem with bas relief is that it presupposes either a rubbing with the use of pigment or the use of heat as a way of lightly scorching the cloth - this is also known as the “hot statute theory.” However, neither theory holds up under close analysis as there is no evidence of pigment having been applied to the cloth regardless of the claim by microscopist Walter McCrone, invoked by Moraes. McCrone's allegations of the image being the result of iron oxide have been universally debunked.
Blood chemists Al Adler and John Heller removed each particle of “iron oxide” from the mylar tape used to remove them from the Shroud and painstakingly cleansed each one with various solvents. When analyzed as a pristine particle without the interference of the mylar tape, lo and behold the so-called iron oxide particles were found to be shards of blood. McCrone's claims were summarily dismissed because he failed to apply basic scientific protocol for particle analysis and was fooled by his own arrogance that he could identify a particle by simple observation.
As for the hot statue theory, we know that the burns which occurred in 1532 fluoresce under UV fluorescence because they are the result of intense heat. However, the coloration of the image, which appears like a faint scorch, does not fluoresce and is therefore not the result of heat. We are now back to assessing how this image could have been formed without the use of artistic substance and without the use of heat, while displaying a phenomenon that is vertically collimated rather than a radial projection.
The theory that has captured my imagination over the years is offered by theoretical physicist John Jackson, co-founder of the Shroud Project in 1978. He proposed what he calls “the collapse theory” which postulates that as the body of Jesus was instantaneously converting to a volume of light, since light has no mass, the cloth under the weight of gravity began to descend through the body to a depth of about 8mm until the body itself had completely vanished. The elegance of this theory is that it would account for how only the front facial features are captured and not the sides because the body would have disappeared within a couple seconds. This “fall through” approach may explain why we see the large orbits of the eyes, elongated fingers and other structures such as the roots of the teeth. Are we looking at flesh and bone simultaneously?
This nearly instantaneous transformation of the body correlates very well with research published by physicist Paulo Lazzaro and the experiments he conducted using high power ultraviolet lasers showing how a 40-nanosecond burst from a UV laser against a control sample of linen achieves the same coloration and superficial depth as we see on the Shroud while generating minimal heat. This experiment, involving a near instantaneous burst of intense light, corresponds with Jackson's collapse hypothesis.
Both have Scriptural support with Jesus appearing to be transformed into a being of intense light on the Mount of Transfiguration. Further support is found in Acts where He appeared to Saul on the road to Damascus in a blinding flash of light so bright that Saul, who was renamed Paul after his conversion, was blinded for three days.
The work of Cicero Moraes offers no new information that we didn't already know before. The only thing new is the use of digital simulation. The riddle remains unsolved.
Moraes also assumes the C14 date range of 1260 to 1390 is probably correct despite many new tests to the contrary and new evidence proving the sample used in 1988 was highly contaminated and even repaired using newer cotton threads as published by chemist Ray Rogers in a peer reviewed journal in 2005. Problems with the integrity of the sample caused the British Museum to withhold data from Nature which published the results in 1989. When the fudged data is added back into the calculation, the sample does not pass the statistical test as being viable. It could not be considered representative of the entire cloth; therefore, the testing results would never have achieved the coveted threshold of “95% confidence.” This fraudulent withholding of data was exposed because of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request made to the British Museum, which grudgingly complied in 2017 and later published in Archaeometry from Oxford University in 2019.
The author's general acceptance of the erroneous carbon date caused him to reference 14th century funerary art as examples like the Shroud. Known as an epitaphios, it is a large, embroidered cloth showing the front image of the crucified Christ with the arms across the pelvis as seen on the Shroud. It is most associated with the Orthodox church and is used as part of a liturgical procession on Good Friday. Usually embroidered on cloth, there are also painted versions, but I am not aware of any version that shows both frontal and dorsal images as seen on the Shroud. The Shroud was most likely influential in the development of the epitaphios tradition, but to suggest the reverse, that the epitaphios inspired the alleged artist who crafted the Shroud image without the use of paint, ink, dye, pigment or stain seems like a bridge way too far. In fact, there is no known artist in the 14th century who had the artistic skills and medical knowledge to craft what we see on the Turin Shroud today.
There is one other significant paradox as it relates to the Shroud, that is also conveniently not addressed in this paper. The cloth shows two sets of images, one is related to a pattern of blood stains correlating with the wounds of crucifixion and the other is the image of the man himself. The blood is already proven to be AB blood type, with human male DNA. We also know that there is no image under the blood, meaning the blood stains were absorbed into the cloth first followed by the image sometime later... perhaps three days later? This of course makes sense if the Shroud is authentic with crucifixion occurring on Good Friday followed by resurrection on Easter Sunday. However, it makes no sense as the work of an artist, and to this date no artist has ever attempted replicating the Shroud in this manner. Skeptics simply assume that this clear observation made by the blood chemists must be incorrect. More likely it is an inconvenient truth.
To conclude, I give Cicero Moraes credit for using new digital imaging software but unfortunately, he did not consider all the relevant data. This led him to an erroneous conclusion that was in sync with his preconceived assumption that the Shroud is merely the work of an unknown Medieval artist. This is a conclusion that was dismissed over 45 years ago by a team of 33 scientists who had unfettered access to the cloth for 120 continuous hours. Digital techniques have their place but are not a substitute for hard science.
Russ Breault is the president and founder of the Shroud of Turin Education Project, Inc. and the author of Shroud Encounter: Explore the World's Greatest Unsolved Mystery.
Contact him through www.ShroudEncounter.com
Moraes, Cicero, Image Formation on the Shroud of Turin - a Digital 3D Approach (October 29, 2024). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=5003510 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5003510
**********Response by 3D expert Ray Downing on the recent paper by Cicero Morae's paper:
“Image Formation on the Shroud of Turin -A Digital 3D Approach” - November 11, 2024
Originally sent by email to Russ Breault and reproduced with permission of Ray Downing.I've reviewed Moraes's paper which has as its main thrust that the Shroud image lacks the distortions which would inevitably result if a contact print was made from a fully three dimensional human body.
He observes that the image more closely resembles a similarly created contact image made from a low relief representation of a human body. He holds that the low relief would create a less distorted image when the cloth is laying flat than would a fully three-dimensional body. This is not exactly a new observation. The lack of distortion in the Shroud image has been noted from before the STURP team was formed. What is new here is his use of off the shelf 3D software to state the obvious and grab headlines under the guise of cutting-edge technology. In fact, the 3D software is superfluous as the same observation can easily be made using a handkerchief and a few dabs of paint. This has in fact been done in the past.
The author's basic argument is a bit of a tautology. He assumes that the Shroud is a contact print image, then observes that a contact print image from a three-dimensional body does not look like the Shroud image when compared to a contact image from a low relief sculpture. Moraes then concludes that the Shroud is fake because it was made from a low relief sculpture. If however, his assumption that the Shroud image is a contact print image is incorrect, then his conclusion is worthless.
So why don't authenticists believe that the Shroud is a contact print image? Because the Shroud doesn't look like a contact print image and doesn't have the characteristics of a contact print image. Below is a list of a few characteristics of the Shroud which are a mismatch for images made by contact printing, including prints made from a low relief human sculpture.
1. No evidence of a substance used to transfer the image by means of contact from the original object (be it body or low relief) has been detected. No paint, dye, pigment, burns, or fluids are present.
2. The image is not made of a substance, it is pure linen which has been affected by an agent which has degraded it. If, like in the Garlaschelli experiment an acid was used, the linen would have disintegrated over time.
3. The Shroud image is soft, diffused and subtle. Contact print images are stark. They are an all-or-nothing type transfer system.
4. The Shroud image transitional tones are gradated, not at all like a contact print.
5. There seems to be image information on the Shroud in areas where there is no contact (cheek alongside the nose).
6. Superficiality would be unlikely in a contact print.
7. Front and dorsal images on the Shroud are not identical. There seems to be more than one method of encoding going on.
8. Capillary flow would be unavoidable but does not appear on the Shroud.
9. Off body blood stains would be unexpected in a contact print.
10. The 3D character of the Shroud image is far from what can be achieved with contact printing or with a Garlaschelli-type transfer mechanism.
11. There has never been an experiment that replicates the Shroud image using a contact print mechanism.
This is not to say that the Shroud is or is not authentic or that a low relief statue was not used in its creation. At present, no truthful person can pronounce the Shroud to have been created by any mechanism unless they are prepared to reproduce the Shroud image by experimentation using that mechanism. [Editor's notes: Ray Downing's work was featured in the 2010 History Channel program “The Real Face of Jesus.” Cicero Morae's paper: Image Formation on the Shroud of Turin - A Digital 3D Approach. See corresponding video: Scientist claims Shroud of Turin does NOT show Jesus' face - because virtual simulation shows it (9:10).
(See another review immediately below.)
**********FB posting by physicist Mark Rivera 11/7/2024
This article primarily replicates previous experiments but in a digital format, using 3D modeling and fabric simulations to support the hypothesis that the Shroud's image may have originated from a low-relief source rather than a full human body. This simulation approach does not introduce a novel hypothesis or provide groundbreaking data but rather reaffirms known results with a different methodology. The physical experiments, along with arguments about artistic techniques in medieval Europe, have already explored the low-relief hypothesis extensively. The study assumes that the Shroud image originated from a low-relief object without providing direct evidence to substantiate this foundational claim. Instead, it reconstructs an image based on this assumption, making further presumptions regarding how such an image might have been formed on the Shroud. These presumptions, such as specific mechanics of image transfer or the necessity of a low-relief structure, are introduced without concrete evidence to verify them, relying instead on inferences and digital modeling rather than on verifiable historical or physical data. This approach lacks the rigor of grounded empirical evidence, leaving the hypothesis speculative rather than conclusively supported.
**********Facebook posting by sindonologist Doug Powell - November 1, 2024
“Four Reasons Why News of the Shroud Being Proven Fake are False“Several articles have appeared about a new “bombshell” “scientific study” that proves the Shroud of Turin is fake. However, both the articles and the report itself are deeply flawed. Brazilian forensic facial reconstruction expert Cicero Moraes claims the Shroud never touched the body of Jesus because an image made by contact would be distorted when laid flat. Because the Shroud shows no distortion, it never touched the body of Jesus and thus is fake. He suggests the image could be made by laying the cloth on a bas relief.
There are several problems with Moraes claims, and they show he has no understanding of the scientific evidence collected from the Shroud. The most rigorous research was done in 1978 by the Shroud of Turin Research Project (STURP). STURP performed more than two dozen tests and measurements to collect data. They published more than 20 peer reviewed papers in scientific journals that Moraes clearly has no familiarity with. STURP could not determine the cause of the image. But they did prove what did NOT make the image, as well as several other features that cannot be explained.
1. No pigment, stain, dye, paint, oils, scorching, or biological material caused the image. The image is a result of a chemical change on the outer-most fibrils of the linen thread. All known artistic and biological methods for leaving an image would also penetrate the cloth deeper than the outer-most fibril.Oddly, the report suggests the image could have been made by draping the shroud over a low bas relief. This would also result in a warped image when laid flat - EXACTLY the criticism the report makes of the Shroud. In total, STURP found 17 features on the Shroud that need to be accounted for by any proposed method for how the image was created. Bas Relief accounts for only 8 of them, and the 4 reasons above are only some of what is not accounted for. In the end, the only thing the study proves is that the image was not made by contact with a body. But that issue was settled almost 50 years ago. What is fake is that this is news at all.
2. The image has 3-dimensional information that indicates the distance the cloth was from the body. Yes, the cloth touched some parts of the body (e.g. the nose and knees), but not other parts shown on the cloth (e.g. the hollow of the neck). The image of the body was left on parts of the cloth that were not touching, but as far as 4 mm away. Photographs and paintings do not contain that kind of information.
3. The image of the front of the body is on both sides of the cloth, but the image of the back of the body is only on one side of the cloth.
4. The body image does not appear on the cloth beneath the blood.
**********Update on Shroud.com: - November 1, 2024
In case you missed it, three new web pages were added, all related to our late friend, Barrie Schwortz.
**********Email from sindonologist Teddi Pappas - October 30, 2024
I was getting ready to go into cardiac arrest after reading what Don Lynn wrote in this paper that I came across on shroud.com.
Don Lynn made it appear all but 100% certain that we needed to now throw away the singularly most important identifying piece of evidence that the Man of the Shroud is Jesus Christ -- the head wounds that are indicative of the CROWN OF THORNS used to mock our Savior. However, after logging into my free JSTOR account, I was able to read the entire paper -- because THERE WAS NO WAY THAT I WAS GOING TO JUST TRUST THIS ACCOUNT WITHOUT READING THE DETAILS!!! And, this is a cautionary tale for all of us to remember: THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS, BUT GOD IS, ALSO, IN THE DETAILS!
If you read the entire paper, you will read that the "spikes" that are referred to are "cereal spikes" -- as in the prickly parts of wheat -- NOT what was a torture device for Christ while mocking Him.
Anyhow, it is important that we are all aware of this -- it is just, likely, a matter of time before enemies of the Holy Shroud find what Don Lynn wrote and try to attack the issue of identity with this -- but, things are okay now.
As I so often find in matters concerning the Holy Shroud, incomplete research can easily lead to doubt or a loss of belief that the Holy Shroud is authentic. However, DEEPER RESEARCH almost always goes to point directly towards authenticity! So, everyone, please do not ever give up on a piece of evidence -- especially the more important pieces of evidence that evidence the Holy Shroud's authenticity -- unless you have thoroughly researched the issue.
We cannot win them all, however -- such as, I no longer believe that the artifact from Herculaneum is a flagrum, but that's okay -- because my research into the issue no longer needs that as an example. Anyhow, we must be vigilant in terms of defending our good evidence and abandoning some of the evidence that keeps getting repeated that should no longer be repeated.
(Editor's note: Teddi is authoring a book about the blood on the Shroud; it is scheduled to be published in 2025 by Jenny Stanford Publishing.)
**********Email from Portugal Center of Sindonology - November 2, 2024
Dear Joe Marino: I'm Antero de Frias Moreira a Physical and Rehabilitation medical doctor and executive member of “Centro Portugues de Sindonologia”. Yesterday while searching the Web to look for news about the Shroud I was surprised to read 2 news claiming that the Shroud could not have wrapped Jesus' body based on a new study of a Brazilian forensic facial reconstruction expert. I mean New York Post and Catholic Herald (this one from an article from Daily Telegraph). I read both articles and the claims are absolutely ludicrous but can mislead readers so I wrote an article that was published today in our website www.santosudariodeturim.blogspot.com and I attach it to this e-mail. It's written in Portuguese language but it has the abstract in English. The last article I wrote is a summary of the studies of mineral particles on the Shroud, also with an English abstract, I also send it.
**********Email from sindonologist Doug Powell - September 30, 2024
I used AI to generate a photographic image of the Pantocrator of Sinai, then combined the result with the face of the Shroud. This is the result. I think it is a far more plausible image than the AI image of the Shroud that went viral a couple of weeks ago. Thought you might be interested.
Doug Powell
Author | Apologist | Musician
dougpowell.com
grahameliotseries.com
**********FB posting by sindonologist Otangelo Grasso - September 28, 2024
“The Cumulative Probability of the Shroud of Turin's Authenticity”The Shroud of Turin's authenticity can be evaluated through various features and scientific analyses, and odds calculations (The odds estimates for each point individually are a guess.) Here are key points supporting its authenticity and connection to Jesus:
[1] Pollen granules (1 in 10) and soil samples (1 in 20) from Jerusalem suggest the Shroud's Middle Eastern origin. Rare limestone particles (1 in 50) match stones in ancient Jerusalem tombs.
[2] The Vignon markings, which are distinctive features shared between Byzantine Christ icons (Pantocrator) and the Shroud of Turin image, provide a remarkable visual and historical link. These markings include 15 oddities, such as the topless square between the brows, that appear on the Shroud and are repeated in Byzantine depictions of Christ from as early as the 5th century. The odds that Byzantine artists consistently reproduced these markings without access to the Shroud are extraordinarily low. Given the unique features of the Shroud and their repetition in Byzantine art, estimating the odds that these depictions of Christ, especially in the Pantocrator image, were created independently of the Shroud could be on the order of:
Odds Calculation for the Pantocrator Icon: Assuming 15 Vignon markings, each with a 1 in 20 chance: (1/20)^15 = 1 / 3.05 x 10^19
Odds Calculation for Byzantine Solidus Coins: Assuming 10 Vignon markings, each with a 1 in 20 chance: (1/20)^10 = 1 / 1.024 x 10^13
Pantocrator Icon: 1 in 3.05 x 10^19. Byzantine Solidus Coins: 1 in 1.024 x 10^13
These probabilities represent the chance of these images independently displaying the specific Vignon markings without influence from the Shroud of Turin. The Pantocrator icon, with more Vignon markings, shows a significantly lower probability compared to the solidus coins. Both results still suggest a very low likelihood of these images occurring by chance without influence from the Shroud.
[3] De Caro's X-ray scattering analysis points to a 1st-century origin, vastly increasing the likelihood of authenticity.
[4] High levels of creatinine in the blood suggest severe trauma consistent with crucifixion. The bloodstains correspond accurately to crucifixion wounds.
[5] The Sudarium of Oviedo, with a verified history to the 6th century, matches the Shroud's bloodstain patterns and blood type.
[6] Scientific analysis shows no paint or pigment, ruling out medieval forgery techniques. The weave pattern and thread manufacturing are consistent with ancient linen production methods.
[7] The absence of body decomposition aligns with the biblical narrative of the resurrection.
[8] Additional features specific to Jesus' crucifixion include: crown of thorns (1 in 400), nailed to the cross (1 in 2), unbroken legs (1 in 3), side wound from a Roman spear (1 in 27), fine linen burial shroud (1 in 8), and hasty burial (1 in 8 ).
To calculate the odds that the Shroud of Turin is not authentic based on the given information, we'll multiply the probabilities of each independent piece of evidence occurring by chance. We'll use the inverse of the provided odds where applicable.
1. Middle Eastern origin: Pollen: 1/10 Soil: 1/20 Limestone: 1/50 Combined: 1/10 * 1/20 * 1/50 = 1/10,000Now, let's multiply these probabilities:
2. Byzantine art connection: We'll use the more conservative estimate from the solidus coins: 1/1.024 x 10^13
3. X-ray scattering analysis: Not quantified, so we'll omit this.
4. Blood analysis: Not quantified, so we'll omit this.
5. Sudarium of Oviedo match: Not quantified, so we'll omit this.
6. Lack of paint/pigment and ancient linen production: Not quantified, so we'll omit this.
7. Absence of decomposition: Not quantified, so we'll omit this.
8. Specific crucifixion features: Crown of thorns: 1/400 Nailed to cross: 1/2 Unbroken legs: 1/3 Side wound: 1/27 Fine linen shroud: 1/8 Hasty burial: 1/8 Combined: 1/400 * 1/2 * 1/3 * 1/27 * 1/8 * 1/8 = 1/4,147,200
(1/10,000) * (1/1.024 x 10^13) * (1/4,147,200) = 1 / (4.2466 x 10^23)
Therefore, the calculated odds that the Shroud of Turin is not authentic, based on the provided information, are approximately: 1 in 4.25 x 10^23. This means the odds are roughly 1 in 10 followed by 23 zeros, 1 to 10^23, or more precisely, 1 in 10 raised to the power of 23.63.
To match the 1 in 4.25 x 10^23 odds, you'd need to win about 3 lotteries at once, each with 1 in 100 million odds.
This extremely low probability suggests that it is highly unlikely for all these features to align by chance, supporting the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin. However, this calculation doesn't include all possible factors and assumes independence of events, which may not be entirely accurate in reality. The extremely low calculated probability of 1 in 4.25 x 10^23 strongly suggests the Shroud of Turin's authenticity. However, this number should be interpreted cautiously due to several factors: 1. Omission of some unquantified evidence 2. Assumption of event independence, which may not be fully accurate 3. Potential biases in probability estimates 4. Focus solely on supporting evidence 5. Simplification of complex historical and scientific factors. While these limitations mean the actual odds are likely less extreme than calculated, they would still be very low. Even accounting for these factors, the probability of all the Shroud's features aligning by chance remains extremely small, providing robust support for its authenticity. The key takeaway is that while the exact numerical odds are subject to uncertainty, the overall conclusion of likely authenticity remains well-supported by the available evidence.
**********News from SignFromGod.org - August 26, 2024
A sudden, unprecedented explosion of news about the Shroud of Turin!
“The World's Greatest Mystery” is the name of the future National Shroud of Turin Exhibit in Washington, D.C. Our team of Shroud experts is working to raise funds and attract partners to make this permanent exhibit a reality in the world's most powerful and influential city. Then, out of nowhere was last week's Shroud of Turin news explosion in the mainstream media. Highlighted were existing studies and research that suddenly made national and global headlines.
There is only one possible explanation: God wants you to know the Shroud of Turin is the authentic burial Shroud of Jesus Christ in whom you can place your faith, hope, trust, and belief in Him!
The Shroud of Turin is a 14-foot linen burial cloth with His unexplained life-sized image — proof that the biblical accounts are true! Jesus was tortured, crucified, died, and resurrected — leaving His burial Shroud as evidence of God's miracle. The Shroud of Turin cannot be dismissed. It is the world's greatest mystery, achieving new heights of religious and secular interest.
Listed below are headlines and links to some of the most prominent articles published over the past week.
This explosion of news reports about studies and research thoroughly and finally debunked the faulty 1988 carbon-14 medieval dating. Also featured were chemical components of the blood found on the Shroud that scientifically concluded the crucified man experienced a traumatic, violent event. Three of these articles were featured on the popular Drudge Report and numerous other national and international secular news sites. Here is only a sample.
Fox News: “Researchers make new finding on Turin Shroud that many believe was Christ's burial cloth: ‘Mysteries of God.’”
Yahoo News: “Shroud of Turin really is 2,000 years old, new study suggests.”
NYPost.com: “Face of Jesus? AI recreates stunning likeness of Shroud of Turin image that many believe to be Christ.”
Newsweek: “Turin Shroud Study Claims Controversial Cloth Does Date to Time of Jesus.”
Al Jazeera: “What's the big mystery behind the Shroud of Turin?”
DailyMail UK: “New blood analysis of the Shroud of Turin supports Biblical story about Jesus' crucifixion.”
BarStoolSports: New Scientific Analysis of the Shroud of Turin Might Be Revealing the Greatest Discovery in Human History
MSN.com: 'Face of Jesus' unveiled by AI using Shroud of Turin after astonishing discovery.
DailyMail UK: “Atheist who set out to prove the Shroud of Turin was fake reveals why he's now 'convinced' it's the cloth Jesus was buried in.”
Independent.co.uk: “Turin Shroud may be Jesus's burial cloth, new study suggests.”
NYPost.com: “Controversial new Shroud of Turin evidence said to offer proof of Christ's crucifixion.”
DailyMail UK: “Is this proof the Turin Shroud IS real? Scientists make startling discovery after analysing cloth 'Jesus was buried in.'”
Overwhelmed? Watch this short video featuring prominent Shroud expert Russ Breault, a member of our National Shroud of Turin Exhibit team. A Banner Week for Shroud of Turin News! (youtube.com) This video helps you understand what could be considered “God's Hand” on the news cycle - literally out of nowhere in mid-August!
Why is the Shroud of Turin suddenly mainstream news? One possible reason is that Almighty God wants you to educate yourself about the Shroud and how it mirrors the Gospel accounts of what Jesus endured for you.
That is why we need your help to produce a permanent Shroud of Turin exhibit in Washington, D.C., titled "The World's Greatest Mystery." With your tax-deductible donation, we will enlighten, engage, impact, educate, and inspire visitors.
In July, our team experienced monumental success at the National Eucharistic Congress. This never-before-seen Shroud news breakthrough can only be perceived as a “Sign From God” - time for a National Shroud of Turin Exhibit in the world's most powerful city. Our Shroud team thanks you for your support.
Myra Kahn Adams, Executive Director NationalShroudofTurinExhibit.org
Donate Today!
The National Shroud of Turin Exhibit's business and content plan is available upon request.
Contact: Myra@SignFromGod.org - (703) 795-8136
**********Facebook Posting by British Society for the Turin Shroud Newsletter - August 22, 2024
ARE YOU SEARCHING for information on THE SHROUD OF TURIN? On Tuesday 20th August a tsunami of positive coverage about the Shroud of Turin was initiated by an article written by journalist @stacyliberatore from the Daily Mail on-line. This article has subsequently been re-edited and released now on all UK tabloid platforms and new articles about the Shroud have since appeared in the Daily Mail, including a new article today!
Many Shroud enthusiasts have commented that as a result of this incredible news coverage, there may be many people out there looking for information on the Shroud of Turin.The British Society for the Turin Shroud (BSTS) would therefore like to offer links to some online resources that provide reliable information about the Shroud of Turin. The following webpage includes links to a number of key Shroud websites: www.bstsnewsletter.com/links/website_links.html
You can also “Follow” the BSTS Facebook page which offers excellent articles podcasts and videos, at www.facebook.com/BSTSNews/. Also, please feel free to contact the BSTS personally by messaging us!
**********STERA board member Guy Powell was interviewed by Atlanta, Georgia TV station about continuing the work of STERA:
Curator working to preserve legacy of the Shroud of Turin through research project - Atlanta First News - August 15, 2024 - Video (1:57)
**********Email from Mary Kahn Adams of SignFromGod.org - July 30, 2024
“The World's Greatest Mystery” is the name of the future National Shroud of Turin Exhibit in Washington, D.C. Our group of Shroud experts is working to raise funds and attract partners to make this permanent exhibit a reality in the world's most powerful and influential city. In the meantime...
Below: The hard-working Shroud of Turin Exhibit team at the four-day National Eucharistic Congress with Jonathan Roumie, “The Chosen” actor who plays Jesus in the hit series. (Black t-shirt in the middle.) Jonathan toured this most popular exhibit at the Congress.
Not all team members were present when Jonathan visited. Lines to enter the Shroud exhibit stretched for hours and never ceased. Approximately 60,000 people attended this Eucharistic Congress held from July 17-21 in Indianapolis. Watch this video about the exhibit starring Fr. Andrew Dalton, LC produced by Shalom World TV. Also, this “most read” headline story is on Aleteia, an influential international Catholic news site. The exhibit received much media attention during the four-day Congress.
The exhibit was produced by Nora Creech (above, giving an interview to EWTN) and co-produced by Dr. Cheryl White and Pam McCue. Othonia, a Rome-based international organization responsible for Shroud education, created the 24 exhibit panels developed with input from worldwide Shroud scholars.
During the four-day Shroud exhibit, the standing-room-only speaking program included the aforementioned Fr. Dalton, Dr. Cheryl White, and Fr. Peter Mangum who spoke on the topic of “Seeking God's Face.” For the many Spanish speakers, Fr. Rafael Pascual, LC, presented a Shroud educational session and appeared on EWTN's Spanish channel.
The exhibit's Shroud replica was from the Shroud of Turin Research Association (STERA), which manages Shroud.com and was helmed by our recently deceased Shroud leader, Barrie Schwortz. Now, STERA and Barrie's popular Shroud.com site will be led by Joe Marino, who is an executive team member of the National Shroud of Turin Exhibit. Below on the right were the four-day forever lines to enter the Shroud exhibit.
Below: Dr. Cheryl White, who curates the rare collection of Shroud-related art from the Richard Orareo Collection dating from the 1500s, had a special room at the exhibit. Dr. White is shown with Jonathan Roumie, who soon will film the crucifixion scenes for “The Chosen.”
At the Congress, exhibit visitors explored the history and scientific discoveries related to the Shroud. Highlighted were the Gospel connections which invite everyone to answer Jesus' question: “Who do you say that I am?”
Above left: How the Shroud looks with the naked eye.
Above right: The Shroud's Holy Face, revealed when photographed for the first time in 1898.
Interest in the Shroud of Turin is at an all-time high, proven by the hours-long wait to enter the exhibit at the National Eucharistic Congress. The cloth is the world's most analyzed artifact, and due to a preponderance of scientific evidence, millions around the globe believe it is the authentic burial cloth of Jesus Christ. Yet, this linen cloth remains the world's greatest mystery.
Your tax-deductible donation will help our 14 Shroud experts educate Washington, D.C., visitors and residents about the “World's Greatest Mystery.” We will enlighten, engage, impact, educate, and inspire visitors at the Shroud of Turin exhibit's future permanent home in the nation's capital.
Our Shroud team thanks you for your support.
Myra Kahn Adams, Executive Director NationalShroudofTurinExhibit.org
Below L to R: Sisterhood of the Shroud - Nora Creech, Lisa Rowan, Myra Kahn Adams, and Dr. Cheryl White at the Eucharistic Congress.
Donate Today!
The National Shroud of Turin Exhibit's business and content plan is available upon request.
Contact: Myra@SignFromGod.org - (703) 795-8136
**********Other article in book: The Shroud of Turin - Dr. Alan Whanger Interview
In the book: Further Evidence for Close Encounters by L.A. Marzulli with Richard Shaw - (Spiral of Life Publishing) - Published 2013. [Editor's note: I received permission from Marzulli to reproduce this previously-unknown article. His web site is: https://lamarzulli.net/.]
Posted December 7, 2024
Our Next Update
Our next update should be on or around January 21, which is the anniversary date of when Barrie first came online in 1996. Due to a computer crash, 2024 was the 1st year that Barrie was unable to upload the Winter update specifically on January 21. I’m hoping we can resume the tradition of literally getting it out on that day.
You can also join our Website Mailing List and receive an e-mail whenever the site is updated (3 or 4 times per year) or when any important Shroud news breaks. Note that mailing list subscribers have access to special offers not available to the general public. If you are already a subscriber but have changed your e-mail address recently, please remember that we are a self-subscribed mailing list and you have to update your e-mail address or you will stop receiving our quarterly updates. This is easily accomplished by clicking on the Update Profile link at the bottom of every e-mail we send. And finally, thank you for your dedicated patronage and support of STERA, Inc. It is truly appreciated.
Joe Marino
Editor, Shroud.com
President, STERA, Inc.Posted December 7, 2024
AN IMPORTANT UPDATE FROM THE EDITOR - NOVEMBER 1, 2024
Several new website pages are now available:
In memory of the amazing Barrie Schwortz, we have recently added an IN MEMORIAM page in his honor. CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE MEMORIAM PAGE.
Although we miss him tremendously, Barrie Schwortz leaves behind a rich tapestry of memories and a profound impact on the world of shroud research and photography. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE.
Barrie Schwortz‘s legacy will endure through his contributions to science, his captivating photographs, and the countless lives he touched. CLICK HERE TO SEE OUR GROWING LIST OF DONORS AND SUPPORTERS.
You too can become an important part in sharing his life‘s work with the world. CLICK HERE TO KEEP BARRIE‘S LEGACY ALIVE
IMPORTANT NEWS FROM NEW EDITOR - JUNE 23, 2024
My first message as new editor of Shroud.com is a sad one. I have just sent to many contacts the following message:
It is with great, great sadness that I report the passing on June 21, 2024 of Barrie Schwortz in Colorado Springs, CO. Barrie was a friend and mentor to countless people. Barrie was the documenting photographer of the 1978 Shroud of Turin Research Project. Many of the well-known photos of the Shroud seen in articles and documentaries were taken by Barrie. He was also Editor and Publisher of the world-renowned shroud.com and President of STERA, Inc. from January 21, 1996 until the time of his death.
I heard from David, his son, this morning. He said that Barrie died peacefully on the evening of the 21st, surrounded by his family. David said Barrie appreciated the love, prayers and support that were extended to him. He also said his family would like some privacy during this difficult time for them.
A brief mention will be made in the upcoming update at shroud.com. In the following update (date TBA), there will be an extensive “In Memoriam,” which will include comments by anyone who would like to submit them.
Rest in peace, dear Barrie.
In his last message of May 29, Barrie had written:
Unfortunately, we will temporarily have to suspend all credit card transactions (sales and contributions), but contributions can still be made via PayPal at this link or by check to STERA, Inc and sent to the Vice-President Joe Marino / 2408 Sovron Ct. / Dublin, OH 43016 / Phone: Between 12:00 - 10:00 ET. All new licensing agreements are also suspended.
Barrie had made arrangements with Steve Ouimet, a man who printed the life-size replicas to keep the website store going. The store had also offered backlit transparencies via Ed Sinofsky of PhotoGlow. Ed has informed me that he will be retiring in August, but I might be able to put up for sale a few items from the remaining inventory. The site Systems Administrators are working with Steve to install new software on the shroud.com website that will make purchasing items relatively easy.
Obviously, a lot of changes will have to be made to the website. Please be patient as I and the Systems Administrators try to navigate the transition and try to fill the huge shoes of Barrie, (who, by the way, it should be noted, usually worked 12 hours a day, seven days a week on the website and STERA administrative functions!). We will keep you informed as best we can.
Best regards,
Joe Marino
Editor, Shroud.com
Vice-President, STERA Inc.
Addendum (August 10, 2024): In his last message of May 29, Barrie wrote:
“Unfortunately, we will temporarily have to suspend all credit card transactions (sales and contributions), but contributions can still be made via PayPal at this link or by check to STERA, Inc. and sent to the Vice-President Joe Marino / 2408 Sovron Ct. / Dublin, OH 43016 / Phone: Between 12:00 – 10:00 ET.”
Joe Marino can be reached at (614) 477–1480 at the hours mentioned above. The process under Barrie allowed for direct credit card transactions. The STERA board has decided not to continue with direct credit card transations for sales and contributions, BUT credit cards and debit cards CAN be used via the PayPal option when making payment for sales or making contributions at https://www.shroud.com/steraform.htm.
An Important Message from the Editor - May 29, 2024
Dear scholars, researchers and friends of Shroud.com,
It is with great sadness that I write to inform you that, after 28 years, my time as editor of Shroud.com has come to an end. I am now going through dialysis and chemotherapy and have handed over editor duties to Joe Marino, one of STERA, Inc.'s Board Members and a man well known to the Shroud community.
The transition will take some time so please be patient for things to return to normal. In the interim, our Systems Administrator, Harrison Gibbs, has assured me that the website will remain active, so you can continue use it as you always have.
Unfortunately, we will temporarily have to suspend all credit card transactions (sales and contributions), but contributions can still be made via PayPal at this link or by check to STERA, Inc and sent to the Vice-President Joe Marino / 2408 Sovron Ct. / Dublin, OH 43016 / Phone: Between 12:00 - 10:00 ET. All new licensing agreements are also suspended.
Finally, I would like to thank you all for your ongoing support and prayers over the years and during this difficult period of my life.
Warmest regards,
Barrie Schwortz
Summer Update! June 23, 2024
As most of you probably know, Barrie Schwortz had asked me to take over the duties of being editor of shroud.com. It is an awesome task and responsibility, and I humbly ask for your patience (and prayers!) as I try to learn all the ropes. Following in Barrie's footsteps is a tall order. I am not, and can't be Barrie - he has been and always will be one of a kind. But I will do my best to approach the high standards he set in his 28 years(!) Since Barrie did his last update in November 2023, I had about six months of backlog material to add to the site, the equivalent of two major updates that Barrie did. Thus, in the interest of time, I had to leave out some material I might have otherwise put in. Please also be aware that the Systems Administrator, Harrison Gibbs is gainfully employed, but thankfully Dr. Brian Donley Worrell has volunteered his services to help. Thankfully, he is a full-fledged Systems Administrator, about which I'm very grateful and joyous. Sadly, Barrie passed away on June 21, 2024 from his illness. There will extensive coverage of that in our subsequent update.
For those of you who are not aware, I also send out a weekly email to people interested in the Shroud with the latest information similar to what you find at shroud.com. Everyone on the list is blind-copied, and one can request at any time to be removed from the list. If you would like to be added to the list, please mail to: JMarino240@aol.com. It's a good way to keep up with the latest Shroud happenings between major updates on shroud.com. You can also use that email address regarding questions or comments about shroud.com. - Joe Marino, editor.
We lead off with extremely sad news. Barrie Schwortz, the founder, editor and publisher of shroud.com and President of the Shroud of Turin Education and Research Association (STERA) passed away on June 21, 2024.
We can report the online publication of a very important conference held in Spain in November 2023 pertaining to the Shroud of Turin and the Sudarium of Ovideo. I was informed about this by Alfonso Sánchez Hermosilla, director of Edices. On November 3, 2023 Actas del Congreso Científico: La Síndone de Turín y el Sudario de Oviedo, dos telas y ¿un cuerpo? (Proceedings of the Scientific Congress: The Shroud of Turin and Sudarium of Oviedo, two fabrics and a body?) was held. Although currently only in Spanish, it is hoped by the organizers to eventually publish them in English. The link provided below will take you to a page where you can download it. As usual, the bulk of the new material added consists of papers, articles, books, videos and other miscellaneous items found on the Internet and in the print world.
Here is the Update Table of Contents:
- Shroud.com founder Barrie Schwortz passed away on June 21, 2024 after a short illness
- Recently Published Papers & Articles
- Recently Published Books
- Shroud Related Videos and Audios
- The Shroud on the Internet
- And In Other News...
- Our Next Update
Posted June 23, 2024
Recently Published Papers & Articles
The Shroud Of Turin: Christianity's Most Famous Relic
by Andrew R. Casper
There are twelve new papers added to the website in today's update! All have also been permanently archived on the Scientific Papers & Articles page (alphabetically by title) and the Website Library page (alphabetically by author) or, when appropriate, on the Religion and Philosophy page (alphabetically by title) and the Website Library page (alphabetically by author). Since there are far too many to include on this page, we are only including one here and have once again created a separate pdf file that includes all of the links and descriptions listed chronologically, with the most recent paper at the top of the list, all in a single file that you can download and view at your convenience (see link below).
The Shroud of Turin: Christianity's Most Famous Relic by Andrew R. Casper. Originally published in Medieval World: Culture and Conflict, Issue 7, 2023. Here is the introduction: “The Shroud of Turin, the supposed burial cloth of Jesus, is Christianity's most famous and controversial relic. Whereas debates over the authenticity of the bloodstained images of Christ's dead body dominate current discourse on the Shroud, suspicions about its origins go back to the 1300s. But by the 1500s and 1600s, other relics of Christ, which formerly thrived as objects of medieval devotion, underwent fluctuating fortunes that allowed the Shroud to emerge as one of Europe's preeminent Christian artifacts.”
Recently Published Papers & Articles - Summer 2024 - This is a link to a single pdf document file that includes links to all of the papers and articles featured in today's update. Authors represented include Andrew R. Casper, Giulio Fanti, Giovanni Fazio, Joseph G. Marino, William Meacham, Pam Moon, Andrea Nicolotti and Robert Rucker. You can either read it now or simply download the pdf file and review the links and materials at your leisure.
Posted June 23, 2024
Recently Published Books
Recently Published Books A number of new Shroud related books were published since our last update so we are listing them here and have also permanently archived the new titles on the Shroud of Turin Booklist page (alphabetically by author). To make it easy to find the newest additions, we have annotated the listings with "(Added 27 NOV 2023)" so you can simply search for that phrase on the Booklist page should you forget the titles.
Nuova Luce Sulla Sindone by Emanuela Marinelli
Here is an exerpt from the online description:
"Una straordinaria presenza ammantata di mistero: così si pone la Sindone sul cammino dell’umanità desiderosa di dare risposta ai quesiti che coinvolgono il senso più profondo della sua esistenza. Quell’antico telo ha avvolto davvero Gesù? L’immagine che vediamo ci parla della sua risurrezione? Com’è arrivato fino a noi quel fragile lenzuolo? Per far luce su questi enigmi sono scese in campo le discipline storiche e quelle scientifiche. Nuovi risultati sono così emersi dagli archivi e dai laboratori, componendo un mosaico avvincente di indizi e di prove. A questo punto il cammino va oltre: davanti alla Sindone « il nostro non è un semplice osservare, ma è un venerare, è uno sguardo di preghiera. Direi di più: è un lasciarsi guardare» (Papa Francesco, 30 marzo 2013).
Publisher: Edizioni Ares, 2024
Offrono qui il loro contributo Pierluigi Baima Bollone, Alfonso Caccese, Andrea Di Genua, Michele Filippi, Stefano Orfei, Alessandro Piana, Bartolomeo Pirone, Ivan Polverari, Laura Provera, Domenico Repice. Nel capitolo conclusivo, le riflessioni di Orazio Petrosillo (1947-2007) aprono alla contemplazione dell’Uomo della Sindone."
Language: Italian
Paperback: 336 pages
ISBN-13: 9788892984394
Shroud Encounter by Russ Breault
Excerpt from the online description:
"The culmination of a lifetime of research, countless presentations, and ongoing associations with Shroud experts worldwide, Russ Breault's Shroud Encounter--Explore the World's Greatest Unsolved Mystery examines the science, history, and theology surrounding this profound enigma. If proven one day to be authentic, the implications could truly shake the world."
Publisher: Covenant Books
Paperback: 256 pages
Language: English
ISBN-13: 979-8888510186
La Notte Della Prova. Sindone, La Conferenza Dimenticata e Il Verbale Ritrovato by Pierluigi Baima Bollone and Franca Giusti
Here is the online description:
"Questo articolo è acquistabile con Carta Cultura Giovani, Carta del Merito e/o Carta del Docente quando venduto e spedito da Amazon: Sono esclusi prodotti di Venditori terzi del Marketplace. Il Bonus è strettamente personale e può essere utilizzato esclusivamente dal suo titolare. 1969. Il noto egittologo prof. Silvio Curto è invitato a studiare la natura del telo sindonico. 1977. L‘egittologo tiene una conferenza e ne lascia traccia in una pubblicazione per anni dimenticata ed ora, ritrovata, qui riprodotta. 1978. Nella notte tra l‘8 ed il 9 ottobre, un team di scienziati e ricercatori europei e statunitensi preleva campioni di pollini e fili dalla Sindone. La sede dei lavori è il primo piano della biblioteca di Palazzo Reale di Torino. La cronaca di quella notte del 1978 è qui riportata fedelmente, grazie al ritrovamento del verbale redatto manualmente."
Publisher: Kemet, May 6, 2024
Paperback: 106 pages
Language: Italian
ISBN-13: 979-1280007551
From Forensics to Faith: The Shroud of Turin's History and Authenticity Under Scrutiny by Otangelo Grasso
Excerpt from the online description:
"Grasso's book is an up-to-date treatment of the mysterious Shroud of Turin, believed by many to be the actual burial cloth in which Jesus was buried, although there are numerous skeptics who believe the Shroud is nothing but a clever medieval forgery. Grasso painstakingly examines all aspects of the Shroud and incorporates recent “infographics,” with its many excellent photos and graphics that complement the text. He meticulously analyzes the Shroud's correspondence with the gospel accounts; a detailed look at the mechanics of crucifixion; the Shroud's possible history back to the 1st century; the science of the Shroud from the first photos taken in 1898; the extensive 1978 examination of the Shroud by “The Shroud of Turin Research Project;” the unique image properties of the images, including blood, pollen and 3D information; the infamous C-14 dating in 1988; various proposed hypotheses of how it could have been faked; the virtual impossibility of it having been forged, textile analysis, including Old Testament and New Testament background; a look at the Sudarium of Oviedo, believed by some to be the face cloth mentioned in the Gospel of John; the Shroud's link with the Resurrection, the implications of the Shroud and addresses common objections against the Shroud's authenticity."
Publisher: Independently published, February 7, 2024
Paperback or Kindle: 544 pages
Language: English
ISBN-13: 979-8878222341
The Shroud of Jesus: And the Sign John Ingeniously Concealed by Gilbert Lavoie (Also available on the Sophia Institute Press site)
Excerpt from the online description:
"Gilbert R. Lavoie, M.D., invites you on a fascinating adventure to examine the Shroud of Turin, juxtaposing his scientific findings with John‘s Gospel account of the death and resurrection of Jesus. This story of the life of Jesus comes alive through relatable, real-world scientific witnesses who explore whether the image on the shroud is the work of human hands, a natural phenomenon, or a supernatural event. There are abundant photos that allow you to decide for yourself what the image and blood marks of this cloth reveal. As you explore the mystery of this shroud through the eyes of forensics and the lens of scripture, you will begin to discover the following, and much more: *The reason why the shroud image isn‘t mentioned in the Gospels *Significant studies that demonstrate why the shroud cannot be a painting *Details that confirm that the man of the shroud was crucified *How the shroud corroborates the Gospel accounts of the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus"
Publisher: Sophia Institute Press (June 19, 2023)
Paperback: 208 pages
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1644138867
ISBN-13: 978-1644138861
You the Jury - Evidence for the Turin Shroud by Robert Dawson
Here is the online description:
"It is written as if a lawyer was explaining to a jury (the reader) the evidence to prove that the Shroud of Turin is, indeed, Jesus‘s authentic death Shroud. I started off pretty neutral but suspicious that there had been a huge injustice when it was declared a fake in 1988. It describes the Shroud, Biblical references, independent evidence for the Crucifixion, the Resurrection, why the 1988 Carbon 14 Test was flawed, how the image was probably formed, evidence of the injuries, blood group, pollen and plant evidence. The forensic evidence shows evidence for the crown of thorns and flagellation of a total of 130 lashes. The reader is asked to present their verdict - that it is genuine or a disgraceful Medieval fake, and then the implications for the verdict are given."
Publisher: Independently published, 2024
Paperback: 146 pages
Language: English
Price: £9.99 plus postage (UK £2.80) Post elsewhere is: Europe £6.80, £9.40 to U.S.A., Rest of World £12.50. BUT the automatic Buy Now button is only set for UK. If you live elsewhere, you will need to pay extra on postage-ask me how to do it please. (bob@robertdawson.co.uk)
The Case of the Missing Body: An Investigation into the Mysteries of the Shroud of Turin by Tony Cunliffe
Excerpt from the Foreword:
"We will have a close look at the Shroud itself, examine the science, identify the mysteries, study what the Bible says, follow the history, review what could have caused the image, and consider an explanation. Whatever your belief, I encourage you to keep an open mind as we examine the evidence the Shroud provides about the missing body."
Publisher: Peterbooks, 2023
Paperback: 26 pages
Language: English
Posted June 23, 2024
Shroud Related Videos and Audios
“The Role of the Shroud of Turin in Proving the Resurrection” [Editor note: Barrie himself does not believe the Shroud can prove the Resurrection] There continues to be dozens of new Shroud videos each month. We can only highlight some of them here. For anyone who wants to see additional ones, my weekly email list has even more than found here. Everyone on the list is blind-copied and one can request at any time to be removed from the list. To be added, send me an email at JMarino240@aol.com .
Today's update includes a huge selection of links to interviews with or presentations by many notable Shroud scholars, from both scientific and religious points of view. It includes multiple interviews of Barrie Schwortz, as well as interviews or presentations from many other sindonologists, some very well known, others not as well known. But the sheer number of videos testifies to the ever-burgeoning interest in the Shroud.
The Role of the Shroud of Turin in Proving The Resurrection - Adrian Milag TV - April 6, 2024 - Video (1:50:11) - Here is an excerpt from the description: “Bro Barrie imparts his distinct insights and extensive knowledge on one of Christianity's most enigmatic relics. We delve into how the Shroud of Turin stands as a testament to the resurrection of Jesus, examining the scientific and historical evidence that surrounds this mysterious artifact, and discussing its profound implications on both faith and science. Learn how Bro Barrie has embraced challenges to deepen his faith and how he approaches critics with compassion and understanding...”
Shroud Related Videos and Audios - June 23, 2024 - Link to a single pdf document file that includes a compilation of links to Shroud related videos, radio programs and podcasts that appeared online in the past few months. You can simply download the pdf file and review the materials and links at your leisure. There are eight full pages of videos, including several with multiple parts.
Posted June 23, 2024
The Shroud on the Internet
Archbishop Robert Repole meets with Pope Francis druing Italian Episcopal Conference This section contains some important information regarding the long-expected public exposition of the Shroud in 2025. However, it was not what everyone was hoping for. Other content includes an interesting article from 2023 about the artist Jan Van Eyck's depiction of the Face of Jesus, which contains 22 mentions of the Shroud, a recent article by the renowned Italian sindonologist, Emanuela Marinelli, a recent web page detailing the production of a 3D rendition of the face based on the actual Shroud, and a web site by the German sindonologist Helmut Feltzmann.
Archbishop Repole from the Pope, video-up for Shroud 2025. Here is the English translation from this short Italian article: “On Wednesday 22 May, on the sidelines of the Assembly of the Italian Episcopal Conference, the Archbishop of Turin Msgr. Roberto Repole was received in private hearing by Pope Francis. In half an hour of friendly interview and updating on the life of the Turin Church, Repole proposed to the Pope to participate in video calling in the Shroud Feast on May 4, 2025, in the jubilee year, when the Shroud will be shown to the young people of the dioceses of Turin and Susa. The Pope welcomed this proposal.”
The Shroud on the Internet - June 23, 2024 - Link to a single pdf document file that includes a compilation of links to various Shroud related websites and internet articles that appeared online since December 2023. You can simply download the pdf file and review the materials and links at your leisure.
Posted June 23, 2024
And In Other News...
International Shroud Conference to be held in St. Louis, Missouri July 31 - August 3, 2025 Announcement - May 26, 2024 - [Editor' note: the conference web site is expected to go live very soon.]
**********Email from Brazilian sindonologist Otangelo Grasso - May 19, 2024
I have created two PowerPoint presentations that might be useful for others. I am providing these presentations free of charge for anyone interested in using them for their own purposes or presentations, provided they are also used without any cost. You are welcome to modify the slides to suit your specific needs or tailor them to your target audience. These presentations can be downloaded from the following addresses:
Shroud of Turin, how Jesus REALLY looked like
Is the Shroud of Turin a fraud? Refuting the most common objections
I used them as basis to make these two videos [Editor's note: corresponding to the PowerPoint presentations above]
The Shroud of Turin: Empirical Exploration into Jesus' Scriptural Identity
Is the Shroud of Turin a fraud? Refuting the most common objections
**********Email from Dr. Mario Po'sgsm of Venerated Confraternity of the Scuola Grande di San Marco Campo Ss. Giovanni e Paolo 6777 - Venice - May 19, 2024
Venerated Confraternity of the Scuola Grande di San Marco
Campo Ss. Giovanni e Paolo 6777 - Venice
confraternitasanmarco@scuolagrandesanmarco.itFor the attention of
Mr. Louis Cador, President
“Montre nous ton visage” Association3, rue Beaugrenelle 75015 Paris
Last Friday I met and asked S.Em.za Card. Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, his opinion on a proposal for an exhibition of the Holy Shroud dedicated to Peace, to be carried out in 2025 in relation to a prayer event dedicated to the many conflicts in the world. His informal response was positive.
There is probably no other relic like the holy sheet of Jesus that has within it the power of suffering, conversion and forgiveness. For this reason I think it is a duty and a privilege to show, in the most difficult and darkest moments of the history of humanity, this gift that we have received from the love of Christ crucified. Therefore, if not now, when?
For this reason, our institution, born in 1261 inspired by the flagellation of Jesus, asks other religious, cultural, scientific, Italian and foreign institutions (reported to me by Professor Emanuela Marinelli), convinced that the Shroud imprint was left by Son of God, to participate with us in the official presentation of this proposal to the Vatican authorities and those of the Diocese of Turin.
Grateful for your attention and your response, I send you my greetings with San Marco.
Mario Po' sgsm
Guardian Grando
Venerated Confraternity of the Scuola Grande di San Marco
Campo Ss. Giovanni e Paolo 6777 - Venice
confraternitasanmarco@scuolagrandesanmarco.it**********MAJOR Announcement with Jimmy Akin [Video] - Capturing Christianity - May 19, 2024 - [Editor's note: The Shroud-related material in this video is from 12:43 - 15:04. The reason this item is listed here is because there is information in the video about obtaining a 12“ Shroud sculpture made of bronze and steel, produced by sculptor Matt Collins. Retail value is $350 and is not available anywhere else. In the entry below about the exhibit in Florida, the exhibit contains a full-size sculpture by the same sculptor.
**********New Shroud Exhibit in Florida: There is a new Shroud of Turin replica exhibit that includes a sculpture that was modeled from the Shroud. The summer hours are 9:00 am - 5:00 pm. * The location is at Ave Maria University in Florida. [Editor's note: see graphic below for more detailed information.]
**********Announcement from “Shroud Academy” group May 2024 [Editor's note: This group was organized by Brazil-based sindonologist Otangelo Grasso. Further background can be found in the announcement below.]
Greetings friends,
We have an exciting opportunity to support an upcoming event that aligns with our mission of unraveling the Shroud of Turin and Sudarium of Oviedo in places where most never heard about it. Pastor Rajeev in Cheepurupalli, Andhrapradesh, South India is organizing a gathering for 100-130 pastors to attend Shroud Zoom presentations by Dr. Kenneth Stevenson and Guy Powell.
However, funds are needed to cover transportation and food costs for the attendees. This is where we need your generous support. If multiple donors can contribute just $5-$7 each, we can ensure this enlightening event proceeds smoothly.
As an added incentive, anyone donating $5 will receive a free digital copy (pdf format) of the book “From Forensics to Faith: The Shroud of Turin's History and Authenticity Under Scrutiny” by Otangelo Grasso. And for those donating $15 or more, you'll also receive the books “Confirming Yeshua, Volume 1 and 2” as gifts.
This event perfectly aligns with the Shroud Academy's mission of fostering engagement, exchange of research, global education, and outreach on the Shroud and Sudarium. Your donation will directly enable this knowledge-sharing in India.
We are building towards an ambitious global Shroud Institute and Academy. Your support for grassroots events like this lays the foundation. Together, we can uncover new insights while reaching wider audiences worldwide.
Thank you for your consideration and generosity. Let's make this Indian pastors' event a resounding success!
Sincerely,
The Shroud Academy TeamOur Mission:
Engagement and Exchange: We aim to foster a community where the latest research, theories, and perspectives can be shared in a dynamic and respectful environment, enriching our collective understanding of these historical artifacts.
Global Education and Outreach: Collaboratively, we will work towards initiatives that broaden awareness and deepen the understanding of the Shroud and the Sudarium, reaching audiences worldwide, especially in areas where people have never heard about these artifacts before.
Foundation of the Shroud Institute and Academy: Those who are part of this group, will be instrumental in shaping the vision and structure of an institution dedicated to becoming the forefront of study in this area.
The Shroud Academy holds monthly Zoom meetings to discuss and implement actions to increase outreach about the Shroud worldwide. If you want to get involved, please email ShroudAcademy@groups.io
The Shroud Academy is an ambitious global project that seeks to create a vibrant forum for discussion and exchange on the Shroud of Turin and Sudarium of Oviedo. It aims to lay the groundwork for an institution that will serve as a beacon of research, education, and dissemination in this fascinating field. The unique insights and expertise of its members are highly valued as they embark on this journey together.
[Update: Since that announcement was made, the event for Pastor Rajeev's group has been planned. The following was announced on the group's Facebook page:]
“We have scheduled a first Shroud Academy session for June 20th at 8:30AM EST / 7:30AM CST / 6:00PM IST with Pastor Rajeev. It will be at least 2 hours and we are expecting over 100 folks in India to participate. There will be more information to follow, but we wanted to let you know, so you can have the time reserved in your calendars. In any case, here is the zoom link if you'd like to listen in and join us: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9951250472?omn=89325585424 . ” It should be available on YouTube after the original live stream.]
**********Email from author Dr. Brian Donley Worrell - May 1, 2024
WELCOME ABOARD, PAKISTAN! “The Shroud Of Turin - The Perfect Summary” (by Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson and Dr. Brian Donley Worrell) is now available in URDU! The book is now in seven languages (English, Hebrew, Italian, Spanish, French, Portuguese and Urdu), is being read in 72 countries around the world, and has received very positive international book reviews. Also, check out the revamped website - one click translates any page into those seven languages.
**********From Forensics to Faith: The Shroud of Turin's History and Authenticity Under Scrutiny By Otangelo Grasso - He made the following announcement on March 25, 2024:
My book is now available:
In Portuguese: Da ciência forense á fé: A história e a autenticidade do Sudário de Turim sob escrutínio
In Spanish: De la Ciencia Forense a la Fe: La Historia y la Autenticidad de la Sábana de Turín
In Italian: Dall esame forense alla fede: Storia e autenticità della Sindone di Torino sotto esame
On request: Urdu ( Pakistan ), Telugu ( India), Nepali [Editor's note: Otangelo can be contacted at OtangeloGrasso@gmail.com
Posted June 23, 2024
Our Next Update
Our next update will likely be around late November. The new team is still learning the ropes of getting these updates online. Please be patient with us.
You can also join our Website Mailing List and receive an e-mail whenever the site is updated (3 or 4 times per year) or when any important Shroud news breaks. Note that mailing list subscribers have access to special offers not available to the general public. If you are already a subscriber but have changed your e-mail address recently, please remember that we are a self-subscribed mailing list and you have to update your e-mail address or you will stop receiving our quarterly updates. This is easily accomplished by clicking on the Update Profile link at the bottom of every e-mail we send. And finally, thank you for your dedicated patronage and support of STERA, Inc. It is truly appreciated.
Joe Marino
Editor, Shroud.com
Vice President, STERA, Inc.Posted June 23, 2024
Winter Update! November 27, 2023
Bill Mottern, Roger Morris and Bob Dinegar
at the final STURP team meeting
in New London, Connecticut
October 9 - 11, 1981Today's update is our third and final update of the year. There has been such an obvious increase in interest in the Shroud recently and our updates have grown so large in size that we could only produce three of them instead of our normal four this year. As you will see, there is an extraordinary amount of new material for you to digest in today's update. Perhaps the most exciting additions are the recently discovered audio recordings of STURP's final team meeting in 1981. And those recordings are just the tip of the iceberg! You should find enough new material in today's update to keep you busy reading and watching videos until next year.
We lead off with the sad news of the passing of Tom D'Muhala, original STURP team member and Msgr. Giuseppe Ghiberti, prominent Shroud scholar from Turin. Next is our featured new page that includes links to a set of Audio Recordings of the Final STURP Team Meeting held in 1981. The new page also features a gallery of previously unpublished photographs of the event. Next is the completely updated Sindone 2000 Orvieto Conference page, which now includes every paper and presentation made at the event (with abstracts in English and Italian). We have also added six more issues to the Collegamento pro Sindone archive and have included news of the latest issue of Agora, a new spin-off publication from the editors of Sindon. This update also includes news of our once-a-year fundraising campaign, another issue added to our BSTS Newsletter archive, fifteen new papers, links to many new internet articles, six recently published books and much more. However, the largest addition to today's update are thirteen pages of new videos and audios, including interviews with and presentations by many notable Shroud scholars. Although not mentioned elsewhere in today's update, please note that the Shroud Speakers Directory page has also been updated. Let's get started! - Barrie Schwortz, Editor
Here is the Update Table of Contents:
- In Memoriam - Tom D'Muhala and Msgr. Giuseppe Ghiberti
- Audio Recordings of the Final STURP Team Meeting
- "Sindone 2000" Conference - Orvieto Revisited
- New Sindon Spin-off Publication, Agora, Now Available
- BSTS Newsletter Issue #94, Winter 2021, Added to Archive
- Six More Collegamento pro Sindone Printed Issues Added to Archive
- News from STERA, Inc. - Our Once-a-Year Fundraising Drive Starts Today
- Recently Published Papers & Articles
- Recently Published Books
- Shroud Related Videos and Audios
- The Shroud on the Internet
- And In Other News...
- Our Next Update
In Memoriam
Tom D'Muhala
1940-2023
(Photo taken during 1978 STURP examination)It is with great sadness that I report today the passing on September 27, 2023 in Raleigh, North Carolina, of fellow STURP team member, Tom D'Muhala, after a long illness. Tom served as President of the Shroud of Turin Research Project and was responsible for administration and logistics throughout the project. That included packaging our instruments and equipment into eighty crates and arranging for them to be shipped to Turin and returned to the United States afterwards. He also was responsible for arranging the airline transportation and hotel accommodations for twenty-four STURP team members during our nineteen day stay in Turin. Without his dedication, diligence and extraordinary efforts, STURP could never have accomplished its goals. Our sincerest condolences to his wife Donna and their entire family, as well as his many friends and colleagues. He will surely be missed. Rest in peace my friend. - Barrie Schwortz
Here is the official obituary provided to us by the D'Muhala family:
Tom passed away Wednesday morning, September 27 at his home in North Carolina. Born in Connecticut on April 3rd 1940, Tom graduated from Windham High School. He studied at University of Connecticut, Wesleyan University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Before earning any degree, he was recruited by Admiral Rickover to work on the Atomic Energy Commission's Naval Reactor program at General Dynamics Electric Boat Division. In Rickover's own words; "I did not recruit extraordinary people. I recruited people who had extraordinary potential-and then I trained them." This was the beginning of Tom's extrodinary adventure: traveling to every nuclear facility in the free world, evaluating their capacities to ensure faultless designs for the Navy's Submarines.
With stints at CANEL (Connecticut Advances Nuclear Engine Laboratory), and Argonne National Laboratory. Tom ultimately had an accident while turning uranium on a lathe, filling the lab with radioactive smoke. With little protocol at the time, he was told "you crapped it up, you clean it up". Tom spent the next year developing the chemistry to decontaminate the lab, eventually leading him to ply his wares through his own company Nuclear Technologies Corporation.
Tom's involvement with Shroud research began in 1977 after seeing an image of the Shroud in a book. Intrigued, he contacted John Jackson and Eric Jummper, offering his support and eventually heading up the logistics for STURP's expedition to Turin and investigation of the Shroud in 1978. Tom has been on the boards of several Shroud research organizations including STURP, AMSTAR and ERI, and has given hundreds of lectures on Shroud research. Tom was on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. He was a Presidential advisor to Jimmy Carter. He was an accomplished martial artist, achieving the rank of yondan (forth degree black belt) in Judo. He trained the Connecticut State police in self defense. He was a husband, a father, and grandfather. And Tom was a follower of Jesus Christ.
The D'Muhala Family**********Here are the many comments I received from his friends and colleagues at the news of his passing:
I remember Tom D'Muhala as the man that contacted us (John Jackson, Eric Jumper, and Rudolph Dichtl) by telephone with an urgent request from a hospital bed. He was recouping from an illness and had just heard about the STURP (Shroud of Turin Research Project, Inc) and its planned investigation of the Shroud in the city of Turin, Italy. He pleaded with us to become a member of the group. He said that he did not know what he could contribute to the research project, but he had to be a part of it. The Shroud was very significant to him personally. He was a chemist and surely his talents could somehow be used by the group. Tom was a member of an Evangelical religious group located in Amston, CT and the proprietor of a chemical company that had a large warehouse. It was Tom who suggested that STURP members should come to Amston, ship their scientific instrument to Amston, and perform a dry run of each of the experiments in a space within his warehouse. Tom and the members of his church community greeted us at the airport, provided transportation, room and board. We spent the Labor Day weekend there in Amston. At that time, we were under the impression that we would only have one room in the Royal Palace in Turin to perform all the experiments, one at a time. Tom configured a space that defined the room dimensions by draping black plastic sheets from the ceiling of the warehouse. There we set up each experiment and timed the overall events. It was Tom and his community that crated all of the scientific equipment for shipment to Turin, Italy. They took care of all the customs documents and insurance of the shipment. As you can see, Tom D'Muhala was instrumental in many of the initial stages of the adventure that we were about to undertake on the 29th of September 1978. Tom was a mild-mannered individual and was always available to be spoken with and to request suggestions for solving any and all technical problems and even some personal problems. He was always willing to lend a hand. Tom D'Muhala will be truly missed.
Rudolph "Rudy" Dichtl
STURP team member**********I was sad to hear of Tom's passing and I agree with what you wrote. My recollection was that he mentioned up front that we are going to raise funds and all the logistics and volunteered to fill those roles. I think he was the one that got El Italia to transport equipment and maybe us to Milan. I don't see how we could have done it without him. So many of the group were so essential to the expedition.
Eric Jumper
STURP team member**********I was introduced to Tom by Vern Miller at one of the first meetings of what was to become the STURP group. Vern had invited me because of my experience with UV technology and aerospace engineering. I found Tom to be a calm gentleman who proved to be a competent organizer and manager of the team during the subsequent planning meetings and at the investigation in Turin. Tom remained neutral in managing the diverse personalities. He also possessed the technical understanding of the proposed testing and necessary equipment. Vern entrusted him with his archive of photography done at Turin. Tom will be missed among the remaining team members and friends who knew him.
Sam Pellicori
STURP team member**********I'm so sorry to hear this sad news and I'd like to add my condolences. Thanks for letting us know.
Michael Kowalski
Editor BSTS Newsletter**********We have lost another great one in less than a year. While I never knew Tom D'Muhala, I certainly appreciated his very important work and his leadership with regard to the STURP team. And, I am incredibly appreciative of his years of collaborating with Dr. Gilbert Lavoie to give the world the magnificent website shroudphotos.com --where we can see so many of the stunningly beautiful photographs of the Holy Shroud that were taken by Vern Miller. Dr. Lavoie has told me how it was a labor of love for both of them. Of that I do not doubt. Now, Tom sees the actual Holy Face --no need for gazing at just an image of it. May he rest in peace, and may his memory and his legacy be eternal.
Teddi Pappas**********Thanks for the information. I haven't met Tom personally, but from what I've heard, without him there would have been no STuRP and today perhaps we would know less than a tenth of everything this Group has made us know about the HS. Please send my deepest condolences to his family. Thanks so much Tom!!! God bless your soul and welcome you close to Him immediately!
Giulio Fanti**********I did not have the fortune of speaking with Tom, my deepest condolences to the family during this difficult time. May God bless him and his remaining loved ones.
Dale Glover**********Dear Donna, It is with sadness for you with the loss of Tom. I remember the day you both were so generous treating me to lunch and then driving me to visit with Mary Whanger. My prayers for the Light of God to treasure you and Tom in His Loving arms. Blessings.
Janis Winchester**********I didn't know him, but it's always a sad thing to lose one of the icons of the Shroud and STURP. Thanks for letting us know.
Guy R. Powell**********Heaven's gain is our loss. I met Tom at his office about 10 years ago while I was lecturing at Eastern Carolina University. I recall having a wonderful conversation with him and other members of his staff. It was during the time he was working with Dr. Gil Lavoie to scan many of the Vern Miller photos to a digital format. Tom's integral involvement with the STURP team has left a legacy that has impacted millions and the same is true for all those involved in this once-in-a-century project. Thank you Tom for your contribution to Shroud research. Enter into your rest.
Russ Breault**********I only met Tom in person twice, at the 1996 Esopus, NY Shroud conference and the 2005 Dallas conference. We did, however, talk a fair amount on the phone over the years. Tom was a gentle giant. He was kind and strong in his faith. He put a tremendous amount of time and effort with Dr. Gil Lavoie in putting together the web site featuring Vern Miller's Shroud photos. He will be truly missed.
Joe Marino**********Sorry to hear. Tom was a great guy. My condolences to the family.
Joe Accetta
STURP team member**********I would like to express my deepest condolences. Best regards.
Traudl Wally**********My condolences to the D'Muhala's family. A monumental individual who was able to secure equipment for the 1978 Shroud's study.
Giorgio Bracaglia**********Very sad news indeed. Thank you for sharing.
Ken Stevenson
STURP team member**********Condolences to the family of Tom D'Muhala.
Paolo Di Lazzaro**********Donna, I am so sorry for your loss. I met Tom for the first time at the conference in Esopus in 1996. I found him to be very thoughtful and kind, and he was very welcoming to me. I thought he had a lot of humility, especially knowing all he was responsible for in the Shroud world. I saw him on many conferences make himself available to anyone who was seeking answers. He will be missed by many Shroudies. RIP Tom.
Mary Hines**********Very sad news indeed. He was a leader in the Shroud world and will surely be missed. As you know, Tom served as an advisor to my research and we worked closely for six years and intermittently for another four. My sincere condolences to Donna, Chris, Mike and Tom Jr., and also to Gil. Rest well, old friend.
Phil Dayvault**********My sincere condolences to Tom D'Muhula's family. We only had a few face-to-face conversations, but they were always exceptionally cordial, which is how I remember Tom.
Gary Habermas**********
In Memoriam
Msgr. Giuseppe Ghiberti
1934-2023
(Photo courtesy CISS)
It is with further sadness that I must report the passing of Mons. Giuseppe Ghiberti, in Turin, Italy, on September 1, 2023. I received the sad news from Paolo Di Lazzaro, Vice-President of the International Center for the Study of the Shroud in Turin (CISS), by e-mail on September 2nd. In 2015, while I was in Turin for the last public exhibition, Mons. Ghiberti graciously invited me to lunch at his favorite restaurant and we had a cordial and enjoyable meal together. Dedicated Shroud scholars all know he played an important role in the world of the Shroud and will surely be missed by all. We extend our sincerest condolences to his family, friends and colleagues for their loss. Rest in peace my friend. - Barrie Schwortz
We received many comments about Mons. Ghiberti's passing once the news of his death was announced so we are including them here, starting with an obituary from the CISS:
At a breath away from turning 89 years old, he was born in Morello on September 16, 1934, Monsignor Giuseppe Ghiberti ascended to heaven. Don Giuseppe, as he liked to be called, left behind a moving memory of a person of great humanity, infinite goodness and profound knowledge. He was able to relate to others with serenity and respect without renouncing his principles, but able to evaluate, and if appropriate accept, criticism and suggestions. One of his strengths was his intelligent ability to share and seek collaboration in those he knew could bring contributions, humbly acknowledging his own limitations.
I had the privilege and the pleasure to share with him so many moments, travels abroad and meetings with people and situations so different and complex. At this moment, memories of our common road around the Shroud come crowding in: collaborations in writing books, sharing proposals and initiatives, discussing so many points that always found us in agreement, sometimes after long confrontations.
As an internationally recognized biblical scholar and exegete of the New Testament, particularly of John, he raised so many priests and lay people. Everyone I spoke with gratefully remembers his cultural charity. As long as it was possible, he spent his vacations serving as a parish priest in Munich, in the parish that was attended by Ratzinger, with whom he maintained a relationship I can say of friendship but above all of mutual esteem until the end. In the field of the study of the Shroud he made fundamental contributions in New Testament exegesis, a subject rather neglected and often rejected by his colleagues.
As I have had the opportunity to address the many people who are asking me for a remembrance of my friend Don Giuseppe, there are a few essential points to make. First of all, he was for us a master of balance in dealing with the delicate issue of the Shroud in the relationship between science and faith. He taught how to connect and at the same time separate the question of so-called authenticity from the Shroud's ecclesial role. St. John Paul II's famous definitions of the Shroud as a "mirror of the Gospel" and a "provocation to intelligence" are the outcome of Don Giuseppe's profound meditation, expressed in numerous books and articles, as well as in lectures and lessons, the last of which at a Course for religion teachers a few months ago in Matelica. Don Giuseppe's meditation lasted many years, and led him to become the true re-founder of the Pastoral Care of the Shroud, which accompanied the season of the Exhibitions from 1998 onward.
We will miss Don Giuseppe; we will miss his contribution as an Archbishop's delegate and influential member of the scientific committee in the International Center for Shroud Studies. I will miss him as a friend and as a reference in the difficult decisions to be made. I pledge on behalf of the Center and my own personal commitment to cultivate his memory, but above all to keep his message alive and to put it as a foundation for our activities.
Gian Maria Zaccone
Director of CISS
September 2, 2023**********Don Giuseppe is scarcely known in English-speaking countries because he has written books and articles in Italian and German, never in English (although you may find some translations of his works). A profound connoisseur of ancient Greek and Latin, he has written seminal works in the exegesis of the Gospels, particularly the Gospel of St. John. I believe that Don Giuseppe was the most influential figure in the Shroud world from the 1990s until the first decade of this century. He was a good friend of St. John Paul II and an intimate friend of Benedict XVI. He actively participated in the organization of all the Exhibitions until 2015. With him we lose an exceptionally important historical memory and a scholar of international value. I lose a friend and confidant whose calmness in dealing with the most difficult issues was incredible, almost legendary.
Paolo Di Lazzaro
Vice-President of CISS**********Dear Paolo, Please accept my heartfelt condolences and the sentiments of my most sincere sympathy to you and to all the members of the Turin Center on the occasion of the passing of Msgr. Giuseppe Ghiberti. Sincerely yours.
Massimo Paris**********My deepest condolences regarding this earthly loss of Don Giuseppe. What a beautifully written and heartfelt obituary written by Gian Maria Zaccone. While I certainly have heard of Don Giuseppe and his involvement in matters concerning the Holy Shroud (typically by his last name), I knew nothing about the man, himself. But, in reading his obituary and your very warm words regarding his passage from this world to the next, I now have a much greater awareness and appreciation for this great man and his works. May his memory be eternal.
Teddi Pappas**********With the death of Mgr. Giuseppe Ghiberti we all have lost not only a great biblical scholar, one of the major experts of St. John, not only the major scholar (indeed I would say the founder) of the pastoral on the Shroud, but also a great man of rare sensitivity and sweetness, always ready to resolve conflicts and discussions, to pacify souls, to resolve and smooth out problems and difficulties, rich in a gift that is very rare today: humility. I was able to see this especially in this last year of his suffering and progressive loss of his physical abilities, during which I tried as much as possible to be close to him.
Bruno Barberis
Past President of CISS**********I, too, would like to express my deepest condolences and include him in prayer. R.I.P.
Traudl Wally**********All French shroudies and I, as past-president of the CIELT Scientific Committee, express their sadness and condolences to the Turin Diocese for this great loss. We will pray the Divine Merci for his Soul. Requiescat in pace.
Marcel Alonso**********Posted November 27, 2023
Updated December 9, 2023
Audio Recordings of the Final STURP Team Meeting, New London, Connecticut, October 1981
John Jackson, John Heller and Prof. Luigi Gonella
(Link to Audio Recordings of the Final STURP Team Meeting)The STURP team held their final meeting on October 9-11, 1981, at the Palmer Auditorium at Connecticut College in New London, Connecticut. The event included a private STURP team meeting, a press conference and the presentation of their preliminary scientific papers by a number of team members. It was only in April of 2023 that we discovered that a set of audio cassette recordings of the press conference and paper presentations had been found. You might recall that there was a grand opening of a permanent Shroud exhibit at the National Museum of Funeral History in Houston, Texas, that same month. It was attended by three former STURP team members, Rudy Dichtl, Ken Stevenson and Barrie Schwortz. Parts of the exhibit came from the generous donation by Rudy of all of his Shroud materials. Those materials included a case holding the audio cassettes of that 1981 STURP meeting. It was then that Genevieve Keeney-Vazquez, Museum Curator, sent the tapes to her exhibit company to be digitized. She soon realized that they would contribute little to her exhibit and offered STERA, Inc. the opportunity to underwrite the cost of digitizing the tapes so they could be added to our permanent archives. Of course, we were happy to do so and they are now included on a new page of this website: Audio Recordings of the Final STURP Team Meeting. It is a great opportunity to listen to some of the most prominent Shroud scholars of the past fifty years, many of whom are sadly no longer with us.
All recordings are provided in mp3 audio format. As an added bonus with this archive, we have included a selection of the best of my previously unpublished photographs of the 1981 meeting. Frankly, no one has ever seen any of these before! You will find them all in a separate pdf file named 1981 Meeting Photos.pdf. It is an opportunity to put faces on some of the speakers you will hear in the recordings.
Posted November 27, 2023
"Sindone 2000" Conference - Orvieto Revisited
Medieval Cathedral or Duomo
(Link to Conference Page)On August 27-29, 2000, an international Shroud conference titled "Sindone 2000" and organized by Emanuela Marinelli, was held in a palace in the beautiful town of Orvieto, Italy, famous for its medieval cathedral. Several months later, we created a dedicated page on this website for the conference that listed all the presentations and speakers. At that time, we were able to include links to six of the papers that had been presented at the three day event. There were not nearly as many people using computers and the internet in 2000 as there are today, but it is 23 years later and the world has changed. Recently, Emanuela sent me pdf versions of every paper that was presented at the event and suggested we update our Orvieto Worldwide Conference page and include all of them in one place. We agreed and, as of November 2023, that page now includes links to every presentation that was given at the conference, the conference program, a selection of photographs, an Index and much more.
Where a paper was originally presented in English, an Italian translation of the Abstract is provided. Where a paper was presented in Italian, an English translation of the Abstract is provided. All files are unlocked so you can copy and quote from them or use an online translation service to translate them. Our sincere thanks to Emanuela for organizing the successful event 23 years ago and for sending us the 130+ pdf files that now make that page complete! Grazie Emanuela! [Editor's Note: I should point out that it was at this conference that Joe Marino and Sue Benford first presented their invisible reweave theory].
Posted November 27, 2023
New Sindon Spin-off Publication, Agora, Now Available
New Sindon Spin-off Publication, Agora, Now Available
(Link to Sindon Online English Language Page)On October 9, 2023 I received the following e-mail from the Centro Internazionale Studi sulla Sindone (International Center for the Study of the Shroud) or CISS, in Turin and wanted to share it with you here:
Dear members and friends,
With this issue we inaugurate Sindon Agora. It is a spin off of Sindon with no fixed issue dates, on which we will publish, at the Scientific Committee's discretion, texts or topics with the aim of stimulating discussion on open problems deemed to be of interest without intending to fix the state of the art on the subject. Whose contents do not necessarily reflect the views of the CISS.In March 2020, a symposium on the history of the shroud of Turin was to take place at the Archives of Aube in Troyes, France. The objective of the symposium was to address conflicting historical hypotheses on the shroud of Turin by openly discussing their contradictions. All participants had prepared their talk to be presented. However, the symposium was canceled two weeks before it was to take place due to the COVID-19 pandemic that started to spread worldwide. A year later, several authors who were to present at the symposium accepted to write a paper on the subject of their talk. This issue of Sindon Agor� presents six accepted papers.
Enrico Simonato
Secretary, CISSAnd in Italian as well:
Cari membri e amici,
Con questo numero inauguriamo Sindon Agor�. � uno spin -off di Sindon senza data di emissione fissa . Verranno pubblicati, a discrezione del comitato scientifico, testi o argomenti con l'obiettivo di stimolare la discussione su problemi aperti ritenuti di interesse senza intendere necessariamente, di definire lo stato del arte sull'argomento. I contenuti inoltre, non riflettono necessariamente le opinioni del CISS.Nel marzo 2020, avrebbe dovuto svolgersi negli archivi di Aube a Troyes, in Francia, un simposio sulla storia del sudario di Torino. L'obiettivo era quello di affrontare ipotesi storiche contrastanti sulla Sindone, discutendo apertamente le loro contraddizioni. Tutti i partecipanti avevano preparato i loro interventi per essere presentati. Tuttavia, il simposio � stato cancellato due settimane prima che si svolgesse a causa della pandemia di Covid-19 che inizi� a diffondersi in tutto il mondo. In seguito, diversi autori che avrebbero dovuto partecipare al simposio hanno accettato di scrivere un documento sull'argomento del loro intervento. Questo numero di Sindon Agor� presenta sei articoli accettati da un ristretto comitato di revisione.
Enrico Simonato
Segretario, CISSClick on the above cover photograph to go directly to the Sindon Online English Language Page where you can access all recent issues.
Posted November 27, 2023
BSTS Newsletter Issue #94, Winter 2021 Added to Archive
BSTS Newsletter Issue #94, Winter 2021 Added to Archive We are happy to report that BSTS Newsletter Issue #94, Winter 2021, has been added to our permanent BSTS Newsletter Archives page. Issues are permanently archived on this website twelve to eighteen months after they are published by the Society. Our thanks to Editor Michael Kowalski for keeping us in the loop.
This issue includes articles by such notable Shroud scholars as David Rolfe, Andrew Willie, Josep Fernandez Capo, Pam Moon, Brenda Benton, Emanuela Marinelli, Giulio Fanti and Michael Kowalski.
Posted November 27, 2023
Six More Collegamento pro Sindone Printed Issues Added to Archive
Collegamento pro Sindone Issue #77
(Link to Collegamento pro Sindone archive on Shroud.com)Our archive of all the earlier printed issues of the Italian language journal Collegamento pro Sindone (1985-2000) has been updated with six more issues (from January to December 1997), all of which can be found on the Collegamento pro Sindone page here on Shroud.com, with eighty issues now available in the archive. Our sincere thanks to our dear friends Emanuela Marinelli and her brother, Maurizio Marinelli, for making them available to us.
The journal started publication of their print edition in February of 1985 and continued doing so through 2000, when they discontinued the printed version in favor of publishing it solely on their website. As the printed issues grew in size and scope of content, their importance as a credible Shroud journal also grew. Starting with their January-February 1986 issue, they published six issues each year for the next fifteen years, so the archive will eventually include all of those early printed issues. Our sincerest thanks to Emanuela and all of the respected Shroud scholars and researchers who contributed to make this journal such an important resource.
Posted November 27, 2023
News From STERA, Inc.
Our Once-a-Year Fundraising Drive Starts Today
November 27, 2023
STERA, Inc. Secure Contribution Form As regular visitors know, STERA, Inc. holds only one fundraising event a year, and today's update launches our 2023 annual fundraising effort to support the website and our other long term projects. As we have stated previously, with the large number of visitors we have each year, we could generate substantial revenue by allowing advertising on the site (like most websites do), but we have never allowed ads in our 28 year history and have no intention of allowing them in the future! That means that we need your support to help make up the difference and every contribution is fully tax deductible. As President of STERA, Inc., I am obligated to solicit contributions from our viewers and subscribers, just like every other non-profit in the world. However, unlike most non-profits, we prefer not to bombard you with continuous requests for contributions (which I am sure you appreciate). But now, that time has come again so here are some reminders of the ways you can support STERA, Inc.
The newest method for supporting STERA, Inc. is via "Deal Aid," which allows you to shop and save money at thousands of popular online retailers while they donate to STERA, Inc. at no cost to you. Unlike some other platforms that only donate 0.5% of their proceeds to the charity of your choice, Deal Aid will donate up to 50% of sales on each order. This is a great new way to support STERA, Inc. without spending anything beyond your normal online purchases.
Another means of supporting STERA, Inc. is via "Giving Assistant," which allows you to shop at more than 3000 of your favorite brand-name stores and receive cash back for all your purchases. You can then specify what percentage of your cash back earnings you would like to have automatically donated directly to STERA, Inc. We already have several supporters using this method and we encourage our viewers who shop online to help support us this way. You can save money and help STERA, Inc. at the same time!
We have also joined with eBay For Charity to provide an additional way to support Shroud.com and STERA, Inc. You can use it whether buying or selling on eBay and a percentage that you designate is donated to STERA, Inc.
You can also support STERA, Inc. and Shroud.com by purchasing items directly from our Website Store page. With the holidays fast approaching, you might want to review some of the items we make available, including a miniature Shroud replica, a set of high quality lithographic prints, several different Shroud transparencies in backlit PhotoGlow frames, a new, fine art print of the Shroud face and a number of DVD's. Any of them would make great gifts for your favorite Shroudie! Order by December 1st for Christmas delivery.
Of course, we have also made it very easy to safely make a tax deductible contribution online using PayPal or your credit or debit card via our Secure Contribution Form (or by clicking on the graphic at left or at the top of this article). Once on the page, just click the orange "Donate" button and follow the simple on screen instructions.The form also includes details on how you can contribute by Mail via check or even by telephone. Naturally, we hope many of you will contribute generously since we must rely in part on our viewers for financial support. We understand that you are constantly being asked to donate to many worthwhile organizations and hope you will consider STERA, Inc. and Shroud.com worthy of your support. As further incentive and to express our gratitude for your contributions, we are offering contributors a number of excellent gifts for their support. We thank you in advance for your consideration and generosity.
Barrie Schwortz
President, STERA, Inc.Posted November 27, 2023
Recently Published Papers & Articles
Evaluation of the potential role of skin contact and transfer in the
Maillard hypothesis of image formation on the Shroud of Turin
by Kelly P. KearseThere are fifteen new papers added to the website in today's update! All have also been permanently archived on the Scientific Papers & Articles page (alphabetically by title) and the Website Library page (alphabetically by author) or, when appropriate, on the Religion and Philosophy page (alphabetically by title) and the Website Library page (alphabetically by author). Since there are far too many to include on this page, we are only including one here and have once again created a separate pdf file that includes all of the links and descriptions listed chronologically, with the most recent paper at the top of the list, all in a single file that you can download and view at your convenience (see link below).
Evaluation of the potential role of skin contact and transfer in the Maillard hypothesis of image formation on the Shroud of Turin by Kelly P. Kearse - Journal of Historical Archaeology and Anthropological Sciences - July 5, 2023 - Here is an excerpt from the Abstract: "The mechanism for creation of the faint ventral and dorsal images of a man on the Shroud of Turin is unknown. It has been suggested that image formation involves oxidation and dehydration of the cellulose present in the linen, or, alternatively, that a superficial residue on the surface of the cloth is responsible for creating colored products through the Maillard reaction. One of the major criticisms of the latter hypothesis is that gaseous diffusion is not sufficient to result in the detailed bodily structures present on the cloth. Recently, it was proposed that additional substrates might also participate in the Maillard reaction, specifically proteins and amino acids present in skin, helping to increase the detail of any image produced�"
Recently Published Papers & Articles - November 2023 - This is a link to a single pdf document file that includes links to all of the papers and articles featured in today's update. Authors represented include Joseph G. Marino, Kelly Kearse, William Lauto, Giovanni Fazio, Andrew R. Casper, Jose Carlos Espriella, Edwin Stok, Larry Stalley and Stephen J. Lukasik. You can either read it now or simply download the pdf file and review the links and materials at your leisure.
Posted November 27, 2023
Recently Published Books
Recently Published Books A number of new Shroud related books were published since our last update so we are listing them here and have also permanently archived the new titles on the Shroud of Turin Booklist page (alphabetically by author). To make it easy to find the newest additions, we have annotated the listings with "(Added 27 NOV 2023)" so you can simply search for that phrase on the Booklist page should you forget the titles.
The Shroud: Face to Face by Robert Orlando
Here is an exerpt from the online description:
"...When Orlando was first approached about making a documentary about the Shroud of Turin, he was skeptical of the project�and the Shroud itself. Then he came across conflicting opinions in history and science. This, along with his desire to learn more about the life of Jesus and make sense about the final things, led him to investigate �a new crime scene.� This book was inspired by his new documentary with the same title... Through his scholarly research and his detective work, Orlando fascinatingly connects historical, archaeological, scientific, art, and theological research..."
Publisher: Sophia Institute Press (November 21, 2023)
ASIN: B0BZK4D6FZ
Language: English
Paperback: 176 pages
ISBN-13: 979-8889110286
Ancient of Ways (Kindle Edition) by Linda Berlin
Includes an entry on the Shroud. Free to read with Kindle account or available for purchase. Here is the online description:
"Personal interpretations and imagery from masters of religious art depicting the living Presence. A number of the artists are historically well known as religious visionaries, while others in this work have been privileged to be drawn into the fringes of this genre for the sake of the inspiration. Each image can be appreciated for its contribution to the visionary possibilities active in the deeper mind of every soul. Artistic sensibilities can refer us to higher aesthetic sensitivities when properly motivated."
Publisher: Kindle (November 9, 2023)
ASIN: B0CMZLBBSR
Language: English
File size: 32670 KB
The Holy Fire and the Divine Photography - The Image of the Holy Shroud of Christ by Giulio Fanti and Robert Siefker
Here is the online description:
"The information presented in this book will startle the world. For centuries, the authenticity of the Holy Shroud has been argued about. Skeptics push their negative opinion based on a few highly questionable clues, while the authenticists continue to detect new facts confirming that the Relic wrapped the corpse of Jesus Christ and that the body image impressed on it was produced by a source of energy generated during the Resurrection. What is world-changing is that to explain this "impossible image" of a tortured and crucified man, the book presents a startling new hypothesis, the "Divine Photograph" taken at the instant of the Resurrection, based on a phenomenon, the "Miracle of the Holy Fire" that manifests on every Holy Saturday at the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. As this amazing relationship becomes more broadly known, the world will be shocked."
Publisher: Jenny Stanford Publishing (October 6, 2023)
Hardcover: 378 pages
Language: English
ISBN-13: 978-9814968911
Turin Shroud: The Fifth Gospel, A Scientific and Legal Case for the Resurrection by Mickey Ridings, JD
Also available on the author's website: Jabez Books. Here is an excerpt from the online description:
"Today, we live in a time of images, photos, and videos that we continuously show others. Why? Because we love the person pictured. Thus, if my heavenly Father left a photo of His Son Jesus and His passion whom we love, I want to know about it and show it to others. The Shroud is one of the most scientifically investigated artifacts in the world. Numerous scientists, authors, researchers, and experts have published abundant literature. Notable figures, such as Rogers, Habermas, Jackson, Rucker, Whanger, Antonacci, Schwortz, and many more, have contributed to the ongoing dialogue. This book merges the phenomenal works of these experts with the scriptures, historical and physical evidence to create a comprehensive narrative..."
Publisher: The Writers Tree (October 5, 2023)
Paperback: 201 pages
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1312042826
ISBN-13: 978-1312042827
"Il tuo volto, Signore, io cerco". Mario Moroni, un uomo davanti alla Sindone ("Your face, Lord, I seek." Mario Moroni, a man in front of the Shroud) by Mario Moroni
Also available on the publisher's website (in Italian): YouCanPrint or view a Google English translation of the Amazon webpage. Here is an English language translation of the online description:
"The volume collects the main works selected on the basis of the four main areas of research on the Shroud of Turin in which Mario Moroni has worked over the course of almost forty years. In particular: the numismatics of the time of Jesus; the iconography of the Savior; the mechanism of formation of the Shroud image and the dating of the fabric. These topics are nowadays open problems, questions that stimulate debate and discussion on this extraordinary object. "
Publisher: YouCanPrint (September 1, 2023)
Paperback: 490 pages
Language: Italian
ISBN-10: 8831626213
ISBN-13: 978-8831626217
The End Is Now Coming: God's Urgent Warning to His Church and the Nations by Ken Bailey
Although the author is best known for his prophetic messages released on videos worldwide and this book is not specifically about the Shroud, it does include one chapter dedicated to it. Also available in paperback and Kindle. Here are some excerpts from the online description:
"Could God raise up a man today, as He did in the days of Noah, to warn the world that the Wrath of God is soon going to come upon the Earth? Is the end now coming? Is this the end of the world as we currently know it? Does God still do signs, wonders, and miracles? Can people still receive visions from God today, as they have in the past? Is there really a place called heaven and a place called hell? Is the Shroud of Turin really the burial cloth of Jesus Christ?"
ASIN: B0CJ6QDPRN
Publisher: Ken Bailey (August 31, 2023)
Hardcover: 286 pages
Language: English
ISBN-13: 979-8988768715
Posted November 27, 2023
Shroud Related Videos and Audios
The Shroud of Turin is 100% Real! (w/ Dr. Gilbert Lavoie, MD) In what has now become the "new normal," there were literally hundreds of new Shroud related videos and audios released over the past few months. Although we try to screen out many of the less important ones, we were still left with thirteen pages of new video and audio content! This is thanks in large part to the extensive, ongoing research done by Joe Marino, who sends out a weekly e-mail newsletter listing everything new about the Shroud that he finds on the internet. We typically screen these and select the best ones to include in our updates. If you are interested in an even larger selection of videos than we post here, as well as other Shroud news, papers, podcasts, etc., just send an email to JMarino240@aol.com to request being added to his list. Everyone on the list is blind-copied, and one can ask at any time to be removed.
Today's update includes a huge selection of links to interviews with or presentations by many notable Shroud scholars, from both scientific and religious points of view. However, intentionally absent are any videos or websites that use Artificial Intelligence to recreate the image of Jesus based on the Shroud (and there are a lot of them). I have received dozens of these over the past year and the most ironic part is that they are all different! It is a perfect example of why the technology is not scientifically viable at this point in time (at least not for that purpose). Still, if you want to see what is out there, simply go to Google and search on "shroud of turin ai." You will get over 1.4 million responses! As always, there were far too many entries to include on this page, so we have once again created a separate pdf file that includes all of the links and descriptions in a single file that you can download and view at your convenience (see link below). Items are listed in chronological order with the most recent at the top of the list.
The Shroud of Turin is 100% Real! (w/ Dr. Gilbert Lavoie, MD) - The Cordial Catholic - October 18, 2023 - Video (1:00:37) - Here is an excerpt from the online description: "In this episode I'm joined by Dr. Gilbert Lavoie, MD to talk about the incredible Shroud of Turin. Dr. Lavoie, a medical doctor who has undertaken a more than 40 year forensic study of the Shroud, shares his incredible insights on what is supposedly the burial cloth of Jesus, venerated by Christians for 2,000 years"
Shroud Related Videos and Audios - November 2023 - Link to a single pdf document file that includes a compilation of links to Shroud related videos, radio programs and podcasts that appeared online in the past few months. You can simply download the pdf file and review the materials and links at your leisure.
Posted November 27, 2023
The Shroud on the Internet
Redemptorist Archive Library
(Link to new website)Although this section is not as extensive as the videos and audios section mentioned above, there are still six pages of links to new internet content in today's update! Of course, we can't include everything on this page, so we have once again created a separate pdf file that includes all of the links and descriptions in a single file that you can download and view at your convenience (see link below). Items in that file are listed in chronological order with the most recent at the top of the list.
Redemptorist Archive Library - The Redemptorists - Link to new website available online since April 2023 - Here is a link to an article about the Library: Redemptorist Archives Library Catalog Available Online. Here is an excerpt from that article: "The Redemptorists of the Baltimore and Denver Provinces are pleased to announce that their archive library catalog is now available live in an online format. Eventually, any book or pamphlet contained in the Redemptorist Archive Library collections in Philadelphia can be made known with an internet connection and a few key strokes. The catalog currently holds records for more than 6,000 books in our 25,000-volume collection� It also houses special collections that include one of the largest sets of books anywhere on the Shroud of Turin�"
The Shroud on the Internet - November 2023 - Link to a single pdf document file that includes a compilation of links to various Shroud related websites and internet articles that appeared online in the past few months. You can simply download the pdf file and review the materials and links at your leisure.
Posted November 27, 2023
And In Other News...
Our good friend Alfonso Sánchez Hermosilla, EDICES Director and member of the Centro Español di Sindonologia (CES) in Spain, recently sent us word of a conference that was being held on November 4, 2023. Unfortunately, we received notice of the event between our regular webite updates so could not report on it in advance, but we are happy to report that the conference was successfully held as scheduled. We will provide additional information about the event in a future update. Here is the message we received from Alfonso:
"Good morning, From EDICES, in collaboration with the University of Murcia, (Spain), and with the Municipality of Abarín (Murcia), we are organizing Scientific Conferences on the Shroud of Turin and the Sudarium of Oviedo. Attached is the (Spanish language) Press Dossier and the Poster announcing the Conference.
"In another vein, next year, 2024, marks the 30th anniversary of the First International Congress on the Sudarium of Oviedo, and for this reason, the Spanish Center of Sindonology will organize commemorative events both in Valencia and in Oviedo during the year 2024, the dates and contents have not yet been fully determined. But I'll keep you posted... A cordial greeting, Alfonso Sánchez Hermosilla, EDICES Director."**********We recently reported that our good friend Edwin Stok in the Netherlands was greatly moved by an article he read on this website in our archive of Dorothy Crispino's journal, Shroud Spectrum International. It was the story of Josephine Woollam that appeared in the June 1985 Issue #15 in an article by Charles Foley titled, More Than I Went to Ask For. Edwin immediately volunteered to create or obtain translations so we could include them here as well. If you click on the Issue #15 link above, it will take you to that issue where you will find translations for that article now available in Italian, Polish, French, Dutch, German, Finnish, Spanish, Romanian, Hungarian, Czech and Afrikaans languages! Roll your mouse over the individual language links to see the author of each translation. Thank you Edwin! UPDATE: We are particularly grateful to Alexandra Cherciu who graciously volunteered her professional skills to create the Romanian translations of that and another article in that issue.
Posted November 27, 2023
Our Next Update
Our next update goes online January 21, 2024 and marks our 28th Anniversary on the internet! So join us as we celebrate another successful year of providing you with the most up-to-date information on the Shroud of Turin. Of course, it will include the latest papers, books, articles, podcasts, videos, audios and any breaking Shroud news. To be sure you don't miss any important Shroud information as it occurs, check our STERA, Inc. Facebook page from time to time, since Joe Marino now updates it to keep you informed between our regular website updates.
You can also join our Website Mailing List and receive an e-mail whenever the site is updated (3 or 4 times per year) or when any important Shroud news breaks. Note that mailing list subscribers have access to special offers not available to the general public. If you are already a subscriber but have changed your e-mail address recently, please remember that we are a self-subscribed mailing list and you have to update your e-mail address or you will stop receiving our quarterly updates. This is easily accomplished by clicking on the Update Profile link at the bottom of every e-mail we send. And finally, thank you for your dedicated patronage and support of STERA, Inc. It is truly appreciated. Let me also take this opportunity to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a joyous and healthy New Year! See you in January!
Barrie Schwortz
Editor & Founder, Shroud.com
President, STERA, Inc.Posted November 27, 2023
Summer Update! July 6, 2023
National Museum of Funeral History
Permanent Shroud Exhibit
Photo © 2023 Myra AdamsOn more than one occasion in the past few years, I have written here that our current website update is the largest in the long history of this site. Well, after today's update, all those previous claims are totally invalid! Without doubt, today's update is far and away the largest we have ever published! The Lenten season has historically been our busiest time of year, and this year was no exception. The only difference is that this year, the amount of information that came out about the Shroud is an order of magnitude greater than any update before it. In fact, that is why our Spring update has been delayed so long that it has now become our Summer update! As you will see, there is an extraordinary amount of new material for you to digest.
We lead off with the sad news of the passing of Larry Schwalbe, original STURP team member from Los Alamos National Laboratory. Next is a feature article on all the permanent Shroud Exhibits in North America. We have also added six more issues to the Collegamento pro Sindone archive and have included news of the latest issue of Sindon. This update also includes twenty new papers, links to many new internet articles, six recently published books, links to several important new Shroud websites and much more. However, the largest addition to today's update are fourteen pages of new videos and audios, including interviews with and presentations by many notable Shroud scholars. Those should keep you busy until Christmas! Although not mentioned elsewhere in today's update, please note that the Shroud Speakers Directory page has also been updated. - Barrie Schwortz, Editor
Here is the Update Table of Contents:
- In Memoriam - Larry Schwalbe
- Shroud Exhibits: More Than Meets The Eye!
- New Issue #6 of Sindon Now Available
- This just in! Latest BSTS Newsletter Summer Issue #97 Now Available
- Six More Collegamento pro Sindone Printed Issues Added to Archive
- Postgraduate Certificate in Shroud Studies 2023-2024
- David Rolfe on Social Media
- Eating My Own Words!
- Recently Published Papers & Articles
- Recently Published Books
- Shroud Related Videos and Audios
- The Shroud on the Internet
- And In Other News...
- Our Next Update
In Memoriam
Larry Schwalbe
1945-2023
(Photo taken at the 2001 Dallas Shroud Conference)It is with the deepest regret and sadness that I must report that Larry Schwalbe, STURP team physicist from Los Alamos National Laboratory, died on January 31, 2023 after a long illness. We extend our sincerest sympathies and heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and colleagues. Although one of the lesser known Shroud scholars (Larry avoided giving interviews and making public statements), he was definitely one of the truly important and dedicated members of the team and his contributions to Shroud science were many. In fact, his final scientific paper on the Shroud, co-authored with fellow STURP team member Sam Pellicori, was published on January 30, 2023, the day before he died! You will find that paper featured in the Recently Published Papers & Articles section of today's update. In spite of his long term illness, he never lost his quick wit and his wonderful sense of humor, even in the last days of his life. For those of us fortunate enough to have known him, he will always be remembered as a brilliant and honest scientist and an overall great guy! Rest in Peace my friend. - Barrie Schwortz
Below are some of the many comments I received from his friends and colleagues at the news of his passing. I am starting with the memorial I received from Sam Pellicori, Larry's most recent and final Shroud colleague, followed by the response to Sam's comments with some additional information from Larry's widow Jan.
Larry was born in Austin, Tx on 2/3/1945 and died in Florida on 1/ 31/ 2023. He contracted polio at the age of 21/2 and had many surgeries and aches and falls, but never complained. Larry earned his BS in engineering Physics, MS and PhD in in solid state physics from the University of Illinois. He was a member of Tau Beta Pi, the Engineering Honor Society, that recognizes outstanding academic achievement. He worked at Los Alamos National Labs from 1975 to 2005. Spend time at the Pentagon 1998 to 2002. He received an achievement award for Los Alamos National Lab for his "leadership in the programmatic development of the Theater Missile Defense Project". Larry had an analytical mind and kept his college math and textbooks for easy reference. He loved classical music and red wine. He volunteered his time to help others.
Larry never lost interest in Shroud research. He worked closely with Ray Rogers and other members of the STURP group analyzing results and co-authored several peer-reviewed science-based papers dealing with Shroud science and conservation. He performed x-ray fluorescence analysis to identify and quantify elemental concentrations of iron and calcium. His final work, co-authored by STURP member Samuel Pellicori, analyzed the spectrophotometric colorimetry and fluorimetry data that was collected in 1978. This was published a couple months before his passing. Larry and I had discussed a follow-on analysis concerning the distribution and concentration of iron.
He and his wife, Janice, retired to Florida. Larry leaves his wife of 55 years and two daughters and a granddaughter. Family, friends, and colleagues will miss his wit, humor, good nature and scientific rigor.
Sam Pellicori**********Larry received all three degrees from University of Illinois. They are titled "Bachelor of Science in Engineering Physics", "Master of Science", and "Doctor of Philosophy". From what I can remember, his interest was solid state physics. I know that for his PhD he had to grow an argon crystal. He got it grown, but one day it just fell over, so he had to begin again. He must have succeeded because he did get his degree. He was also a member of Tau Beta Pi, whatever that is. I also found an achievement award for Los Alamos National Lab for his " leadership in the programmatic development of the Theater Missile Defense Project." I'm so glad that his last days were doing a project for the Shroud. He was happy doing it. Thank you for your concern and regard for him. And have a blessed Easter.
Jan Schwalbe**********We have lost one of our giants in the Shroud world with the passing of Larry Schwalbe on January 31, 2023. His status as an important and respected physicist at Los Alamos National Laboratories for 30 years was very impressive, as was his additional 4 years of work at the Pentagon. And, it is because of his professional credentials as a scientist that he was tapped to become an original team member for the Shroud of Turin Research Project ("STURP.") And, with his membership on the STURP team, he embarked upon a lifelong quest to study, investigate, understand and scientifically explain the physical and chemical nature of the blood and body images on the Shroud of Turin, and to determine what could -and could not-have formed these images... Continue reading.
Teddi Pappas**********Thank you very much Barrie. This is indeed very sad news. Most sincerely,
Gilbert Lavoie, MD**********My condolences to the family as I didn't know Larry personally nor had opportunity to work with him on my show, but his work on the Shroud has been a God send and so he will be greatly missed. That said, I greatly look forward to speaking with him in Heaven someday.
Dale Glover**********I am shocked by the sad news! I had just set up an online meeting with him for next week with an Italian researcher who could help us better understand the chemistry of body image formation! I'm really sorry not to have such a good HS scholar with us anymore, but on the other hand now he can really see Jesus of HS in the face! God be with you, Larry!
Giulio Fanti**********I was shocked to get this email about Larry. He emailed me on Jan 28 to ask for some information from a paper I had published. I told him I was traveling and would get back to him on Feb. 1 when I returned and had access to my files. He told me to enjoy my trip. May he find eternal rest and happiness. Sincerely,
Tom McAvoy**********My sincere condolences! R.i.P.
Gertrud Traudl Wally**********I have read the sad news about Larrry Schwalbe and so... I want to add my deepest condolences... May his Soul rest in Peace ... Gone but not forgotten! Regards,
Piero Iacazio**********Larry and I first met at the Dallas Shroud Conference in 2000 and had been working together on various Shroud-related projects on and off since then. He was a great researcher and a first rate scientist who possessed a wonderful dry sense of humor. We became professional friends over those years and I learned a lot from him. His desire for precision and rigor rubbed off on me. I will miss him greatly since he and I used to bounce Shroud ideas (among other matters) off one another from time to time and he always had interesting insights. He mixed his scientific interests with his family life and was very much a family man. He loved his family and had recently begun bragging about his new grandchild. He was also very involved in his local Church and truly was a faith-filled man. He and I last communicated last Spring. I had not had a chance to communicate with him since then due to some medical issues of my own which I have fortunately been able to manage. May God grant him eternal rest and comfort his family at this difficult time.
Bryan Walsh**********I also express my sadness at Larry's passing. He had written to me some time ago, asking if I was available to collaborate in a research on the colorimetry of the Shroud, but unfortunately there was no time to define the project. May God's light illuminate him for eternity.
Christian Privitere**********My sincere condolences to Larry Schwalbe's family. Though he could be very quiet, Larry and I enjoyed hours of personal discussions regarding the Shroud and other topics. Larry wrote the Foreword for Ken Stevenson and my book, "Verdict on the Shroud" (1981) which we appreciated immensely. He was a good friend.
Gary Habermas**********Posted July 6, 2023
Updated December 9, 2023
Shroud Exhibits: More Than Meets The Eye!
Genevieve Keeney-Vazquez, National Museum of Funeral History Curator
and Rudolph Dichtl, STURP team member, at the Grand Opening of
"The Most Famous Burial of All Time: The Shroud of Turin"The recent opening of a permanent Shroud exhibit titled, The Most Famous Burial of All Time: The Shroud of Turin, at the National Museum of Funeral History in Houston, Texas, created quite a media storm and put the Shroud in the news again. Unfortunately, one local reporter from the Texas Catholic Herald incorrectly claimed that the above mentioned exhibit was the only permanent exhibit in the United States and this was immediately picked up and repeated by many media outlets around the world (as is so often the case). Once the news broke, we started getting e-mails from the other permanent Shroud exhibits around the country and I realized I was going to have to write an article setting the record straight. Then, enter Nora Creech, dedicated Shroud scholar and co-organizer of the Houston exhibit (and deeply involved with the permanent exhibit of the Shroud Center of Southern California), who took it upon herself (with the help of her husband Dennis Creech) to create a new website with a page dedicated exclusively to the various permanent Shroud exhibits in North America. Here is a link to the awesome Shroud Exhibits page of Nora's new website, Shroud of Turin Educator.
Since I was a direct participant in the grand opening of the Houston exhibit, and because several of the attendees sent me some great photographs of the event, I am including, as a separate pdf file, an overview of that event, some relevant links and a large selection of photographs courtesy of Myra Adams and Guy Powell. Since Nora's Shroud Exhibits page has all the details and lists all the exhibits here in North America (including a nice map), in this article I will only include brief descriptions and direct links to the Shroud content on their websites. Let's begin:
- National Museum of Funeral History - "The Most Famous Burial of All Time: The Shroud of Turin" - Houston, Texas - Link to separate pdf file that includes an overview of the Grand Opening event, a large selection of photographs and links to other relevant content
- Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament - Hanceville, Alabama - Displays lifesize backlit natural color and black & white photographs of the Shroud. (Scroll down their page for details)
- Shroud Center of Southern California at Santiago Retreat Center - Silverado, Orange County, California - Features lifesize backlit natural color and black & white photographs of the Shroud and more
- Turin Shroud Center of Colorado - Colorado Springs, Colorado - Hosted by STURP co-founder, Dr. John Jackson
- The Shroud of Turin: A Story of Hope - St. Brendan the Navigator Catholic Church - Cumming, Georgia - Presents a museum-quality exhibit that tells the complete story of the Resurrection and Ascension
- Man of the Shroud Touring Exhibit - National Shrine of St. Maximilian Kolbe at Marytown - Libertyville, Illinois - Exhibit contains a lifesize replica of the Shroud and 60 information panels detailing the history and science of the Shroud
- The Shroud - St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church - Ann Arbor, Michigan - The exhibit was produced by APRA Othonia and the Legionaries of Christ and had been on display in Sacramento, California for the last decade. It is identical to the permanent exhibits on display at the Notre Dame Center in Jerusalem and at the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum university in Rome. We featured this exhibit in our December 5, 2022 update.
- Shroud Exhibit and Museum - iSEAM - Alamogordo, New Mexico - Founded by VP-8 expert Pete Schumacher, the museum offers a free Turin Shroud interactive exhibit including a professionally back-lit, full-sized 1:1, high-resolution, color spectrum accurate 1978 Shroud photograph along with one of only a few operational VP8 Image Analyzers on open and interactive display.
- Holy Face Exhibition - Holy Face Association - Montreal, Canada and Champlain, New York - Be sure to visit their Exhibitions page.
- Sacred Cloths of the Passion - Faith Based Communications - Las Vegas, Nevada - Itinerant exhibit as part of the presentations made by host, Richard Bernatchez.
- Who is the Man of the Shroud? - Pilgrim Center of Hope - San Antonio, Texas - Includes a full-size, certified replica of the Shroud of Turin and full-size, illuminated photographic negatives of the Shroud image.
- The Man of the Shroud Exhibit - Richmond Shroud of Turin Center - Richmond, Virginia - Founded by Bryan Walsh, this link to the center's Facebook page.
- Shroud of Turin Replica Exhibit - Catholic Information Center - Washington, DC - On display is a lifesize replica of the Shroud presented by Turin to the Museum of the Bible and on temporary loan to the Catholic Information Center. Although not a permanent exhibit, it is hoped it will be the forerunner of a permanent National Shroud of Turin Exhibit in Washington, DC.
- Man of the Shroud Exhibit - Vancouver Shroud Association - Vancouver, BC, Canada - Itinerant (but permanent) exhibit that is displayed at various parishes in Canada, espcecially during the Lenten season.
It seems that Shroud exhibits are popping up everywhere, even where it is least expected. A perfect example of this is a new permanent Shroud exhibit not here in North America, but in Hong Kong! STERA, Inc. was privileged to provide a lifesize replica and lifesize backlit transparencies to Fr. Gervais Baudry at the Ss. Peter and Paul Church in Hong Kong. It is part of a larger exhibit on display in the church and open to the public called ARMA CHRISTI, where replicas of the instruments of the Passion are also on display. Fr. Baudry was kind enough to send us a nice selection of photographs of their beautiful exhibit, so we are including them here in a separate pdf file named Hong Kong Exhibit.
And finally, although we have focused this article on permanent Shroud exhibits, there is one more exhibit we wish to include. It is an interesting exhibit put together by volunteers and students in Molango de Escamilla Hidalgo, M�xico named the Museo de la S�bana Santa. It is planned to become a permanent exhibit for Easter 2024. One of the primary organizers is Engineer Luis Jes�s Castro Corona, who was kind enough to send us some details and a selection of photographs, which we are including here in a separate pdf file named Museum Molango. Our best wishes to Luis and his group for great success in turning their temporary exhibit into a permanent one in the near future. Muchas gracias Luis!
Posted July 6, 2023
New Issue #6 of Sindon Now Available
Sindon Issue No. 6 Now Available
(Link to Sindon Online English Language Page)We are happy to report that the latest issue of Sindon (No. 6), has recently been added to the Sindon online archive. The archive also includes the earlier Italian language issues N1 from October 1959 through N19 from April 1974. In addition, the CISS has also added an Index that covers all the early issues. Just click on the INDEX SINDON link to open the pdf file. Articles in this latest issue include "Russia�Theology of the Icon in the Orthodox Church," "Gabriele and Alfonso Paleotti: Two Examples of Devotion to the Shroud in the Renaissance," "Worship and Christian Piety for the Shroud from 1973 to Today," "Haematohydrosis in Luke 22.44 - Clinical Evidence or Literary Analogy?" and "Veneration of the Holy Shroud: Meditation of His Holiness Benedict XVI." To make it easy for viewers to access the journal, the CISS has kindly provided both English Language and Italian Language gateway pages on their website. The early issues are provided in pdf format and of course, are primarily in Italian, although all the new issues are presented in both Italian and English. The page continues to be updated with more of the earlier issues, so check back from time to time. Once again, our sincere thanks to Enrico Simonato and all our friends at the CISS for preserving this important resource and creating new issues in the same excellent tradition.
Posted July 6, 2023
This just in! Latest BSTS Newsletter Summer Issue #97 Now Available
Latest BSTS Newsletter Summer Issue #97 Now Available This information arrived on Friday, July 7th, one day after we updated this website, so we are adding it here today. We are pleased to announce that the Summer Issue #97 of the British Society for the Turin Shroud (BSTS) Newsletter is now available online. This latest issue features articles by such notable Shroud scholars as Michael Kowalski, Teddi Pappas, John Loken, David Rolfe, Jack Markwardt, Michael D. Winterburn, Steve Mattingly, J. Read Erwin and Richard E. Stanley, Jr.. The latest online issues are available by subscription only via the BSTS Newsletter website at the above links and those issues will be archived here on Shroud.com after 12 months. You can also quickly access the archive of all the previous BSTS Newsletter issues on the BSTS Newsletter Archive page here on Shroud.com, which currently includes Issues #1 through #93 and five monographs. Michael also sent us back Issue #94, which we will add in our next website update.
Posted July 7, 2023
Six More Collegamento pro Sindone Printed Issues Added to Archive
Collegamento pro Sindone Issue #74
(Link to Collegamento pro Sindone archive on Shroud.com)Our archive of all the earlier printed issues of the Italian language journal Collegamento pro Sindone (1985-2000) has been updated with six more issues (from January to December 1996), all of which can be found on the Collegamento pro Sindone page here on Shroud.com, with seventy-four issues now available in the archive. Our sincere thanks to our dear friends Emanuela Marinelli and her brother, Maurizio Marinelli, for making them available to us.
The journal started publication of their print edition in February of 1985 and continued doing so through 2000, when they discontinued the printed version in favor of publishing it solely on their website. As the printed issues grew in size and scope of content, their importance as a credible Shroud journal also grew. Starting with their January-February 1986 issue, they published six issues each year for the next fifteen years, so the archive will eventually include all 90 of those early printed issues. Our sincerest thanks to Emanuela and all of the respected Shroud scholars and researchers who contributed to make this journal such an important resource.
Posted July 6, 2023
Postgraduate Certificate in Shroud Studies 2023-2024
Postgraduate Certificate in Shroud Studies 2023-2024
Ateneo Pontificio Regina Apostolorum
(Link to English Language Web Page)The Ateneo Pontificio Regina Apostolorum in Rome, Italy, is again offering (for the eighth consecutive year), their Postgraduate Certificate in Shroud Studies for 2023-2024. The in-depth courses offered are in collaboration with the International Center of Studies on the Shroud (Turin) and the Giulio Ricci Diocesan Center of Sindonology (Rome). Their website features an introductory video by Fr. Andrew Dalton, LC, eligibility requirements for admission, a detailed schedule and much more. Teachers and lecturers for the courses read like a Who's Who in Shroud scholarship. Here's a list: Nello Balossino, Bruno Barberis, Tristan Casabianca, Andrew Dalton, Paolo Di Lazzaro, Roberto Falcinelli, Ada Grossi, Kelly Kearse, Flavia Manservigi, Alfonso Mu�oz-Cobo, Rafael Pascual, Marco Riani, Alfonso S�nchez Hermosilla, Barrie Schwortz, Enrico Simonato, Joseph Spence. I heartily recommend this course to anyone who wishes to deepen their knowledge of the Shroud. It also provides you with the opportunity to interact with some of the most important Shroud scholars in the world. Please note that registration ends on October 30, 2023.
Posted July 6, 2023
David Rolfe on Social Media
David Rolfe on Social Media
Photo ©2022 Sophia Evans - The ObserverBack in February of this year I received some important information from our dear friend Brenda Benton, Distribution and Circulation Manager for the British Society for the Turin Shroud (BSTS), publisher of the highly regarded BSTS Newsletter since 1982. It detailed the new efforts David Rolfe was making using social media as a means of spreading the word about the Shroud. Unfortunately, due to the delay in getting today's update online, this is our first opportunity to make it available to you, so I am reprinting her entire letter here in downloadable pdf format: Forthcoming ''Turin Shroud'' awareness media announcements. It includes links to four major social media outlets, so feel free to add your likes and comments and share the links with your friends and family.
Posted July 6, 2023
Eating My Own Words!
Back in June 2020 I wrote and published an article on this website titled, An Editorial and Review of the very last Shroud documentary I will ever appear in!. You can read it for yourself to see why I made such a dramatic statement. Three years have now gone by and throughout that period I turned down every offer I received to participate in any new Shroud documentaries. Then, in March of this year I was contacted by the Casting Producer for the A&E Networks and asked to participate in a new Shroud program for the History's Greatest Mysteries series on the History Channel. My immediate response was "no!" They wanted me to fly to Los Angeles in April to record the interview, but the Lenten season is our busiest time of year, so April was out of the question. However, they were quick to point out that they already had interviews scheduled with Dr. Cheryl White and Russ Breault, both members of STERA, Inc.'s Board of Directors.
Frankly, I was rather surprised that they revealed that information to me. Historically, producers are typically very quiet about who else might be appearing in a particular documentary. Knowing that Dr. White and Russ had agreed to participate made me rethink the situation. If I did participate, there would be at least three well qualified researchers who would represent the pro-authenticity view of the Shroud. That in itself was better than most recent programs, which included on-camera folks who had obviously never even seen the Shroud. So, after much thought and consultation with my fellow Board Members, I ate my own words and agreed to fly to Los Angeles in May to be interviewed for their program. The interview went well and they asked some very good questions. However, I have learned to be very cautious and not get too excited before I see the finished program. The final result will always be a heavily edited version and there is no telling how accurate the resulting program might be. The hours of interviews they recorded have to be cut down to the 43 minutes actually alloted for a one hour cable TV documenatry (to leave room for commercials). According to the network, the program will air sometime in September, although no exact date is available yet. As I have gotten older, I have learned that the best way to avoid disappointment is to lower your expectations. So was any of this worthwhile? I guess we will all find out in September!
Around the same time, I was contacted by a highly regarded French production company and they too were producing a new Shroud documentary for distribution in Europe. They even offered to send a crew to my house here in the Rocky Mountains to record my interview (which they ultimately did). Since I had already eaten my own words by participating in the History Channel program, I simply agreed to participate in that one as well, especially since I could do it here in my living room without having to travel through airports again. For the record, I am no longer doing any in-person presentations and am only doing virtual ones from now on. At this moment I don't know if I will participate in any future documentaries about the Shroud, so I won't be making any new dramatic claims today. I also knew that I would have to be writing this article to publicly retract what I proclaimed three years ago. Consider those words eaten! - Barrie Schwortz
Posted July 6, 2023
Recently Published Papers & Articles
Analysis of Photoelectric Colorimetry and Fluorimetry of the Turin Shroud
by Larry Schwalbe and Samuel PellicoriSadly, our featured paper today is co-authored by Larry Schwalbe and Samuel Pellicori, both original members of the STURP team. As you can see from the memorial that leads off today's update, Larry passed away on January 31, 2023, the day after this paper was published. It is a true testament to Larry's dedicated contributions to Shroud research.
There are twenty new papers in today's update! All have also been permanently archived on the Scientific Papers & Articles page (alphabetically by title) and the Website Library page (alphabetically by author) or, when appropriate, on the Religion and Philosophy page (alphabetically by title) and the Website Library page (alphabetically by author). Since there are far too many to include on this page, we are only including one here and have once again created a separate pdf file that includes all of the links and descriptions listed chronologically, with the most recent paper at the top of the list, all in a single file that you can download and view at your convenience (see link below).
Analysis of Photoelectric Colorimetry and Fluorimetry of the Turin Shroud by Larry Schwalbe and Samuel Pellicori � International Journal of Archaeology. Volume 11, Issue 1, June 2023, pp. 1-8. doi:10.11648/j.ija.20231101.11 � Published January 30, 2023 � Here is an excerpt from the abstract: �We analyze spectrophotometric data collected directly on the Turin Shroud in 1978. Using standard methodologies, we transform 19 visual reflectance and 16 UV-fluorescent emission spectra to CIE xyY color space coordinates. We then compare these results to those of an Italian team of investigators. Comparing x-y chromaticities, the reflectivities from clear areas (background), image, and blood-stain locations agree with corresponding data collected independently by the Italian team. In both sets of data, the clusters from image and background areas overlap strongly and are clearly separated from the blood-stain points. Data from lightly scorched areas fall within the clusters from background and image locations. Data from deeper scorches diverge significantly, as do all scorch data from the Italian team. We generate similar colorimetric data from the spectral UV-fluorescence measurements made by the Shroud of Turin Research Project (STURP)�� Use this link to download a pdf version of the entire paper.
Recently Published Papers & Articles - July 2023 - This is a link to a single pdf document file that includes links to all of the papers and articles featured in today's update. Authors represented include Larry Schwalbe, Samuel Pellicori, Paul Alan Dreschnack, Joseph G. Marino, Cesar Barta, Jose L Fernandez, Giovanni Fazio, Dr. Jack Brand�o, Thomas W. McGovern, MD and many more. You can either read it now or simply download the pdf file and review the links and materials at your leisure.
Posted July 6, 2023
Recently Published Books
Recently Published Books A number of new Shroud related books were published since our last update so we are listing them here and have also permanently archived the new titles on the Shroud of Turin Booklist page (alphabetically by author). To make it easy to find the newest additions, we have annotated the listings with "(Added 6 JULY 2023)" so you can simply search for that phrase on the Booklist page should you forget the titles.
The Shroud of Christ: Evidence of a 2,000 Year Antiquity by Michael Kowalski
The author is a long time Shroud scholar and the current Editor of the British Society for the Turin Shroud Newsletter. Here is an excerpt from the online description:
"The Shroud of Turin has been the focus of extensive study by historians and researchers since the beginning of the twentieth century. It is possibly the world�s most studied historical artifact, generating a regular flow of new research publications. There is, however, one scientific test that overshadows all other research: the 1988 radiocarbon dating. This test dated the cloth to the period 1260�1390AD and was given such extensive publicity that most people today no longer accept the Shroud to be a true relic. Sadly, very few people are aware that this test has been widely criticized for falling short of acceptable scientific standards. Similarly, most people remain unaware of the wealth of compelling evidence that contradicts the conclusions of that test and supports claims of the Shroud�s authenticity..."
Publisher: Jenny Stanford Publishing; 1st edition (July 6, 2023)
Hardcover: 286 pages
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9814968803
ISBN-13: 978-9814968805
The Shroud of Jesus: And the Sign John Ingeniously Concealed by Dr. Gilbert Lavoie
The latest book from a highly respected Shroud scholar. Here is an excerpt from the online description:
"Gilbert R. Lavoie, M.D., invites you on a fascinating adventure to examine the Shroud of Turin, juxtaposing his scientific findings with John�s Gospel account of the death and resurrection of Jesus. This story of the life of Jesus comes alive through relatable, real-world scientific witnesses who explore whether the image on the shroud is the work of human hands, a natural phenomenon, or a supernatural event. There are abundant photos that allow you to decide for yourself what the image and blood marks of this cloth reveal... This book is a visual journey that opens the door to new insights into the Gospel of John. It is only through John�s witness of the life of Jesus that we can come to a more complete appreciation of the Shroud of Jesus."
Publisher: Sophia Institute Press (June 20, 2023)
Paperback: 208 pages
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1644138867
ISBN-13: 978-1644138861
Attraverso la Sindone. Percorsi storici e scientifici (Through the Shroud. Historical and scientific itineraries) by Nello Balossino, Antonio Cassanelli, Paolo Di Lazzaro, Mons. Giuseppe Ghiberti, Paola Iacomussi, Flavia Manservigi, Walter Memmolo, Enrico Simonato, Gianmaria Zaccone
This Italian language book was written by esteemed members of the International Center for the Study of the Shroud (CISS) in Turin. The above link is to a Google English translation of the original Italian language web page. Here is an excerpt from the online description:
"The subject of the Shroud remains of great cultural interest due to the historical-scientific and theological complexity that it has always placed beyond the result of the famous radiocarbon analyzes carried out in 1988... The objective of this volume is for everyone, but in particular for teachers of the various religious, humanistic and scientific disciplines, to highlight how the Shroud is at the center of a complex system of faith and traditions produced by thoughts and writings during two millennia of history. A culture that is more simply definable as Christianity."
Publisher: Ciabochi Claudio (April 24, 2023)
Hardcover: 200 pages
Language: Italian
ISBN-13: 978-8898879601
Confirming Yeshua: The historical evidence that substantiates Jesus historicity and Biblical identity (Volume 1) by Otangelo Grasso
Includes 7 chapters on the Shroud of Turin. Amazon page includes links to Volume 2. Also available in Kindle Edition. Here is an excerpt from the online description:
"...an invaluable resource for readers seeking a deeper understanding of the evidence supporting the reality of Jesus Christ. It explores one by one the fulfillment of over 300 prophecies about the Messiah in the life of Jesus, examines the historical reliability of the gospels, and provides evidence for the events surrounding the resurrection of Christ. With careful analysis of archaeological findings and textual evidence, the book demonstrates strong evidence supporting the historicity of Jesus and the accuracy of the Gospel accounts. In a world where misinformation and wrong claims are widely disseminated, "Confirming Yeshua" provides a comprehensive and evidence-based response to objections raised against the historicity of Jesus and his resurrection."
Publisher: Independently published (March 5, 2023)
Paperback: 491 pages
Language: English
ASIN: B0BW28MPN7
ISBN-13: 979-8379177492
Bernini, il Salvatore e la Sindone (Bernini, the Savior and the Shroud) by Daniela DiSarra
This lavishly illustrated book is currently only available in the Italian language but an English translation is being planned. The above link is to a Google English translation of the original Amazon.it Italian language web page. Book is also available directly from the Publisher's Website. Here is an excerpt from the online description:
"1665, at the height of his fame as a supreme portraitist of Kings, Popes, and the most varied personages, while he was making the bust of the Sun King in France, Bernini was probably struck by the idea of making the impossible portrait: that of the King of Kings. And to take it back from the Shroud. 2016, a photographer and humanist, specializing in photos of works of art, discovers with amazement (and verifies) that Bernini's Savior is taken from the face of the Man of the Shroud so much that it can be superimposed on it, and that it has a quantity of unthinkable expressions in a marble. From this discovery starts a three-year research on 'the unfolding of the facts that had led Bernini to portray Jesus according to the features imprinted..."
Publisher: Gangemi Editore (March 3, 2023)
Paperback: 144 pages
Language: Italian
ISBN-10: 8849246080
ISBN-13: 978-8849246087
Von Durer an Raffael: Von Mantua Nach Manoppello (From Durer to Raffael: From Mantua to Manoppello) by Karlheinz Dietz
This somewhat older but important book is currently only available in the German language. The above link is to a Google English translation of the original Amazon German language web page. Here is the online description:
"Art-historical criminal case on the consequences of the 'Sacco di Mantova', which interprets the original sources, examines the technical singularity of the allegedly 'lost' Durer picture, explains the most recent 'research' into the 'Volto Santo' and thus puts the myth of Manoppello in a new light. An unknown masterpiece by Albrecht Durer in its historical context From self-portrait to the image of Christ "
Publisher: Schnell & Steiner (May 17, 2021)
Hardcover: Pages unavailable
Language: German
ISBN-10: 3795436451
ISBN-13: 978-3795436452
Posted July 6, 2023
Shroud Related Videos and Audios
Shroud of Turin Preview: World Youth Day with
Fr. Andrew Dalton, Dr. Cheryl White and Nora CreechTo claim that there was an overwhelming number of Shroud related videos and audios during this year's Lenten season would be a gross understatment! It was more like an explosion! In fact, there were literally hundreds of new items and, although we tried to screen out many of the less important ones, we were still left with fourteen pages of new video and audio content! This is thanks in large part to the extensive, ongoing research done by Joe Marino, who sends out a weekly e-mail newsletter listing everything new about the Shroud that he finds on the internet. We typically screen these and select the best ones to include in our updates. If you are interested in an even larger selection of videos than we post here, as well as other Shroud news, papers, podcasts, etc., just send an email to JMarino240@aol.com to request being added to his list. Everyone on the list is blind-copied, and one can ask at any time to be removed.
Today's update includes a huge selection of interviews with or presentations by many notable Shroud scholars, from both scientific and religious points of view. Since there were far too many to include on this page, we have once again created a separate pdf file that includes all of the links and descriptions in a single file that you can download and view at your convenience (see link below). Items are listed in chronological order with the most recent at the top of the list.
Shroud of Turin Preview: World Youth Day with Father Andrew Dalton, Dr. Cheryl White, & Nora Creech � Nora Creech � June 2, 2023 � Video (25:13) � Here is the online description: �On August 1, 2023, Fr. Andrew Dalton, Dr. Cheryl White, and Nora Creech will be offering a presentation at World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal focused on the world's most studied artifact: The Shroud of Turin. From the standpoint of history, theology, and science, this inter-disciplinary presentation will challenge young people to encounter this artifact from many perspectives of human knowledge, encompassing both faith and reason. The event is sponsored by the National Shroud of Turin Exhibit.�
Shroud Related Videos and Audios - July 2023 - Link to a single pdf document file that includes a compilation of links to Shroud related videos, radio programs and podcasts that appeared online in the past few months. You can simply download the pdf file and review the materials and links at your leisure.
Posted July 6, 2023
The Shroud on the Internet
Shroud of Turin Educator
(Link to new website)Although this section is not as extensive as the videos and audios section mentioned above, there are still six pages of links to new internet content in today's update! Of course, we can't include everything on this page, so we have once again created a separate pdf file that includes all of the links and descriptions in a single file that you can download and view at your convenience (see link below). Items in that file are listed in chronological order with the most recent at the top of the list.
Shroud of Turin Educator � New website by Nora Creech � June 2023 � Here is an excerpt from the online description: �I have been interested in The Shroud of Turin since I was a teenager. One of the members of my church in Boulder, CO was a member of the 1978 Shroud of Turin Research Project Team (STURP) and he shared his experiences and knowledge with me. Since then, I have extensively studied the Shroud, first through personal exploration and then in 2018 through the course in Shroud Studies offered online, in English by the Pontifical University, Regina Apostolorum in Rome, Italy��
The Shroud on the Internet - July 2023 - Link to a single pdf document file that includes a compilation of links to various Shroud related websites and internet articles that appeared online in the past few months. You can simply download the pdf file and review the materials and links at your leisure.
Posted July 6, 2023
And In Other News...
The Vancouver Shroud Association (VSA) in Vancouver, B.C., Canada, not only manages their "Man of the Shroud" Exhibit, which is displayed at multiple Canadian parishes during the Lenten season, but they also have created other educational projects regarding the Shroud. Carolyn Wharton, VSA Exhibit Manager, recently made the following announcement:
Vancouver Shroud Association makes available a Scholar's Series of Presentations to High Schools and parishes for curriculum use. International Shroud Scholars, Dr. Cheryl White, Russ Breault, Tristan Casabianca, Father Andrew Dalton and Barrie Schwortz have participated in the production of five, 30 - 40 minute presentations on many aspects of Shroud of Turin research for High School Curriculum use so Catholic students in Canada and the U.S. can be educated on history's most studied burial cloth, especially when the VSA's popular Man of the Shroud Exhibition cannot travel to their area. Please visit the www.manoftheshroud.org website or contact Carolyn by phone at 778-277-2533 for info regarding their High School Scholar Series that will be available to schools beginning in September 2023.
**********Our good friend Edwin Stok in the Netherlands was greatly moved by an article he read on this website in our archive of Dorothy Crispino's journal, Shroud Spectrum International. It was the story of Josephine Woollam that appeared in the June 1985 Issue #15 in an article by Charles Foley titled, More Than I Went to Ask For. Edwin contacted us and asked why the article wasn't available in any other languages and I explained that our archives are so extensive, creating translations for everything would probably take decades! Edwin immediately volunteered to create or obtain translations so we could include them here as well..If you click on the Issue #15 link above, it will take you to that issue where you will find translations for that article now available in Italian, Polish, French, Dutch, German and Finnish languages! Roll your mouse over the individual language links to see the author of each translation. Thank you Edwin!
Posted July 6, 2023
Our Next Update
As I write this, I am still recovering from the overwhelming amount of Shroud material that was included in today's update, which is by far the largest in our 27+ year history and why this update came five weeks later than I originally planned. To be honest, I am not sure exactly when the next update will go online, but there will be at least one more before the end of the year, probably in November or early December. I guess the truly honest answer is "only God knows!" Of course, it will include the latest papers, books, articles, podcasts, videos, audios and any breaking Shroud news. To be sure you don't miss any important Shroud information as it occurs, check our STERA, Inc. Facebook page from time to time, since Joe Marino now updates it to keep you informed between our regular website updates.
You can also join our Website Mailing List and receive an e-mail whenever the site is updated (3 or 4 times per year) or when any important Shroud news breaks. Note that mailing list subscribers have access to special offers not available to the general public. If you are already a subscriber but have changed your e-mail address recently, please remember that we are a self-subscribed mailing list and you have to update your e-mail address or you will stop receiving our quarterly updates. This is easily accomplished by clicking on the Update Profile link at the bottom of every e-mail we send. And finally, thank you for your dedicated patronage and support of STERA, Inc. It is truly appreciated.
Barrie Schwortz
Editor & Founder, Shroud.com
President, STERA, Inc.Posted July 6, 2023
27th Anniversary Update! January 21, 2023
Personal Report on The Mystery Man Exhibit
by Jostein Andreassen and Oddvar Soevik
Photo © 2022 Jostein AndreassenWelcome to our 27th Anniversary website update! It is still difficult for me to believe that twenty-seven years have passed since I clicked the "send" button on January 21, 1996 and put Shroud.com online! Of course, both the internet and this website have evolved dramatically over the years. We were online two full years before Google arrived and changed everything forever. And just in time (and very appropriate) for today's anniversary update, our dear friend Deacon Andy Weiss of the Shroud Exhibit and Museum (SEAM) in Alamogordo, New Mexico, sent us a link to Shroud.com's first capture by the Wayback Machine Internet Archive on December 27, 1996, when the site was less than a year old. So you can look back on how we appeared when we first started. Back in those days folks were still using very slow modems for their internet access, so web pages had to be very compact so they would load in a reasonable amount of time. Thus, there were very few photos or graphics used and no videos at all. The internet certainly has changed along with the technology and it is amazing just how far we have come!
Today's update is a bit smaller than our other recent updates, because it has only been six weeks since our last one! We lead off with the sad news of the passing of Cardinal Severino Poletto, retired Archbishop of Turin. Next is a personal report from a Shroud scholar who visited the recently unveiled Shroud exhibit in Salamanca, Spain. We have also added six more issues to the Collegamento pro Sindone archive and have posted news of the latest issue of the BSTS Newsletter. The update also includes eight new papers and links to many new internet articles, along with links to several important new Shroud websites, recently published books and news of some important upcoming events. I think my favorite parts of today's update are the quality podcast video interviews with many notable Shroud scholars that have been produced recently. This update includes six pages of them! That should still keep you busy until our Spring update! Although not mentioned elsewhere in today's update, please note that the Shroud Centers & Organizations page and the Shroud Booklist page have also been updated. - Barrie Schwortz, Editor
Here is the Update Table of Contents:
- In Memoriam - Cardinal Severino Poletto
- A Personal Report on "The Mystery Man" Exhibit
- Six More Collegamento pro Sindone Printed Issues Added to Archive
- Latest BSTS Newsletter Winter Issue #96 Now Available
- Recently Published Papers & Articles
- Recently Published Books
- Shroud Related Videos and Audios
- The Shroud on the Internet and News of Several Upcoming Events
- This Just In... Not Smiling Anymore!
- Our Next Update
In Memoriam
Cardinal Severino Poletto
1933-2022We are deeply saddened to report that Cardinal Severino Poletto, the retired archbishop of Turin and former Papal Custodian of the Shroud of Turin, died December 17, 2022 at the age of 89. We extend our deepest sympathies and sincerest condolences to his family, friends, colleagues and the millions of people he touched during his lifetime. During his tenure as Archbishop, he was in charge of the public displays of the Shroud in 2000 and 2010 and during the 2002 restoration of the cloth, so he played an important role in the Shroud's history. Here are links to several recent online news stories regarding his passing:
Retired Custodian of Shroud of Turin, Italian Cardinal Dies at 89 by Carol Glatz - The Tablet - December 19, 2022
Italian Cardinal Severino Poletto dies at age 89 by Hannah Brockhaus - Catholic News Agency - December 19, 2022
Pope pays tribute to late Cardinal Poletto's service to the Church - Herald Malaysia Online - December 20, 2022
Posted January 21, 2023
A Personal Report on "The Mystery Man" Exhibit
Oddvar Soevik in the doorway of the empty tomb model at the exhibit
Link to A Personal Report on "The Mystery Man" Exhibit
by Jostein Andreassen and Oddvar Soevik
Photo © 2022 Jostein AndreassenOur good friend, Shroud scholar and longtime website supporter Jostein Andreassen and his colleague, Oddvar Soevik, took a trip from their home in Norway to visit the new exhibit titled, "The Mystery Man: Who was the Man of the Shroud of Turin?", at the Cathedral in Salamanca, Spain. (Here is a link to what we posted about the exhibit in our December 5, 2022 update). As we mentioned in that article, the centerpiece of the exhibit is a "hyper-realistic" model of the man of the Shroud that is claimed to be "the most accurate recreation to date of the face and body of Jesus." However, Jostein informed me that no photographs of the model were permitted, but he sent a few photographs taken in other parts of the exhibit. We are grateful to Jostein and Oddvar for taking the time to write about their experience at the exhibit and share it with us here. Here is a link to their informative article titled, "A marvellous exhibition of the Shroud of Turin in Salamanca, Spain." Here is a link to the official exhibition website: The Mystery Man Exhibition. Thank you Jostein and Oddvar!
Posted January 21, 2023
Six More Collegamento pro Sindone Printed Issues Added to Archive
Collegamento pro Sindone Issue #67
(Link to Collegamento pro Sindone archive on Shroud.com)Our archive of all the earlier printed issues of the Italian language journal Collegamento pro Sindone (1985-2000) has been updated with six more issues (from January to December 1995), all of which can be found on the Collegamento pro Sindone page here on Shroud.com, with sixty-eight issues now available in the archive. Our sincere thanks to our dear friends Emanuela Marinelli and her brother, Maurizio Marinelli, for making them available to us.
The journal started publication of their print edition in February of 1985 and continued doing so through 2000, when they discontinued the printed version in favor of publishing it solely on their website. As the printed issues grew in size and scope of content, their importance as a credible Shroud journal also grew. Starting with their January-February 1986 issue, they published six issues each year for the next fifteen years, so the archive will eventually include all 90 of those early printed issues. Our sincerest thanks to Emanuela and all of the respected Shroud scholars and researchers who contributed to make this journal such an important resource.
Posted January 21, 2023
Latest BSTS Newsletter Winter Issue #96 Now Available
Latest BSTS Newsletter Winter Issue #96 Now Available We are pleased to announce that the Winter Issue #96 of the British Society for the Turin Shroud (BSTS) Newsletter is now available online. In this first issue from new editor Michael Kowalski, this latest issue features articles by such notable Shroud scholars as Ian Wilson, Russ Breault, Richard Cutt, David Rolfe, Andrew Willie, Cesar Barta, Jim Bertrand, Paul Bishop, Michael Kowalski and Tristina Wheelwright. The latest online issues are available by subscription only via the BSTS Newsletter website at the above links and those issues will be archived here on Shroud.com after 12 months. You can also quickly access the archive of all the previous BSTS Newsletter issues on the BSTS Newsletter Archive page here on Shroud.com, which currently includes Issues #1 through #93 and five monographs. Issue #93 was added in today's update.
Posted January 21, 2023
Recently Published Papers & Articles
The Enigma Of Manoppello Finally Unveiled?
by Pierre de RiedmattenOur featured paper today is by our good friend Pierre de Riedmatten, Honorary President of the preeminent Shroud research organization, Montre Nous Ton Visage (MNTV), in France. Originally written in French and published in MNTV's journal, Les Cahiers sur le Linceul (The Notebooks on the Shroud), Pierre has graciously allowed us to reprint the article here in both English and French. The subject of the Manoppello has come up many times over the past ten years and in this article, Pierre has produced an excellent summary on the controversial artwork. In fact, we included an article about it in our December 2014 website update in a posting titled More On The Manoppello that includes links to other resources on this topic that you might find interesting. Thank you for the update Pierre! [Editor's Note: Since we first posted that article in 2014, a new paper by Roberto Falcinelli was published in 2016 titled, The Face of Manoppello and the Veil of Veronica: New Studies in which Roberto deepens his research on this topic.]
There are eight new papers in today's update. All have also been permanently archived on the Scientific Papers & Articles page (alphabetically by title) and the Website Library page (alphabetically by author) or, when appropriate, on the Religion and Philosophy page (alphabetically by title) and the Website Library page (alphabetically by author). Since there were too many to include on this page, we are only including one here and have once again created a separate pdf file that includes all of the links and descriptions listed chronologically, with the most recent paper at the top of the list, all in a single file that you can download and view at your convenience (see link below).
The Enigma Of Manoppello Finally Unveiled? by Pierre de Riedmatten - Montre Nous Ton Visage (MNTV) - Les Cahiers sur le Linceul (The Notebooks on the Shroud) No. 68, December 2022. This is an English language online translation of the original French language article. The author graciously gave us permission to publish both language versions here on Shroud.com. Here is the introduction: "Despite the fervor of which it is still the object, the Veil of Manoppello has raised many questions for decades. Based on the most recent historical 2and scientific studies3, Pierre de Riedmatten, who has already written on this subject for MNTV4, presents here the hypothesis according to which this astonishing image is in fact a painting, made "very probably" by Albrecht D�rer at the beginning of the 16th century." Here is a link to the French language version of this article: L'enigme De Manoppello Enfin Devoilee? This is a link to the Montre Nous Ton Visage (MNTV) website where newer issues are available for purchase and older issues are available for free.
Recently Published Papers & Articles - January 2023 - This is a link to a single pdf document file that includes links to all nine papers and articles featured in today's update. Authors represented include Giulio Fanti, Joseph G. Marino, Edwin Stok, Giovanni Fazio, Pierre de Riedmatten and Jean-Pierre Laude. You can either read it now or simply download the pdf file and review the links and materials at your leisure.
Posted January 21, 2023
Recently Published Books
Recently Published Books Several new Shroud related books were published since our last update so we are listing them here and have also permanently archived the new titles on the Shroud of Turin Booklist page (alphabetically by author). To make it easy to find the newest additions, we have annotated the listings with "(Added 21 JAN 2023)" so you can simply search for that phrase on the Booklist page should you forget the titles. In addition, our dear friend Emanuela Marinelli has again provided us with another update to the Booklist. Thank you Emanuela!
The Shroud Of Turin - The Perfect Summary by Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson and Dr. Brian Donley Worrell - FREE Download!
Unlike most of the books we include here for your information, this one has a major difference: it is completely FREE! Written by Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson, original member of the 1978 STURP team, with his colleague, Dr. Brian Donley Worrell, they decided the book would be distributed free of any charge. To obtain your copy, simply click on the photo at left or on the above link, enter your name and e-mail address and you can download the book in pdf format immediatedly. Here is a brief description:
"Any eyewitness can share what they have observed. But if there are three eyewitnesses to the same event - and the facts each of them observed are all in perfect agreement - doesn't that make the evidence essentially irrefutable? Allow me to introduce the three witnesses of scientific research, recorded history, and biblical record and their perfect agreement regarding The Shroud of Turin - the actual burial garment of Jesus Christ... Though broad in both scope and detail, the book remains both readable and enjoyable. We discuss the scientific foundation for the authenticity of the Shroud, scientifically debunk false information and unsound theories, reveal the biblical and prophetic aspects of the Shroud, and discuss their complete agreement with both scientific fact and historical record."
Digital Download: 216 pages (17 MB pdf file)
Publisher: Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson & Dr. Brian Donley Worrell (December 2022)
Language: English
Behold The Evidence by Alfredo Lerma Martinez
Here is an excerpt from the online description:
"...The question has become fundamentally invalidated with confusion echoing both the negative and the affirmative, that has left science begging the question--is this the authentic entombment linen cloth bearing the image of Jesus of Nazareth? With an insatiable thirst to end speculation and reach a verdict for all time, Alfredo Lerma Martinez in his latest book, "Behold The Evidence", does exactly that. He delivers the ultimate proof derailing the hoax theories that the Shroud is a sham fabricated by ingenious inventors of the Middle Ages, adding fancy to speculation--even da Vinci behind the mystery..."
ASIN: B0BPW1CJFC
Paperback: 51 pages
Publisher: Independently published (December 13, 2022)
Language: English
ISBN-13: 979-8367237054
Posted January 21, 2023
Shroud Related Videos and Audios
New Evidence for the Shroud of Turin with Fr. Andrew Dalton In the past few years, the number of online Shroud related podcast videos and audios has increased so much that they now dramatically outnumber the written Shroud internet articles that used to dominate the web. Today's update is no exception and includes another large selection of interviews with or presentations by many notable Shroud scholars. The real value of the podcast format is that the programs are usually unedited and do not have the same strict time limits that standard cable television documentaries do. (Our featured video today is a perfect example).That means you get to hear directly from the Shroud experts without interruption or editing. That allows them to go into more detail about their work and gives the viewer a better chance to understand it. You will find many familiiar names (and a few new ones) included on this list, which takes up six pages in today's update! Since there were far too many to include on this page, we have once again created a separate pdf file that includes all of the links and descriptions in a single file that you can download and view at your convenience (see link below). Items are listed in chronological order with the most recent at the top of the list.
New Evidence for the Shroud of Turin with Fr. Andrew Dalton - Pints with Aquinas - January 6, 2023 - Video (3:07:39) - Superb, in-depth interview with our dear friend and internationally respected Shroud scholar Fr. Andrew Dalton, LC. This is one of the longest and most extensive Shroud interviews we have ever included. Here is the online description: "Matt speaks with expert on the shroud of Turin, Fr. Andrew Dalton LC, about ... you guessed it, Jesus and the Shroud of Turin, and why it's authentic and what that means."
Shroud Related Videos and Audios - January 2023 - Link to a single pdf document file that includes a compilation of links to Shroud related videos, radio programs and podcasts that appeared online in the past few months. You can simply download the pdf file and review the materials and links at your leisure.
Posted January 21, 2023
The Shroud on the Internet
National Shroud of Turin Exhibit
(Link to new website)Although this section is not as extensive as the videos and audios section mentioned above, there are still several pages of links to new internet content in today's update! Of course, we can't include everything on this page, so we have once again created a separate pdf file that includes all of the links and descriptions in a single file that you can download and view at your convenience (see link below). Items in that file are listed in chronological order with the most recent at the top of the list.
National Shroud of Turin Exhibit - New website - December 6, 2022 - Myra Adams of the Sign From God organization sent us the following information: "The NationalShroudofTurinExhibit.org (NSTE) launched its website on Dec. 6, 2022. NSTE is a project of SignFromGod.org, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization accepting tax-deductible donations. NSTE was formed to produce a permanent exhibit about the Shroud of Turin in Washington, D.C. We have an extraordinary team of 12 Shroud experts, several of whom were highly involved in the Museum of the Bible's "Mystery & Faith: The Shroud of Turin" exhibition that ran Feb 26 - July 31, 2022. The NSTE will collaborate with noted Shroud scholars from around the world to create an educational and spiritually enriching exhibit for visitors. The future is bright, and NSTE will be making more exciting announcements in the near future. Contact: Myra Kahn Adams myra@SignFromGod.org."
The Shroud of Turin - New website - December 2022 - A new website by former STURP team member Ken Stevenson - Here is the online description: "Scientists and people of faith have been trying to solve the mystery of the burial shroud bearing the image of a man crucified EXACTLY like Jesus of Nazareth for years. When the findings of a group of world-class scientists, engineers, and chemists coincides with well-known historical facts and biblical information, the evidence is beyond overwhelming..." Ken is also offering his new book, "The Shroud of Turin: The Perfect Summary for Everyone," FREE to download. See the Recently Published Books section above in today's update for details.
And News of Several Upcoming Events:
Special Event and Exhibition in San Antonio, Texas - Pilgrim Center of Hope - Announcement of an upcoming event and exhibit on February 6 - 8, 2023 - The Pilgrim Center of Hope, producers of the new streaming series, "Who Is the Man of the Shroud?" are sponsoring a special event titled "A Journey with the Shroud of Turin," that includes a screening of their programs, an opportunity to meet the producers and an exhibit on the Shroud. Above link includes a complete schedule of the three day event. Angela Sealana, Pilgrim Center Media Coordinator, sent us this Press Release with the details.
Save the Date: Light from the Sepulchre - Link to Shroud Center of Southern California Website - Announcement of an upcoming presentation on February 25, 2023 by International Shroud of Turin Experts Emanuela Marinelli and Fr. Robert Spitzer, SJ at the Freed Theater on the Christ Cathedral campus - Link is to page where you can obtain tickets for the event or contribute to the center.
The Most Famous Burial of All Time: The Shroud of Turin - Permanent exhibit and special event announced for April 27, 2023. Here is an excerpt from the press release we received from our good friend Nora Creech: "The National Museum of Funeral History (NMFH) in Houston, Texas will open a permanent Shroud Exhibit in April 2023. Following a blessing by Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, "The Most Famous Burial of All Time: The Shroud of Turin" will open to the public on April 27, 2023! The centerpiece of the exhibit is a replica of the Holy Shroud printed on linen that was produced using authentic first century techniques and gifted to the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston by the Center for International Shroud Studies in Turin, Italy... Planned for the evening of April 27, 2023, is An Evening with the Experts, a moderated conversation between two founding members of the 1978 STURP team..." Here is a link to the entire Press Release with more information. Check the National Museum of Funeral History Website for the latest updates and details.
The Shroud on the Internet - January 2023 - Link to a single pdf document file that includes a compilation of links to various Shroud related websites and internet articles that appeared online in the past few months. You can simply download the pdf file and review the materials and links at your leisure.
Posted January 21, 2023
This Just In... Not Smiling Anymore!
For the past few years we participated in a non-profit program from Amazon called "Amazon Smile," which allowed you to shop as you normally do and Amazon donated 0.5% of the purchase price directly to STERA, Inc. They charged no fees for this service and you could even adjust your browser settings to automatically enter Amazon Smile every time you logged on to their website. It provided an easy way for you to support our work and this website without spending anything extra. I know that many of you supported us in this manner and we truly appreciated it. Needless to say, we were rather shocked to receive an e-mail from Amazon on January 18, 2023 with the news that the program would be discontinued on February 20, 2023. Not the best news, especially for smaller non-profits like ours. Here are some excerpts from their e-mail:
"In 2013, we launched AmazonSmile to make it easier for customers to support their favorite charities. We were excited about the potential for the program and the impact it could have for many charitable organizations. We want to thank you for your partnership during all these years...
"After almost a decade of running AmazonSmile, we learned that with so many eligible organizations-more than 1 million globally-our ability to have an impact was often spread too thin...
"We are writing to let you know that we have made plans to wind down AmazonSmile by February 20, 2023. Until this date, customer purchases made via AmazonSmile will continue to accrue funds for your charity as normal. To help nonprofits like you plan ahead, we will also provide you with a one-time payment equivalent to three months of payments based on what you accrued in 2022 through this program. The timing of this final payment will be approximately 60 to 90 days after February 20, 2023. We hope that this will help minimize the impact that this decision might have."We are not sure what will happen to any of the links we made via Amazon Smile or if they will automatically be re-directed back to Amazon itself. I guess we will find out next month. Naturally, we are disappointed, but it provides us with this opportunity to thank all of you who supported us over the years and let you know how much you are appreciated. And in case you are interested in all the details, here is a link to the entire e-mail we received: Update on AmazonSmile.pdf. Now you know as much as we do.
Posted January 21, 2023
Our Next Update
We hope your holidays were good ones! Our next update will go online sometime in the Spring but I haven't set a date yet. Of course, it will include the latest papers, books, articles, podcasts, videos, audios and any breaking Shroud news. To be sure you don't miss any important Shroud information as it occurs, check our STERA, Inc. Facebook page from time to time, since Joe Marino now updates it to keep you informed between our regular website updates.
You can also join our Website Mailing List and receive an e-mail whenever the site is updated (3 or 4 times per year) or when any important Shroud news breaks. Note that mailing list subscribers have access to special offers not available to the general public. If you are already a subscriber but have changed your e-mail address recently, please remember that we are a self-subscribed mailing list and you have to update your e-mail address or you will stop receiving our quarterly updates. This is easily accomplished by clicking on the Update Profile link at the bottom of every e-mail we send. And finally, our best wishes to you and yours for a joyous and healthy New Year!
Barrie Schwortz
Editor & Founder, Shroud.com
President, STERA, Inc.Posted January 21, 2023
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