These are the items that were included on the "Late Breaking Website News" page in 2015. Items are listed with the most recent one first, and each article carries the posting date indicating when it was first uploaded. You should find this an interesting look at the important Shroud and Website events in 2015.
Fall Update - November 1, 2015
Not only has this been an extraordinary year for the Shroud, with its first public exhibition in five years, but it has also been an important (and busy) year for STERA, Inc. and Shroud.com. That is certainly reflected in the scope of this update, which includes links to many new papers, books and articles that appeared in recent months, along with reports on two very important Shroud presentations I made this year. We have also added ten more issues of Shroud News to the archive and included a special People in the News feature on several important Shroud scholars who have been in the headlines recently. The update also includes a memorial for the passing of two long time Shroud researchers, an article about another relic that is of interest to Shroud researchers and much more. So let's get started.
As we reported in our August 16 update, the editors of The Review of Religions magazine in London, England, invited me to speak about the Shroud at the 49th Annual Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Jalsa Salana Convention in Hampshire, England on August 21st, 22nd and 23rd. This year the publication decided to sponsor, for the first time in their long history, a large tent or marquee at the event. In past years they had only sponsored a much smaller booth, where they mainly promoted their 113 year old publication, but this year they decided to present an exhibit of some very ancient and beautiful copies of the Quran. These were kindly on loan to them from the extensive collection of noted Islamic Calligrapher Mr. Razwan Baig, so they secured a large tent for that specific purpose. They hoped I could make some Shroud presentations in this newer, larger venue as well.
As soon as I received the invitation, I quickly contacted Pam Moon to see if she might be interested in bringing at least part of her extensive Shroud of Turin Exhibition to the event, since it included one of our lifesize replicas of the Shroud. I thought it would make a great addition and give people an opportunity to see what the Shroud actually looks like. Pam agreed, the organizers were thrilled and they immediately made space for the exhibit in their marquee. Without doubt, the lifesize replica and lifesize photographs were one of the highlights of the event and attracted thousands of visitors over the three day convention. Pam spent most of her time over the three day event in front of the replica, answering questions and making countless impromptu presentations. Also invited were David Rolfe, director of the 1978 BAFTA award winning documentary, "The Silent Witness,"Hugh Farey, the current editor of the British Society for the Turin Shroud (BSTS) Newsletter and Simon Brown, noted religious program producer and author. All had the opportunity to answer questions and express their opinions about the Shroud as the tent was constantly packed with visitors. In fact, Hugh was having so much fun he attended the entire three day event and Simon spent all three days behind his camera recording everything on video.
I must admit that I initially had some reservations about accepting the invitation. After all, they invited a Jewish man to lecture about a Christian relic at a Muslim convention! After thinking about it (for about one minute), I promptly accepted their gracious invitation and started making plans for the trip. Interestingly, after I announced publicly that I would be attending and speaking at the event, I received some rather harsh criticism from some people who thought I was making a serious mistake. However, I have worked with many of the folks at The Review of Religions for more than ten years and had complete trust in their honesty and integrity. More importantly, I long ago made a committment to do my best to educate anyone interested in the Shroud, whatever their religious affiliation or theological point of view. This was the first time I was ever asked to speak to an Islamic group and I wasn't going to miss that opportunity. So I set my remaining reservations aside and flew off to England on the appointed day. (Read A Personal Report on the 2015 Jalsa Salana Convention for more details, photos and links to many videos of the event, along with several news reports).
Posted November 1, 2015
Ten More Issues Added to Rex Morgan's Shroud News Archive
Shroud News
We are pleased to present the next ten issues of Rex Morgan's Shroud News in today's update, which includes Issue #19, September 1983 through Issue #28, April 1985. Also included in this update is a brief Index to Issues #1 through #25. I have to admit that in preparing the issues for the website, I am getting to read most of them for the first time and I am repeatedly pleased and surprised to find so many great articles that provide such rich insight into the Shroud world of the 1980's and 1990's! Shroud News is not only great reading, but a truly important historical document as well. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do. Our sincerest thanks to Stephen Jones for volunteering to do all the scanning and optical character recognition, Ian Wilson for providing the original issues and of course, to Rex Morgan for his gracious permission to reprint them here on Shroud.com. We will continue to archive the issues until the complete 118 issue collection is available online.
Posted November 1, 2015
Report on the Children's Museum of Indianapolis Exhibit
As we reported in our August 16 update, The Children's Museum of Indianapolis (the world's largest children's museum), invited me to speak on September 19, 2015, during their presentation of the National Geographic Sacred Journeys exhibition, which opened August 29, 2015, runs until February 21, 2016 and features one of our lifesize replicas of the Shroud of Turin. The museum exhibit designers decided that the Shroud of Turin would make a great addition to the existing National Geographic exhibit, which already featured images and artifacts representing all the major religions, so they contacted me earlier this year to see about obtaining a replica. I knew there was already one of our replicas in the Indianapolis area and put them in touch with our dear friend Dr. Chuck Dietzen, who promptly and graciously donated his replica to the museum! They built a beautiful display case for it, added some additional written information and incorporated it into the larger exhibit, as you can see in the above photograph.
I gave two presentations in the museum's filled-to-capacity auditorium, which was somewhat surprising considering that a major rain storm had knocked out the power to a large area of Indianapolis that morning! The audiences braved the weather, were very attentive and asked some great questions at the end of each of my talks. I have to add that the museum is a truly awesome (and huge) facility, with three stories above ground and two below. I was given a personal tour of not only the public portion of the museum (top 3 floors), but also of their vast collections and laboratories housed in the two below ground floors. At any given time, only about 10% of their massive collections are on public display and they rotate the materials on a regular basis to keep the exhibits fresh and exciting. If you live in the Indianapolis area, I strongly recommend taking your children, grandchildren (and yourselves) to see this truly amazing and fascinating museum. You will have a great time and want to go back again and again (I certainly do). Finally, I want to extend my personal thanks to the staff and management for their wonderful kindness and warm generosity that made my stay a truly memorable experience. Let's do it again, soon!
Posted November 1, 2015
In Memoriam
Robert William (Bill) Mottern
1924 - 2015
It is with true sadness that I must report the passing of our dear friend and colleague, Robert William (Bill) Mottern, x-radiographic expert from Sandia Laboratories and an original member of the STURP team. Bill passed away at age 91 at his home in Shannondale, in Maryville, Tennessee on July 31, 2015. He secured for himself a permanent place in Shroud history when he provided John Jackson, Eric Jumper, Don Devan and Ken Stevenson access to his VP-8 Image Analyzer in 1977 to view an image of the Shroud of Turin. That event, which permitted the so-called 3D properties of the Shroud to be visualized for the first time using an analog scientific instrument, became the catalyst for the founding of the STURP team and its examination of the Shroud in 1978. Mottern was using the VP-8 to analyze the x-rays he produced for his work at the lab and ultimately became a member of the team and participated in the direct examination of the cloth in Turin. We were greatly honored when, before his passing, he donated his Shroud materials to STERA, Inc., including the complete set of the x-rays he created of the Shroud in 1978. We extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to his family and friends but are consoled by the fact that his valuable contributions to Shroud science form an important part of the credible scientific data available for ongoing and future Shroud research. Rest in Peace my friend.
Barrie Schwortz
***************
I must also sadly report the passing of British Shroud researcher and scholar Ian Dickinson, who passed away after a brief illness in Canterbury, England on July 18, 2015. Although less active in recent years, there was a time when Ian was widely known as someone who was willing to express his personal views in the strongest terms and often sparked controversy among his colleagues. I did not know him well but corresponded with him over the last few years and we enjoyed a cordial, respectful but somewhat formal exchange. Our sincere thanks to his wife Helen for informing us of Ian's passing and we extend our deepest condolences to his family and friends. Rest in Peace Ian.
Posted November 1, 2015
5 Million Clicks and Counting
5 Million Clicks and Counting (Click for larger view)
In September, while I was lecturing in Indiana, our front page counter broke the five million visitor mark. I was wondering who out there might have been the one to see it reach that milestone when, to my surprise, I received the above frame grab from our good friend Rudi Berwanger in Germany (click above image for larger view). Thanks Rudi, for sharing that moment with all of us! In case you missed it, you might also want to read the article I posted last year titled “About That Counter…”. (Note that the counter registers only those viewers who enter the website via the front page, so it only represents about 35% of our total actual visitors).
Posted November 1, 2015
People in the News
Mar Gewargis Sliwa
Archbishop of Baghdad
Assyrian Church of the East
I am very pleased to announce that our dear friend and noted Shroud scholar, Mar Gewargis Sliwa, Archbishop of Baghdad, was elected as Gewargis III, Catholicos Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East by the Metropolitan of Iraq in Arbil, north of Iraq, on September 18, 2015, and was consecrated at Saint John's Cathedral. The Archbishop first contacted me by telephone in 2001 to order our lifesize Shroud photographs to display during his frequent Shroud lectures in Iraq and the United States, where he visited annually to lecture in Arabic and Aramaic at Loyola University in Chicago. Afterwards, we stayed in contact by telephone and e-mail. In 2003, we featured Archbishop Sliwa's Arabic language book titled "The Image of Edessa," written to bring the Shroud to a broader audience in the Middle East. In 2006 the Archbishop visited the United States and we had the pleasure of meeting in person for the first time. Here are several links about Archbishop Sliwa and his Shroud studies: from 2003 - Special Feature: The Archbishop of Baghdad, from 2007 - 2006 Meeting With Archbishop Gewargis Sliwa of Baghdad and from 2009 - "Greetings From Iraq". We extend our sincerest congratulations and best wishes to our dear friend on his election as Patriarch.
We are very proud to report that our dearest friend Emanuela Marinelli has been granted The International Catholic Culture Award for her long time, dedicated work on the Shroud of Turin. Emanuela has spent nearly four decades studying the Shroud and has authored 17 books, hundreds of articles, attended thousands of conferences and delivered countless lectures around the world. As one blogger wrote, "...from Indonesia to Kazakhstan to Burkina Faso: long journeys, sometimes dangerous, always with a copy of the Shroud folded into the suitcase, to go on to explain, the ends of the world on the subject." The award was presented in a solemn ceremony at the Theatre Remondinis of Bassano del Grappa on October 23, 2015. It was announced on the Amici della Sindone (Friends of the Shroud) Facebook page on October 20th and included a link to a more in-depth article (in Italian) on The School of Catholic Culture Website. Here's a link to a Google Italian to English Translation of that article. Another article from Gente Veneta.it titled, Bassano rewards Emanuela Marinelli with the Medal of Catholic Culture is also available (in Italian). Emanuela also recommended an article that appeared in Avvenire.it titled, SINDONE: l'ombra (del corpo) e la luce (del mistero) [Shroud: the shadow (of the body) and the light (of the mystery)] (in Italian), which you can read using one of the online translations services.
In 2000, Emanuela was the primary organizer of the extremely successful "Sindone 2000" Worldwide Conference held in Orvieto, Italy. But most importantly, she has been our dearest friend and colleague since this website first went online. Over the years she made major contributions to our website content, most notably her English translations of Italian language papers on our Collegamento pro Sindone page as well as her regular updates to the Shroud of Turin Booklist page. Our sincerest congratulations to Emanuela on this truly well-deserved honor!
Posted November 1, 2015
STERA, Inc. Begins Annual Fundraising Campaign
STERA, Inc. Secure Contribution Form
As much as I love the work I do as editor of this website and as President of STERA, Inc., one of the most difficult (and uncomfortable) responsibilities I have is raising funds in the form of contributions to support the website and our other long term projects. Frankly, with the large number of visitors we have each year, we could generate substantial revenue by allowing advertising on the website, but I consider that totally inappropriate, have never allowed it in our 20 year history and will never allow it as long as I am here! Fundraising is my least favorite part of this job and is very difficult for me, since I was self-employed for more than forty years and always earned what I needed. I never had to ask anyone for any financial assistance and in fact, I supported the website for its first fourteen years at my own personal expense. Since the founding of STERA, Inc., I have dedicated myself full time to this work, and trust me, producing Shroud.com and operating a non-profit organization by yourself is definitely a full time job! However, I must admit that I am just not very good at asking people for money. Yet, as president of a formal non-profit organization, I am obligated to solicit contributions from our viewers and subscribers, just like every other non-profit in the world. But unlike most other non-profits, we only have one fundraising effort each year and prefer not to bombard our readers with continuous requests for contributions (which I am sure you appreciate). But now, that time has come.
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 say thank you for your contributions, we are offering contributors a number of excellent gifts for their generosity, including Shroud lithographic prints, posters, DVDs and much more. We have made it easy to safely contribute online using PayPal or a credit or debit card via our Secure Contribution Form. You can also contribute by Mail or by telephone. Of course, any purchases made from the Website Store page of the site also directly support STERA, Inc. We thank you in advance for your consideration and generosity.
Barrie Schwortz, President
Posted November 1, 2015
Recently Published Papers and Articles
Uncovering the sources of DNA found on the Turin Shroud
By Gianni Barcaccia, Giulio Galla, Alessandro Achilli, Anna Olivieri & Antonio Torroni
Another large number of Shroud related papers have been published recently, and as always, we have tried to include the most relevant and important ones here (and there are a lot of them this time). Some of the topics covered include DNA analysis of the Shroud, SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) analysis of Shroud pollens, Shroud weave removal via FFT image processing, more on pareidolia and the Shroud, an updated article from the Turin Shroud Center of Colorado, Russian translations of three important papers and much more. We are also including one older paper (from 1982) by Fr. Francis Filas, S.J., that details his coin inscription theory. All have also been permanently archived on the Scientific Papers & Articles page (alphabetically by title) and the Website Library page (alphabetically by author).
Uncovering the sources of DNA found on the Turin Shroud by Gianni Barcaccia, Giulio Galla, Alessandro Achilli, Anna Olivieri & Antonio Torroni. The article was published in Scientific Reports by the journal Nature on October 5, 2015. Without doubt, this paper has caused the biggest stir and received the most media attention recently. Here is an excerpt from the Abstract:
"...Here, we report the main findings from the analysis of genomic DNA extracted from dust particles vacuumed from parts of the body image and the lateral edge used for radiocarbon dating. Several plant taxa native to the Mediterranean area were identified as well as species with a primary center of origin in Asia, the Middle East or the Americas but introduced in a historical interval later than the Medieval period. Regarding human mitogenome lineages, our analyses detected sequences from multiple subjects of different ethnic origins, which clustered into a number of Western Eurasian haplogroups, including some known to be typical of Western Europe, the Near East, the Arabian Peninsula and the Indian sub-continent. Such diversity does not exclude a Medieval origin in Europe but it would be also compatible with the historic path followed by the Turin Shroud during its presumed journey from the Near East. Furthermore, the results raise the possibility of an Indian manufacture of the linen cloth."
Since it was first published, the paper generated some heated discussions on the major Shroud blogs (here, here and here). One of the first critical comments I received when I posted the link on our Facebook page on October 5th was a challenge to the origin and provenance of the materials used in the study. The authors used the dusts vacuumed by Prof. Giovanni Riggi from between the Shroud and the Holland Cloth in 1978, but the original sources of those aspirated microscopic materials and their exact physical locations on the Shroud can never be accurately determined. In fact, this has led the Turin authorities to reject for decades any scientific conclusions based solely on those samples. Aside from the large variety of human DNA they found (as expected), the other controversial conclusion drawn by the authors is that the Shroud might actually have been manufactured in India.
The most cogent and qualified comments on the paper so far come from blood and DNA expert Kelly Kearse, who posted them to the Shroud Science Group on October 21, 2015 and has graciously given us permission to reprint them here: Kelly Kearse Comments on the Recent DNA Paper. It took about a week, but ultimately the paper was reported by a number of the online media websites. Here are links to just some of those reports, but make sure to read the original paper and Kelly's comments first:
A Critical Summary of Observations, Data and Hypotheses - Version 3.0 by Bob Siefker, Keith Propp, Dave Fornof, Ares Koumis, Rebecca Jackson and John Jackson - Updated October 22, 2015 - This is the latest version of the Critical Summary paper that is produced and updated by the researchers at the Turin Shroud Center of Colorado under the guidance of Dr. John Jackson, co-founder of the STURP team. Note that it replaces the previous version. Here is an excerpt from the Summary's Preface:
"The purpose of the Critical Summary is to provide a synthesis of the Turin Shroud Center of Colorado ([SC) thinking about the Shroud of Turin and to make that synthesis available to the serious inquirer. Our evaluation of scientific, medical forensic and historical hypotheses presented here is based on TSC’s internal research, Shroud of Turin Research Project (STURP) data, and other published research.
"The Critical Summary synthesis is not intended to present new research findings. With the exception of our comments all information presented has been published elsewhere, and we have endeavored to provide references for all included data. The ratings given to data items presented in the empirical data sections of the Critical Summary are based on TSC’s judgment of what constitutes class 1, Class 2 and Class 3 evidence, as explained in the Introduction."
"We studied by SEM-EDX analysis the pollens on the Face of the Turin Shroud. A total of ten pollen grains were found; they were photographed, characterised and analysed. Three of them (pollens p6, p7 and p10) belong to Ceratonia siliqua, the carob tree; one of them (pollen p1) belongs to Balanites aegyptiaca (the palm tree of the desert), and another one (pollen p9) belongs to Cercis siliquastrum (the Judean tree). These three plants have their geographical distributions in the Near-East; that is indicative of a Palestinian origin of the Turin Shroud..."
This is an editorial regarding a paper published on Thermochimica Acta (R.N. Rogers, Thermochimca Acta, 425 (2005) 189–194). A close-up analysis of the pyrolysis-mass spectra reported in the original paper reveals that the differences found between the samples coming from different parts of the Shroud are just due to the presence of a contaminant with a long aliphatic chain. Except for the presence of the contaminant, the two pyrolysis-mass spectra look alike rather than different. Therefore, the pseudoscientific theory stating that the C14 sample might come from a “medieval invisible mending” remains unsupported by evidences.
It seems rather unusual that this editorial, which challenged one single observation in Ray Rogers' 2005 Thermochimica Acta paper, Studies on the Radiocarbon Sample from the Shroud of Turin and carefully ignored everything else, was published more than ten years after the publication of the original paper! It should also be noted that one of the authors of the editorial is Luigi Garlaschelli, an avowed Shroud skeptic who has admitted that at least some of his anti-authenticity research is funded by a well-known Italian athiest organization. Most researchers found the language of the article, which referred to Rogers' theory as "pseudoscientific," rather misleading and offensive, since Rogers was a qualified researcher who based his work on direct scientific examination of the Shroud itself, rather than on the second hand data used by Garlaschelli and his colleagues. It is important to note that the authors carefully avoided any references to the other data in the paper, which actually supported Rogers' conclusions. The editorial generated a massive response on Dan Porter's Shroud of Turin Blog (130 comments so far) and prompted several researchers to draft rebuttals that will be submitted to Science Direct for publication in the near future.
As for the controversial reweaving theory itself, there continues to be strong supporting scientific evidence for its existence, most notably in a recent article (2014) by world renowned textile expert, Donna Campbell of Thomas Ferguson Irish Linen, who concluded in part that, "there are signs in the Shroud sample that direct the notion of mending or reweaving of the actual woven fabric." The article is titled, Consideration to the Uniformity and Effects of the Fabric in the Shroud of Turin and includes the macro photographs of the Shroud sample dated by the Oxford laboratory in 1988 that Donna used as a reference. The article was published last year by Pam Moon on her Shroud of Turin Exhibition website, which includes other important textile articles by Campbell as well.
Anamorphosi (Anamorphosis) (In Italian) by Paolo Di Lazzaro and Daniele Murra - Academia.edu - October 2, 2015 - If you are interested in imaging, optics or photography, you might find this one page fully illustrated paper from our good friends at ENEA quite interesting. [FYI, anamorphosis is a distorted projection or drawing that appears normal when viewed from a particular point or with a suitable mirror or lens].
3D Properties of the Shroud (Revised)
3D Properties of the Shroud (Revised) by O.K. - Shroud of Turin Blog - October 1, 2015 - Regular blog contributor O.K. has produced an excellent four part, fully illustrated presentation that goes into great detail explaining and analyzing the so-called 3D properties of the Shroud image. This presentation is definitely worth your time. Here are direct links to each part: Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4.
"Several reports suggest that images of the Shroud of Turin contain faint religious inscriptions that support the view that the Shroud has special religious significance. Against this background, we investigated effects of contextual information on detecting religious inscriptions using an image of plain modern linen with no religious provenance and containing no writing. The image was viewed
in three contexts: In the Neutral Context, participants were told that the image was of a simple piece of linen; in the Religious Context, participants were told that the image was of an important religious artifact; and in the Religious ContextţOptions condition, participants were also given plausible word options..."
"Answers and specifications to the comments of G. Fanti on our recent work are presented. G. Fanti invited us to revise our work, taking into account the recent discoveries on the Shroud of Turin: double superficiality of the image, corona discharge as possible source of the image formation, and continuous variation of color density of the linen fibrils. Our work was mainly devoted to investigate the macroscopic process able to explain almost all characteristics of the Shroud body image, and for such a purpose cited literature was appropriate. About the microscopic processes able to trigger the yellowing of the fibrils constituting the Shroud body image, we could also consider the corona discharge, but further investigations and deepening are necessary."
Excursuses to the article "The Shroud of Turin: A Critical Assessment" by Atle Ottesen Sřvik - Teologisk tidsskrift (Journal of Theology), no 3, 2013. In this paper the author collected four excursuses for which there was not space in the main article, “The Shroud of Turin: A Critical Assessment,” which we featured in our June 7, 2014 update. [FYI - Excursuses: plural noun - detailed discussions of particular points in a book (or article), usually in an appendix. A digression in a written text]. Our thanks to Joe Marino for letting us know about this follow up article. You can follow Atle and read some of his other papers (many in English) at this link: Atle Ottesen Sřvik on Academia.edu.
Several months ago I received an e-mail from Ivanka Skakun, an English to Russian translator working with Coupofy Translations at Coupofy.com. The company's employees offer their services to worthwhile causes on a volunteer basis in an effort to give back to the community and their translators kindly offered to translate into Russian the 1988 radiocarbon dating paper that was published in Nature and is reprinted on our website. I explained to her that while we appreciated the offer, we felt that several important follow-up papers would also need to be translated to present Russian viewers with both sides of the controversial issue. She graciously agreed and sent us links to Russian language translations of the following three papers. Thank you Ivanka! (Sorry. The links are no longer available).
Radiocarbon Dating of the Shroud of Turin by Damon, P. E., et al - Nature, Vol. 337, No. 6208, pp. 611-615, 16th February, 1989 - Russian language translation by Coupofy team.
Studies on the Radiocarbon Sample from the Shroud of Turin by Raymond N. Rogers - Thermochimica Acta 425 (2005) pp.189-194 - Russian language translation by Coupofy team.
Discrepancies in the Radiocarbon Dating Area of the Turin Shroud by M. Sue Benford and Joseph G. Marino - Chemistry Today, vol 26 n 4, [July-August 2008] - Russian language translation by Coupofy team.
The Dating of the Shroud of Turin from Coins of Pontius Pilate by Francis L. Filas, S.J. - 2nd Edition, Updated to June 1982. Although not widely accepted, this theory is nonetheless a part of Shroud research and has been referenced by a number of Shroud authors, so we thought it important to archive it on Shroud.com. Our thanks to Richard Bernatchez for sharing it with us.
Posted November 1, 2015
Recently Published Books
Recently Published Books
Several new Shroud related books have been published in recent months. We are listing them here but have also permanently archived them on the Shroud of Turin Books Online page (alphabetically by title) and the Shroud of Turin Booklist page (alphabetically by author).
Mark Antonacci's long awaited new book is now available online at Amazon.com (at the above links) or you can Order Direct via PayPal. Here is the online description:
"Mark Antonacci makes compelling arguments about many prominent points in Test the Shroud. His accurate description of all the unique features on the Shroud of Turin allows him to convincingly argue that this is the authentic burial cloth of Jesus Christ. He presents a very testable hypothesis that particle radiation emanating from the dead, crucified body wrapped within this burial cloth caused its unprecedented, full-length body images, its still-red blood marks, its erroneous carbon dating and so many other unforgeable features. He even describes advanced scientific testing techniques that could be applied to this burial cloth and its human bloodstains that could demonstrate whether a miraculous event actually occurred to this corpse; when it happened; where it happened; the actual age of the burial cloth and its blood stains, and the identity of the victim."
Hardcover: 502 pages
Publisher: LE Press, LLC; 1st edition (October 21, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-13: 978-0996430012
ASIN: 0996430016
This fascinating and thoroughly researched book includes an entire chapter dedicated to the Shroud of Turin (Chapter Three - The Sacred Image).
"From the New York Times bestselling author of The Vatican Diaries, a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at how the Vatican investigates claims of miraculous events."
"The process by which these supernatural events are authenticated is expertly told by John Thavis, one of the world’s leading Vaticanologists. In fact, that a book on so secretive and complex a topic is so deeply researched, beautifully written, and artfully told is something of a small miracle itself."—James Martin, S.J., author of Jesus: A Pilgrimage
This beautifully produced and printed book with a leatherette cover includes 126 superbly reproduced high quality illustrations, mostly in color. Here is an excerpt from the Foreward:
"The focus of this book was on sources for the depiction of Christ in art. Study was concentrated on these specific areas: Whether or not there is a relationship between the features of Christ and/or the projection of the artist's image and whether there is a relationship between the features of Christ and the image seen on the Shroud of Turin... The method used for 'objectively' comparing the features of Christ with other works of art is known as the 'Polarized Image Overlay Technique.' This technique was effective in determining similarities or 'points of congruence' with artistic reproductions. Results of this image comparison and other results of the study are summarized in Part VI - Summary of Results."
Paperback: 146 pages
Publisher: ARGO ARTES GRAFICAS, S.A. (2015)
Language: English
ASIN: B01798P72G
This new work by our good friend Simon Brown includes a comprehensive collection of data gathered by a virtual Who's Who of Shroud researchers, including Ray Rogers, Raymond J. Schneider, Russ Breault, Mark Guscin, Peter Shumacher, Joe Marino and Sue Benford, César Barta, Dr. Eugenia Nitowski, Dr. Joseph A. Kohlbeck and many more. Here is a brief description from Amazon:
"What and who is in this book? Nothing But, Facts, Proof, evidence, Peer Reviewed scientific papers & links to 100’s of articles to the best researchers in the world."
We listed T. C. Newman's book on the website in 2013 when it was first published. Since then it has gone on to become a First Place Winner at the CIPA EVVY Book Awards, held in Denver, CO, August 23, 2014 and garner an Honorable Mention in the Readers' Favorite Christian - Non-Fiction category in their 2015 International Book Award Contest, so we thought it was worth mentioning again. Our congratulations to T. C. Newman!
File Size: 873 KB
Print Length: 116 pages
Publisher: T. C. Newman; 3 edition (July 4, 2013)
Publication Date: July 4, 2013
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00B2PP9WG
Posted November 1, 2015
Recently Released Videos
Russ Breault Skype Interview with Simon Brown Part 1
Russ Breault Skype Interview with Simon Brown Part 1 - "International lecturer and researcher Russ Breault has presented to hundreds of audiences over the past 30 years. He is recognised as a leading expert and an engaging speaker able to captivate audiences with both skillful delivery and depth of knowledge." So writes our friend Simon Brown on his Real Discoveries Blog about his recently conducted interview via Skype with Russ Breault. Simon actually pointed his video camera at his computer screen and recorded the entire interview, then edited it into the two programs posted here. Here is the link to Russ Breault Skype Interview with Simon Brown Part 2.
The Holy Winding Sheet
Now Available on DVD
The Holy Winding Sheet - Exploring the Shroud of Turin - This excellent program was produced by Chuck Neff at Salt River Productions in St. Louis, Missouri and premiered on EWTN on June 21, 2015, to coincide with Pope Francis' visit to see the Shroud. The program is now available on DVD directly from EWTN. Here is a brief program description:
"Parker Dow, as part of his senior thesis at a St. Louis high school, chose to investigate the Shroud of Turin over a 6-month period. This documentary follows Parker as he meets four of the world's leading experts to learn firsthand about the Shroud and how they have come to believe it is, in fact, the burial cloth of Jesus. This fascinating program is a contemporary look at a sacred mystery 2,000 years in the making."
Although not directly related to the Shroud of Turin, the Holy Tunic of Argenteuil has long been an object of interest and study by many sindonologists worldwide, so we thought it would be worthwhile to include news of its upcoming exhibition here, along with a link to the article that announced it.
Reputed relic of Christ's Passion, exhibited every 50 years, makes special appearance for Year of Mercy. - In honor of the Year of Mercy decreed by Pope Francis — which begins on December 8, 2015 — Stanislas LaLanne, Bishop of Pontoise and “Guardian of the Holy Tunic” has announced that the Holy Tunic of Argenteuil – purported to be the seamless garment worn by Christ on Calvary – will be exhibited to the public for a very brief time: from March 25 to April 10, 2016. This tunic was originally documented as being seamless and of-a-piece, fitting the description found in the Gospel according to John (Jn 19:23-24). In the modern era, the tunic has been displayed every fifty years, so this exception for the Year of Mercy is noteworthy. Read the entire article here.
Posted November 1, 2015
Shroud Speakers Directory Updated
Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson
We are very pleased to announce that our Shroud Speakers Directory page has been updated with a new listing for our old friend Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson, official Recording Secretary and public relations officer for the STURP team in 1978. He was also editor of The Proceedings of the 1977 United States Conference of Research on the Shroud of Turin, an important conference that helped lead to the 1978 examination of the Shroud. We are glad Ken is making himself available for Shroud lectures, as there are not very many original STURP team members remaining that are still active in Shroud research and education. Welcome to our directory Ken!
Posted November 1, 2015
Just In Time For The Holidays
Backlit Face Transparency in PhotoGlow Frame
7.5" x 9.5" Backlit Image in an 11" x 14" x 13/16"
Black Metal Frame and Matte On Sale until December 31, 2015
Our backlit Shroud transparencies in PhotoGlow® frames have long been a popular item for those who wanted to display a truly striking image of the Shroud in their homes or offices. Recently, we reordered some of the large face transparencies but our laboratory shipped us the smaller versions by mistake. They promptly corrected their error and shipped us the correct ones, and we were left with an excess inventory of 35 small face transparencies and thought we should pass the savings along to you. Regularly priced at $258.00 (including shipping), we can now offer the Small Face Transparency in PhotoGlow® Frame at a SPECIAL SALE PRICE OF $199.00, including shipping (until December 31, 2015 or until our supplies are exhausted). Each transparency is mounted in a custom built PhotoGlow® Frame only 13/16" thick, and is ready to hang. The LED backlighting system operates using a thin, light colored 15' power cable attached to a small transformer at the plug end. You simply hang it up and plug it in! And each frame is equipped with an inline dimmer that allows you to adjust and control the brightness of the backlight display. See our Website Store page for more details, a larger photo and ordering information. Order by December 15th for Christmas delivery.
C.S.S.T. Shroud Lenticular Postcard
Now Available Online
We are pleased to announce that Jonathan Prather, Ph.D. of Ochoco Creek Press, by special arrangement with Dr. Alan Whanger and the Council for the Study of the Shroud of Turin (C.S.S.T.), is now making available online a large, 6" x 9" C.S.S.T. Shroud Lenticular Postcard that uses image overlays to compare some important Shroud characteristics. Price is $10.00 per card and shipping is free. Dr. Prather informs us that resellers can contact him for a discount when buying 20 or more. Here is an excerpt from the product description:
"...Incorrect carbon dating placed its origin in the Medieval period, but the preponderance of evidence indicates that the Shroud is authentic and about 2,000 years old. Its age can be determined by matching Shroud images to other historical objects where the dating is already known, such as coins, paintings, and another cloth (the Sudarium of Oviedo). Examine the evidence for yourself: look at the six overlay comparisons... by slowly tilting this lenticular postcard up and down vertically to see the marked congruencies between the two images and read the corresponding texts..."
Posted November 1, 2015
The Next Update Marks Our 20th Anniversary Online!
On January 21, 2016, the Shroud of Turin Website will celebrate its 20th anniversary on the internet! It is still hard for me to believe that almost twenty years have passed since I first hit the "send" button and put this website online. A lot has changed over those years, and the internet has grown into a global force that now touches billions of lives. But back in January of 1996, the web was populated mostly by geeks, nerds and techies. There was an excitement about it too. You were exploring new territory and interacting instantly with people all over the planet! I think now we just accept that as the norm and some of the excitement has faded. But not here! I am more excited than ever about our growth over the years (and our longevity). So we have a few special plans in store for our 20th anniversary update.
As the internet has evolved, so has the technology to view it. Today, around 60% of all internet traffic comes from mobile devices (tablets and smart phones) rather than from desktop or laptop computers This has also required website design to evolve to maintain full compatibility with all the different devices available. As you read this today, if you are seeing us on a mobile device (as about 30% of our viewers do), you might find some of the pages somewhat difficult to view without a lot of zooming or scrolling. We wanted to address this issue, but a complete redesign of the website was not an option at this point in time. So I believe what we have done is the next best thing: In our January 21, 2016 update, not only will we be celebrating our anniversary, we will also be celebrating the re-coding of all our web pages to make them fully mobile compliant and compatible with all current devices. The pages will still look the same on your computer screens, but the images and text will rescale appropriately for your specific mobile device. We have been working on this for some months now and will unveil the new pages as the lead story in our January update.
The next update will also include more issues of Rex Morgan's Shroud News, the December issue of the BSTS Newsletter, more papers, articles, books and videos and of course, much more. So join us again on January 21, 2016 and celebrate our 20th anniversary with us. In the meantime, we would like to take this opportunity to be the first to send all of you our very best wishes for a joyous Christmas and a safe and healthy New Year. See you in January!
Barrie Schwortz
Posted November 1, 2015
Summer Update - August 16, 2015
Welcome to the Summer Update of Shroud.com! With the public exhibition of the Shroud coming to an end, dozens of new books, papers and articles being published, countless news stories and new videos being released and a hectic schedule of traveling and lecturing, we were faced with an overwhelming amount of new materials to include in this update and very little time to get it produced. We tried to include as much as we could but simply ran out of time, so if we missed something, we'll get it next time. We are also grateful to our friend, author Riccardo Quaglia for sharing his photograph of the cathedral with us. You can clearly see the scaffolding in place around the dome of the Guarini Chapel at right. It was severely damaged by fire in 1997 and still has not been repaired. Now, let's get to the update.
Rex Morgan's Shroud News Now Online! (18 Down, 100 To Go)
Rex Morgan's Shroud News Now Online!
(18 Down, 100 To Go)
It is with the greatest pleasure that I unveil today the newest page of our website, dedicated to the permanent archive of Rex Morgan's excellent journal, Shroud News. Based in Australia, Rex published his journal single-handedly for 21 years (from September 1980 until December 2001) and it quickly grew to be respected and appreciated around the world! There were a total of 118 issues produced and in this debut update, we have included the first eighteen of them (just like the headline says). We are deeply grateful to Rex for giving us permission to reprint the newsletter here on Shroud.com and for his important input and advice as we planned the archive. Over the next year or two, we will continue updating the archive until all 118 issues are available online. This is only possible because of the hard work and dedication of Stephen Jones, who once again has volunteered to do all the necessary scanning and optical character recognition (just like he did with Shroud Spectrum International and the BSTS Newsletter). Trust me. This is a huge undertaking and will take him many, many hours. Thanks are also due to Ian Wilson, who provided Stephen with valuable input and all of the original issues. Please be sure to read the accompanying article, About Rex Morgan, for more about the man behind Shroud News.
Posted August 16, 2015
Barrie Schwortz Invited to Speak at 49th Annual Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Jalsa Convention in England
49th Annual Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Jalsa Convention
In their May 2015 Issue, the highly respected London based publication, The Review of Religions, reprinted two of my Shroud articles and published two new articles about the Sudarium by staff writer Arif Khan. The 113 year old magazine (in print since 1902) is published by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in the U.K., a global organization dedicated to promoting interfaith understanding. This marks the third time since 2002 that the editors have reprinted some of my work and their May issue also included a large selection of my 1978 photographs. The issue was received very favorably by its readers and the publishers graciously invited me to attend and speak at their 49th annual Jalsa Salana UK Convention in Hampshire, England, later this month.
As soon as I received the invitation, I contacted our dear friend Pam Moon in West Midlands, England, who created the beautiful Shroud of Turin Exhibition which she tours regularly around the U.K. and she graciously agreed to bring her exhibit to the Hampshire event as well. This marks the first time either Pam or I have ever spoken to an Islamic group so I asked the organizers to provide us with some background information about their community and their annual convention, which had more than 30,000 attendees last year. The materials they provided were excellent and I felt it was important to share them here with you. We start with a link to their Love For All, Hatred For None website, which clearly reflects the Ahmadiyya community's underlying philosophy and point of view. Next is a link to the BBC coverage of their 2013 Convention along with some photographs from the 2014 Jalsa Convention. You can also watch a short video documentary (11:42) that expresses the Ahmadiyya view on the Shroud of Turin and a longer, more in depth one hour program titled, Islam Ahmadiyyat - Revival of Faith, that I found very informative. We are truly grateful to Review Editor Amer Safir, his staff and the Ahmadiyya community for this wonderful invitation and will include a full report on the event in our Fall Update.
Posted August 16, 2015
The Children's Museum of Indianapolis to Display Shroud Replica
The Children's Museum of Indianapolis
I am very pleased to announce that The Children's Museum of Indianapolis (the world's largest children's museum), has invited me to speak on September 19, 2015, during their presentation of the National Geographic Sacred Journeys exhibition, which opens August 29th and will feature one of our lifesize replicas of the Shroud of Turin. The replica was graciously donated to the museum by our dear friend Dr. Chuck Dietzen, who also sponsored my recent lectures in the Indianapolis area.
I will make two presentations at the musuem titled, The Science Behind the Shroud of Turin. The first is tailored for families and children and the second is more for adults. You can get more information directly from the museum's website at the above links. Below is my presentation schedule. I hope to see some of you there! (Frankly, I can't wait to see the museum myself)!
Saturday, September 19
11:00 a.m-12:15 p.m. - First presentation for families with children, ages 10+, youth groups, and adults - 45-minute presentation with 30 minute Q & A session to follow
2:00-4:00 p.m. - Second presentation for adults and adult groups followed by 30-minute Q & A
Posted August 16, 2015
BSTS Newsletter June 2015 Issue No. 81 Now Online
BSTS Newsletter No. 81
Speaking of the United Kingdom, we are happy to report that the British Society for the Turin Shroud page of the website has been updated and the latest June 2015 Issue No. 81 of the BSTS Newsletter is now online. This issue includes some interesting articles by Dr. Caroline Farey, Hugh Duncan and Hugh Farey, the newsletter's Editor. It also includes an update on the 2015 exposition, reviews of recent papers, articles and books, news from around the internet and much more.
Without doubt, this year's public exhibition of the Shroud was a great success, with more than 2 million visitors coming to Turin to view the cloth during the 67 day exposition from April 19, 2015 through June 24, 2015. We have already reported on the event in past updates, but wanted to conclude our coverage with a final report. To that end, we have updated our Shroud Exhibitions page to include an overview of the 2015 exhibition along with some additional relevant links. I have written an article titled, The 2015 Exposition - A Personal Report by Barrie Schwortz, which is also available from that page.You might also want to review the excellent photographic essay on the 2015 Exposition titled, Turin 2015 by Aldo Guerreschi, which we first published on this website on May 6, 2015. It includes some very beautiful images. Unless otherwise changed by the current owner, the next public exhibition of the Shroud is scheduled for 2025. See you there!
Posted August 16, 2015
Update on the 2015 Centro Internazionale di Sindonologia (C.I.S.) Annual Conference
Aggiornamento Sulle Principali Tematiche Sulla Sindone di Torino - Update on Main Issues on Shroud of Turin (Italian language)
In our May 6, 2015 update, we included an article about the Annual Conference of the Centro Internazionale di Sindonologia (C.I.S.), that was held on May 2, 2015 in Turin, and promised to bring you updated information once it became available. Our sincere thanks to the Centro for providing it to us so we could share it with you here. There were many prominent international scholars at the conference and they made their presentations in Italian, German, English and Spanish languages. Among the speakers were Gianmaria Zaccone, Nello Ballosino, Rainer Reisner, Flavia Manservigi, Paolo Di Lazzaro, Marzia Boi, Alfonso Sanchez Hermosilla, Paola Iacomussi, Michela Radis, Giuseppe Rossi and Karlheinz Dietz. I am happy to report that our dear friend and C.I.S. member, Enrico Simonato has sent us an array of papers and materials from the conference in both English and Spanish languages and we are including them here for your information. Several are only available in a single language but we will add more in the future should they become available. We have also archived the 2015 C.I.S. Conference materials in the Shroud Conferences & Symposia Links section of our Website Library page.
Since the event, several of the papers and presentations were updated or corrected from what was printed in the original program above, so we are including the updated versions here:
The Shroud of Turin - An Enduring Mystery
by Dr. Ray Schneider
A number of new (or newly available) videos have been released in the last few months, some of a recent nature and some made years ago. A good number of these are from our dear friend (and STERA, Inc. board member) Russ Breault on his Shroud University website or from his YouTube Channel. Here are just a few of his more recent additions:
The Shroud of Turin - An Enduring Mystery is a five part video series by Dr. Raymond Schneider. Each video session comes with both PowerPoint and pdf slides as well as a written handout. The course topics include 1) Introduction, 2) Science, 3) History, 4) Skeptics & Images and 5) Integration & Conclusions.
Visit Russ Breault's YouTube Channel where Russ has most recently posted two video interviews with Isabel Piczek, one on Leonardo Da Vinci and the other titled, Is the Shroud a Painting? He also published a series of historic interviews with Alan and Mary Whanger, the Rev. Albert "Kim" Dreisbach, Rex Morgan, Dr. John Jackson, Prof. Dan Scavone and many more (from the 1989 Paris Shroud Conference).
To see a complete list of videos available for free download, visit the Shroud University Video Library page of Russ's website.
Here are some other videos you should find interesting:
Thomas De Wesselow Analyses the Turin Shroud Image - Cambridge art historian De Wesselow, author of The Sign: The Shroud of Turin and the Secret of the Resurrection, explains why, in his opinion, the image on the Shroud of Turin is unlikely to be the work of an artist or forger. Video by David Rolfe and Performance Films, from a meeting of the British Society for the Turin Shroud. (1:02:05)
Shroud: A New Astonishing Phenomenon Discovered in this Find - Video produced by the International Institute of Advanced Studies of Space Representation Sciences in Palermo, Italy. This professionally produced program draws some rather novel conclusions about the Shroud, but many are not supported by the existing, scientific data. Here is a statement from the authors: "Photogrammetric restitution on the Shroud of Turin has revealed a previously unknown phenomenon that opens up new horizons for science. The strength of this discovery is stressed by the fact that the geometrical data used for restitution can be verified with tools that are accessible to everyone." You will just have to watch it and decide for yourself. Also available in Italian language: Sindone, Un Nuovo Sconvolgente Fenomeno Rinvenuto Sul Reperto. Published on 28 June 2015. (53.25)
And finally, here is an .mp3 audio of a new song recently composed and recorded about the Shroud:
Image On A Cloth - This country and western styled song was written by Larry Slover and performed by Angila Primm. Larry's message to us was simple: "I hope my song touches someone's heart." (4:40)
Posted August 16, 2015
Recently Published Papers and Articles
Faith and science dialogue
in the Shroud of Turin
by Josep Fernandez-Capo
Again, many new Shroud articles and papers have been published in recent months. Here are just a few:
Josep Fernandez-Capo - Faith and science dialogue in the Shroud of Turin - Scientia et Fides Vol 3, No 1 (2015) - From the abstract: "...In a cultural context where the thesis of the constant conflict between religion and science is still alive, sindonology stands out as a paradigm of the constructive dialogue between faith and science. Independent from the issue of the authenticity of the relic, here is the reflection of such dialogue displaying the mutual services that faith and science render one another." - Also available in Spanish language: Diálogo Entre Fe y Ciencia en la Síndone de Turín (En Español)
A.A.M. van der Hoeven - Authentic acid blood mordanted the madder-dyed Shroud of Turin pinkish red before image formation - Jesus was dead – Academia.edu - September 22, 2014 (corrected February 27, 2015) - 243 pages - This is far more than a "paper" as it is physically longer than many books. Here is just the first sentence of the abstract: "The chemical and physical properties of the Shroud of Turin, both of the non-image background, the image areas, the pinkish red bloodstains and the separate serum, especially their absorbance, fluorescence and FTIR spectra, are described and shown to be evidence for the presence of a pinkish red heme-madder complex, formed by the chemical interaction of authentic acid postmortem blood with yellow madder dye on the cloth before image formation."
Posted August 16, 2015
Recently Published Books
Recently Published Books
Many Shroud related books have been published in recent months and most of them were released to coincide with the public exposition of the Shroud earlier this year. We already included a large selection in our May 2015 update, but here are a few more:
Test the Shroud (At the Atomic and Molecular Levels) by Mark Antonacci
Coming soon is a new book from Mark Antonacci, the first since his earlier work, The Resurrection of the Shroud, was published in 2000. The new book is currently going to press and should be available by the fall. Since it will probably be released before our next website update, we are including it now to provide you with advance notice of its publication. We will include a link to where the book can be purchased as soon as it becomes available. In the meantime, here is the information Mark provided us:
"Mark Antonacci makes many prominent arguments in his landmark book, Test the Shroud. His accurate description of all the unique features on the Shroud of Turin allows him to convincingly argue that this is the authentic burial cloth of Jesus Christ. He presents a very testable hypothesis that particle radiation emanating from the dead, crucified body wrapped within this burial cloth caused its unprecedented, full-length body images, its still-red blood marks, its erroneous carbon dating and so many other unforgeable features. He even describes advanced scientific testing techniques that could be applied to this burial cloth, its human bloodstains and Jesus' reputed burial tomb(s) that could demonstrate whether this unprecedented event actually occurred; when it happened; where it happened; the actual age of the Shroud; and the identity of the victim."
At 858 pages, this book is huge, literally, and is fully illustrated with many black & white photographs. Here is an excerpt from the product description on Amazon: "...The story begins with a Divine revelation of the Jewish Messiah of Israel. It was verified by true miraculous events that transpired on Holy Mount Moriah in Jerusalem, Israel. Following the leading of the Holy Spirit, the author wrote the astonishing revelations in detail that she was told to write down in a book over a seven year span of time beginning in the year 2007." The author also makes available several videos: The Revelation of the Jewish Messiah and The Royal Coronation of the Messiah.
Hardcover: 858 pages
Publisher: Olive Press Publisher (May 5, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 194117311X
ISBN-13: 978-1941173114
Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 1.8 x 11 inches
Shipping Weight: 5 pounds
In this book, the author presents his extensive research that leads him to conclude that Othon de la Roche most likely had nothing to do with the Shroud of Turin. It includes a transcription of the entire manuscript 826 of the archives of the Bibliothčque de Besançon with additional commentaries. The book is available directly from the publisher's Éditions Franche-Bourgogne website (in French) but the author has also graciously made a PDF version available for free download on Academia.edu.
Downloadable PDF file: 195 pages
Publisher: Éditions Franche-Bourgogne - 2015
Language: French
ISBN-13: 978-2954617244
In Search of a Quantum God by Dr. John Luckey (Link no longer available).
The author is making this book available in downloadable E-book format for the modest amount of US$3.53. Here is the author's statement about the book: "Join me as I seek for a cure to the schizophrenia that has gripped the Human race on this subject. Maybe one will prove the other and then they can both be reunited in the mind of man...in fact, has science already, without ever meaning too, proven the existence of a 'Higher Power?' Please join me as I go.... In search of a Quantum God......." Also available is the In Search of a Quantum God website, where you can find more information about the book.
BBC News - How did the Turin Shroud get its image?
Once again, because of the recent public exhibition of the Shroud, a large number of media outlets have been providing coverage of the Shroud and have produced many new articles and interviews. Here are links to some of them:
News-Sentinel, Fort Wayne, Indiana - Shroud of Turin study photographer believes new technology possibly could answer some questions - Interview with Barrie Schwortz by Kevin Kilbane. - 11 July 2015. (Link no longer available).
Catholic Radio Indy, Indianapolis, Indiana - Faith In Action: “The Shroud of Turin” - Podcast interview with Barrie Schwortz and Dr. Charles Dietzen. - 27 July 2015. (28:00)
Miami Valley Skeptics - The Shroud of Turin - Podcast interview with Barrie Schwortz starts at 27:20 into program - 10 August 2015. (approx. 45:00)
Posted August 16, 2015
The Next Update
At this moment it is difficult to determine the exact date of the next update, as I am still in the last throes of finishing this one! However, based on my travel schedule and the amount of work that has piled up over the past few months, the next update will probably go online sometime in October or November, but certainly well before the Christmas holidays. Of course, we will post any other breaking Shroud news as soon as it becomes available. I can tell you for sure that the next update will include another batch of Shroud News issues, some special sale items that would make perfect holiday gifts and of course, much more. So thank you for being there, have a great summer and we'll see you in the fall!
Posted August 16, 2015
Spring Update - May 6, 2015
Welcome to the Spring Update of Shroud.com! With the Lenten season just behind us and the public exposition of the Shroud ongoing, a huge amount of material has been pouring forth in the media and online about the Shroud of Turin. We have tried to select some of the most important of these to include in today's update, making it one of the largest updates we have done in years. We were hoping to get it all online by May 4th, the Feast Day of the Shroud, but there was just too much material to be included, making it impossible for us to meet that deadline. Rather than a lengthy introduction, let's just get to it!
We wanted to begin our Spring update with a report on the public exhibition of the Shroud, which is currently ongoing at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Turin, Italy. However, we have already included links to many news articles about the exposition later in this update and we didn't just want to repeat them here. Instead, we turned to our dear friend (and fellow photographer) Aldo Guerreschi in Turin, who has been our eyes and ears there for many years. Aldo explained that it was very difficult to take any photographs in the Cathedral itself this year, as the volunteers are strictly enforcing the "No Photographs" rule. However, being a professional, he did manage to get some good ones anyway. Since a picture is worth a thousand words (especially to us photographers), Aldo was kind enough to send us a selection of photographs he made on the first days of the exhibition and we are including them here in a special picture essay named, Turin 2015 by Aldo Guerreschi. Grazie Aldo!
Posted May 6, 2015
Centro Internazionale di Sindonologia (C.I.S.) Holds Annual Conference
(L to R seated): Nello Ballosino & Monsignor Giuseppe Ghiberti
(L to R standing): Gian Maria Zaccone & Max Judica Cordiglia
(Photo courtesy Holy Shroud Official Website)
On May 2, 2015, the Centro Internazionale di Sindonologia (C.I.S.) held its annual, invitation only (not open to the public) Shroud conference in Turin, Italy. This year, since their meeting schedule coincided with the public exposition of the Shroud, the Centro also graciously invited researchers from around the world to attend and participate. Countries represented include France, England, Spain, Peru, Mexico, Brazil, Bolivia and of course, Italy. Unfortunately, the invitations were not received until early April, when most had already made their travel plans to Turin for the exposition, so scheduling and other conflicts made it impossible for any of the American Sindonologists who were invited to attend. However, the invitations were certainly appreciated. Here are links to the Official Program of the Conference and the Invitation Letter sent to all invited participants.
For more details about the conference, read the article on the Holy Shroud Official Website titled, Gli esperti della Sindone a convegno da tutto il mondo (Italian language) (Link no longer available). You can also read an article published on May 2, 2015 on sanfrancesco Online News - Sindone e Sudario di Oviedo: «Tracce di sangue sovrapponibili» (Italian language) - Shroud and Sudarium of Oviedo: "Traces of blood superimposed" (Google English Translation) with comments on the presentation made at the Conference by Alfonso Sánchez Hermosilla, director of EDICES, the investigation group of the Spanish Center of Sindonologia (CES). Alfonso is the forensic doctor in Spain who continued the studies undertaken in the sixties by Monsignor Giulio Ricci on the Sudarium of Oviedo. Of course, we will include a summary of the event when it becomes available.
Posted May 6, 2015
Shroud Spectrum International Archive Now Complete!
The Orphaned Manuscript by Alan D. Adler
Roll mouse over image to view back cover
We are very pleased to announce the completion of the entire Shroud Spectrum International archive with the final two regular issues (#41 and #42) added in this update. We are even happier to include The Orphaned Manuscript, a complete collection of papers on the Shroud of Turin by the late Alan D. Adler, which Dorothy Crispino produced as a Special Issue in 2002. It was Dorothy's final major contribution to the Shroud world and perfectly encapsulates Adler's profound contributions to Sindonology. Of course, all of this was only possible thanks to the extraordinary efforts of Stephen E. Jones, BSTS Member living in Western Australia, who graciously volunteered to do all the scanning and optical character recognition (a massive amount of work) and Ian Wilson, who provided Stephen with the original issues and valuable input. Most important however, is the late Dorothy Crispino, the founder and editor of the journal, who devoted herself to creating such a truly important resource of Shroud information and kindly gave us permission to reprint it here on this website.
Posted May 6, 2015
Rex Morgan's "Shroud News" Coming to Shroud.com!
Rex Morgan's "Shroud News"
Issue No. 1 - 24 September 1980
From September 1980 until December 2001, Australian education pioneer, writer and broadcaster Rex Morgan published 118 issues of Shroud News, a publication initially intended to spread the word of the Shroud in Australia, but which included many important papers and articles and ultimately reached worldwide distribution, making Rex one of the best known names in the Shroud world. In fact, Father Peter Rinaldi referred to Rex as "Australia's Number One apostle of the Shroud." Rex toured an extensive Shroud photographic exhibition throughout Australia and New Zealand and to Hong Kong and Macau in the 1980's. He also conducted his own research and became a familiar face and an important voice at every major Shroud conference around the world. So we are very proud to announce that, thanks to Rex's gracious permission, starting in our summer update later this year we will begin publishing Shroud News here on Shroud.com.
Once again, this is only possible thanks to the tireless efforts of Stephen E. Jones, who has once again volunteered to do all the scanning and optical character recognition work and to Ian Wilson, who provided Stephen with valuable input and all of the original issues. Our initial idea was to publish only selections from each issue, but after closer examination, we decided that publishing them in their entirety was of greater historical value. Even though some of the items are dated or more locally oriented, they provide a fascinating insight into the Shroud world at that moment in its history (from the STURP era through the radiocarbon dating and into the 21st century). So watch for a new Shroud News page debuting in our next update.
Posted May 6, 2015
Journal Retracts Shroud Papers
Journal Retracts Shroud Papers
On February 13, 2014 we published a Special Update regarding a paper making news around the world that claimed that neutron radiation generated by a major earthquake could have been responsible for the Shroud's image and could have also modified the cloth in a manner that might have skewed the results of the radiocarbon dating. The article, titled, Is the Shroud of Turin In Relation to the Old Jerusalem Historical Earthquake? by A. Carpinteri, G. Lacidogna and O. Borla, was published in the journal Meccanica, An International Journal of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, and quickly drew strong reactions from Shroud scholars around the world. In our June 2014 update we published a follow up article titled Earthquake Paper Generates Immediate Reactions, which included links to several articles and papers strongly rebutting the claims made by the above authors.
In a truly rare and almost unprecedented move, Meccanica recently retracted the above article along with several other papers, more specifically, all those in which Alberto Carpinteri was involved. Their reason: "This article has been withdrawn by the Publisher and the Society in agreement with the Editor-in-Chief due to conflict of interest reasons. In a commitment to scientific integrity we decided to withdraw the article as the editorial process had been compromised." Put more simply, it turns out that the primary author of the paper is also the current editor-in-chief of the journal, a fact that seriously compromises the review process and damages the credibility of the journal itself. From a purely historical perspective, this has not happened in the Shroud world since Walter McCrone published the majority of his findings in The Microscope, a publication he both owned and edited. The only difference here is that Meccanica openly and publicly retracted theirs. I am sure this was a very difficult decision for them to make, but it was a very admirable one indeed.
Posted May 6, 2015
A Flood of Papers and Articles, Old and New
The "Restoration"ť of the Turin Shroud: A Conservation And Scientific Disaster by William Meacham (New permanent link)
In the past few months we have received notice of many papers and articles, some brand new and some from earlier conferences or publications. We have done our best to include most of them here but it is impossible to link to everything. The simplest way for us to present them is in a chronological list with a brief description for each. Here they are:
Papers and Articles from Earlier Conferences or Publications:
William Meacham - The "Restoration"ť of the Turin Shroud: A Conservation And Scientific Disaster, e-conservation magazine, No. 13 pp. 28-42. February 2010. (This article was recently moved from its previous location to this permanent link). The article was commented upon by Julian Bickersteth, the Managing Director of International Conservation Services, Australia's largest private fine arts conservation business, on his Museum Musings blog.
A. C. Lind, et al. - Production of Radiocarbon by Neutron Radiation on Linen - Proceedings of the International Workshop on the Scientific approach to the Acheiropoietos Images, ENEA Frascati, Italy, 4-6 May 2010. - All the papers from this conference are available via the Proceedings page of the ENEA conference website.
Bruno Barberis - Conserving the Shroud of Turin - Gloria.tv, April 12, 2013 - Neither a paper nor an article, this link is actually to a 6:36 minute video presentation with an excellent description of how the Shroud is now stored and conserved by Bruno Barberis. Originally produced in Italian, this version has an English voiceover translation.
In 2014 we published a link to an article by G. Fazio, Y. Clement and G. Mandaglio titled, The Mysterious Coexistence of Bloodstains and Body Image on the Shroud of Turin Explained by a Stochastic Process - Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry journal Vol.14, No. 2, pp. 55-65 - June 2014. At the time we did not realize that another paper in that same issue challenged the conclusions of the authors. That paper, by noted Shroud scholar Mario Latendresse was titled, Matters Arising, - Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry journal Vol.14, No. 2, pp. 367-373 - June 2014 and further included the authors' reply to the Latendresse comments in a section titled, Matters Arising - Reply, which begins on page 370.
Robert Villarreal - Completion of: The Alpha-Particle Irradiation Hypothesis - From Shroud of Turin: The Controversial Intersection of Faith and Science - St. Louis Conference - October 9-12, 2014 - This paper was accepted by the organizers, but due to time restraints, was not presented at the conference. It has also been added to the St. Louis Conference page.
Book Review - Jack Markwardt Reviews 'The Coming of the Quantum Christ' by John C. Klotz
The Coming of the Quantum Christ
by John C. Klotz
Our good friend, Shroud historian and author Jack Markwardt, was kind enough to send us his review of the recently published book, The Coming of the Quantum Christ - The Shroud of Turin and the Apocalypse of Selfishness by John C. Klotz, which we reported on earlier this year. It was a great review by a noted Shroud scholar and we wanted to share it here with you. Here is the link: Markwardt Reviews Klotz. Thank you Jack! We appreciate your participation. The book is now available in both print and multiple e-book formats.
SPECIAL OFFER: Author John Klotz is graciously offering a 15% discount for online purchases of his printed book as a special savings for viewers of this website. Simply visit The Coming of the Quantum Christ on Createspace, add the book to your Shopping Cart and enter the following Discount Code in the space provided: V8MBWGGC. The discount will automatically be applied to your total. Thanks John!
Posted May 6, 2015
Recently Published Books
Recently Published Books
Historically, whenever a public exposition of the Shroud takes place, a large number of new books are published, and this year has been no exception. Here is just a sampling of some of the new titles:
[Online Description]: "The Shroud of Turin seems to be the burial Shroud of Jesus of Nazareth, crucified in the environs of Jerusalem in the first century of the Common Era. Is it genuine? Yes.
A recent app for the iPad (Shroud 2.0) provides high-definition images. The Gospel of John seems to contain eyewitness accounts of the mission, trial, and execution of Jesus of Nazareth written shortly after his death. Is it true that it contains such accounts? Yes. Can both these assertions be “true” beyond reasonable doubt? The Shroud of Turin and the Gospel of John are two independent artifacts with no possibility of collusion. The agreement found between them, that they support and testify for each other, means that both are accurate representations of events two thousand years ago.The Shroud of Turin is the burial Shroud of Jesus of Nazareth. The Gospel of John reveals, with the accuracy and precision of an eyewitness, the mission of Jesus of Nazareth. The battle of Issus between Alexander the Great and Darius III in November of 333 BCE opened Palestine to the west and began the tension between reason and faith that extends to the present day."
Print Length: 125 pages
Publisher: Starry Night Publishing (October 12, 2014)
Language: English
ASIN: B00OG0VYXC
Der Kern der Dinge ist ihr Schein (The heart of the matter is its light) by Rudolf Berwanger (German language)
At more than 700 pages, this German language volume is certainly the author's magnum opus, which is why he makes it available on a DVD-ROM! We first announced its availability earlier this year and provided a link where you could freely download any or all of the individual chapters and images. The DVD-ROM itself is available directly from Amazon.de. Today's link is to a new 206 page chapter of the book titled, Der Heilige Gral und das Geheimnis im Volto Santo von Manoppello (The Holy Grail and the secret of the Holy Face of Manoppello).
Our good friend Caspar McCloud has published a new book in which he shares his personal experiences and describes how the Shroud changed his life. [Online Description]: "Caspar McCloud was interviewed by L A Marzulli for PP&S magazine in 2013 on the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin. The remarkable supernatural image seen on the Shroud changed McCloud’s life forever. He answers the questions many may eventually ask and shares his spiritual encounter, discovery, and insights with you. Come and see for yourself and learn the vital message encoded into the burial cloth of the risen Saviour."
Finding Jesus: Faith. Fact. Forgery.: Six Holy Objects That Tell the Remarkable Story of the Gospels is the full title of this book, which was the companion book for the recent CNN documentary series of the same name. [Online Description]: "Who was Jesus of Nazareth and what do the relics left behind tell us about this fascinating figure? A burial box that has Jesus's name on it? A papyrus "gospel" referring to his wife? A piece of wood from the cross? A linen shroud that wrapped Jesus's corpse? Are any or all of these real? Or are we being scammed? Finding Jesus provides a fresh look at the life of the greatest man who ever lived through six blockbuster artifacts -- including the Shroud of Turin, pieces of the True Cross, and bones of John the Baptist -- that give us the most direct evidence about the life and world of Jesus. Telling the story behind each artifact, Finding Jesus investigates, in the company of sleuths and scholars who use modern-day tools to solve ancient riddles, whether the stunning relics are authentic or frauds."
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Press; First Edition edition (February 24, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1250069106
ISBN-13: 978-1250069108
[Google Translation of Online Description]: "The Shroud of Besancon was very popular for nearly three centuries, attracting large crowds in his early ostensions the 16th century. Its popularity is so great that in 1705 King Louis XIV ordered the suspension of ostensions to prevent the German soldiers took the city by hiding among the tens of thousands of foreign pilgrims. The Shroud of Besançon in 1794 disappeared during the French Revolution, but there are still many ancient manuscripts and publications describing it. 826 The manuscript of the 18th century Besançon's library archive is composed of two separate essays pursuing diametrically opposite goals, the first arguing for the authenticity of the Shroud of Besançon and the second to the contrary. This book presents an original transcript of the first essay and a modernized version of the second essay published in 1831, with comments. The authors of these essays comparing the Shroud of Besancon with the Shroud of Turin, sometimes to determine which would be genuine..."
Paperback: 134 pages
Publisher: Books On Demand (February 26, 2015)
Language: French
ISBN-10: 2322012777
ISBN-13: 978-2322012770
[Online Description]: "The author has used his knowledge in medicine to study the Shroud, comparing the main research on the Man of the Shroud conducted during the 1900's. "An up-to-date and rigorous work on the Passion and on individual aspects of the suffering and the burial of Jesus" (Prof. Pierluigi Baima Bollone).With a Foreword by Prof. Pierluigi Baima-Bollone and a letter from Card. Tarcisio Bertone." Here is a link to a Google English translation of the above page. Michele Salcito works in a socio-economic research center of Turin. He attended the first two years of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Turin and has used this knowledge to study the Shroud, going on to compare the research of the leading forensic pathologists and surgeons over the years that have distinguished themselves in the study of the Man of the Shroud.
Publisher: Edizioni Segno, Feletto Umberto
Pages: 116 with 35 illustrations
ISBN: 978-88-6138-924-3
Date: March 2015
Language: Italian
From a recent letter the author wrote us: "I attended the 1978 exhibition when I was a kid and since then my interest has grown to these days: I've published a few studies about the Shroud and popular devotion in Piedmont (the regional district of Turin), such as the one I enclose. It is my pleasure to announce my edition, with an Italian translation (from the original Latin) and a commentary, of the very first book ever published on the Shroud, Sindon Evangelica (1581) by Filiberto Pingone, which includes an essay on the Shroud History as far as it was known in the 16th Century, a few poems by Pingone and others, Pope Julius II's Bull on the Shroud Mass and Festival, along with a narration of Cardinal Carlo Borromeo's pilgrimage in 1578. The book was first published in 2010 and was improved and updated on April 9, 2015, for a new On Demand edition." Also available is an Author Spotlight with some background on Mr. Quaglia.
Binding: Perfect-bound Paperback
Edition: Second Edition Revised
Published: April 9, 2015
ISBN: 9781445282589
Language: Italian
Pages: 260
In 2001 Dr. Stephen Mattingly presented his skin bacteria theory in a paper titled, The Role of Human Skin Bacteria in the Formation of Photographic-like Images on Linen, that caused quite a stir at that year's 2nd International Shroud Conference in Dallas, Texas. (See BSTS Newsletter Issue 54 November 2001 for details). In this book Steve presents his updated work and conclusions. [Online Description]: "The hypothesis is that bacteria from the skin of Jesus grew at unusually high levels during his crucifixion and left their excess on the linen surface after the Shroud was removed from the body. Everything that occurred during the crucifixion was essential to producing his image on the Shroud. All the pieces had to fall in place at just the right time. Science and Scripture agree beautifully with the crucifixion of Jesus. They seamlessly weave their combined data points into the linen fabric that we know as the Shroud of Turin."
[Online Description]: "The Turin Shroud is the most important and studied relic in the world. Many papers on it have recently appeared in important scientific journals. Scientific studies on the relic until today fail to provide conclusive answers about the identity of the enveloped man and the dynamics regarding the image formation impressed therein. This book not only addresses these issues in a scientific and objective manner but also leads the reader through new search paths. It summarizes the results in a simple manner for the reader to comprehend easily. The most important of them is the following: the result of the 1988 radiocarbon dating is statistically wrong and other three new dating methods demonstrate that the Shroud has an age compatible with the epoch in which Jesus Christ lived in Palestine."
Hardcover: 500 pages
Publisher: Pan Stanford (June 30, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9814669121
ISBN-13: 978-9814669122
Posted May 6, 2015
Updated May 10, 2015
[Editor's Note]: We have had a long standing policy (since 1996) of not promoting works of fiction about the Shroud on this website. We have only made a few exceptions in 19 years and several of those were children's books written by Sindonologists using a fictional story to educate younger children about the Shroud. In one or two cases, fiction books written by noted researchers or historians were included on Shroud.com since the information they contained about the Shroud was historically and/or scientifically accurate. The following books fall in that category:
[Online Description]: "In 2004, as Pope John Paul II’s reign enters its twilight, a mysterious exhibit is under construction at the Vatican Museums. A week before it is scheduled to open, its curator is murdered at a clandestine meeting on the outskirts of Rome. That same night, a violent break-in rocks the home of the curator’s research partner, Father Alex Andreou, a Greek Catholic priest who lives inside the Vatican with his five-year-old son. When the papal police fail to identify a suspect in either crime, Father Alex, desperate to keep his family safe, undertakes his own investigation..." - "At once a riveting intellectual thriller, a feast of biblical history and scholarship, and a moving family drama, The Fifth Gospel is “a story of sacrifice, forgiveness, and redemption. Peppered with references to real-life people, places, and events, the narrative rings true, taking the reader on an emotional journey nearly two thousand years in the making” (Library Journal, starred review)."
FICTION - Hardcover: 448 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster (March 3, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1451694148
ISBN-13: 978-1451694147
[Online Description]: "The apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe in the capital of New Spain (Now Mexico City) on December 12th 1531 triggered an international alarm. Despite the slow communications of the age, the news was evaluated, transmitted, and action was taken as shown by the incendiary attempt on the Holy Shroud of Turin on December 4th 1532 at Chambery... This is an Historical novel grounded on solid facts. Novelizing to introduce the results of a multidisciplinary approach gives better entertainment without sacrificing information, which, as in this case, is followed by all the necessary underpinnings." The printed book is available in both hard cover and soft cover editions.
Sebastien Cataldo is well known to Sindonologists worldwide as a credible scholar, author and contributor to Shroud.com. This is his first work of fiction. [Online Description]: "Based on real scientific discoveries, this novel will plunge you into the mysterious and fascinating universe of this cloth which is thought to have enveloped the body of Christ after his death and upon which his image seems to have been mysteriously imprinted. Revelations and research brought to light in an impassioned novel in which reality sometimes surpasses fiction." Sebastien has also made the book available in a French language edition titled, Le Linceul - Apocalypsis. In addition to the printed book, both editions are also available in various e-book formats.
International Conference of Comparative Studies Announced in Czestochowa, Poland - Call For Papers
The International Conference of Comparative Studies
Our good friend physicist William Wolkowski has notified us that The International Conference of Comparative Studies, organized by the Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France and the Jan Dlugosz Academy, Czestochowa, Poland, under the aegis of the Polish Comparative Literature Association, is presenting "The lenses and eye of the sage. A dialogue between the humanities and modern-day physics," on 23-24 November 2015 in Czestochowa, Poland. According to William, the originator of the event, among the invited speakers is Professor Michal Heller, recipient of the Templeton Prize. He further stated that, "Physics and religion are among the topics, and this includes Shroud research." As stated in the Call for Papers, "We welcome academics representing all kinds of
humanistic disciplines and areas of research."
William has kindly provided us with a formal Call for Papers and a Conference Registration Form, and we have included links to them here. We encourage serious Shroud scholars around the world to participate in this important conference and will report more on the event in the future.
Posted May 6, 2015
SEAM Grand Reopening & Blessing, Alamogordo, New Mexico
Our dear friend Pete Schumacher, noted Shoud scholar and founder of the Shroud Exhibit and Museum (SEAM) of Alamogordo, New Mexico, has sent us a report on the recent reopening of the museum, which moved from its original location to a new home late last year. Our sincerest congratulations to Pete and his staff on this important occasion. We wish them great success in their new facility and truly appreciate them keeping us updated! Here is Pete's report:
The Shroud Exhibit and Museum (SEAM) of Alamogordo, New Mexico, held a Grand Reopening celebration on March 28, 2015. There were more than 50 people in attendance for the presentation and blessing by Bishop Oscar Cantú. Local vendor Micro Doughnuts provided free treats to all the guests. Volunteers and benefactors provided light lunch and treats to guests. The festivities allowed guests to
browse the displays and survey the new location’s exhibit features and there were follow up questions and side discussions about the subject afterward. ... (Read more)
Posted May 6, 2015
Shroud Exhibit Opens In Lima, Peru
"The Shroud: The Impossible Image" Exhibit
Opens In Lima, Peru (Spanish language version)
Pictured above: Rafael de la Piedra and Erwin Scheuch
Our good friend Rafael de la Piedra of Lima, Peru has informed us that a new exhibition, "The Shroud: The Impossible Image" went on display March 24, 2015 in the House of Thirteen Doors in the Historic Center of Lima, a few blocks from the Cathedral of Lima. The exhibit consists of two adjoining rooms where a replica of the Shroud, objects or tools used to torture the man of the Shroud, and an educational and clear set of infographics on Shroud history are located. The exhibition is provided by the Centro Panamericano de Sindonología (CPS) (link to the new CPS Spanish language website), a new organization formed to promote and study the Shroud in South and Central America. Erwin Scheuch is the CEO of CPS and Rafael is the Director of Scientific Research. The above links are to a Spanish language article titled, “La Sábana Santa: La imagen imposible” en el Centro Histórico de Lima (The Shroud: The impossible image" in the Historic Center of Lima), that appeared in Familia Sodalite Noticias. We wish Rafael, Erwin and their colleagues a successful exhibit and great success in reaching and educating the people of South and Central America about the Shroud.
Posted May 6, 2015
Tetradiplon Video Demonstrates Folding of the Shroud
In March of this year I was contacted by Shroud researcher Daniel Spicer, who sent me a video produced by Ed Toton, a colleague of his who had created it to demonstrate the folding of the Shroud referred to as Tetradiplon or "doubled in four" (eight layers). Many scholars believe the Shroud was actually folded in this manner when it was displayed as the image of Edessa (now Urfa in modern Turkey), where it was first noted in 525 A.D. and where it remained until 944 A.D. when it was moved to Constantinople. The video then compares the folded Shroud image with an ancient artwork depicting the Edessa image. It illustrates a circular cutout area surrounding the head in the artwork corresponding to a similar area on the Shroud. Our thanks to Daniel for letting us know about the video and to Ed for allowing us to share it with you here. Ed also provided us with this brief description of the 22 second video:
"This video illustrates the folding of the Shroud of Turin referred to as the tetradiplon, yielding a face layer sometimes called the image of Edessa. A comparison of the tetradiplon image with the Sakli image from the Sakli Church - Göreme Cappadocia, Turkey is added at the end."
Posted May 6, 2015
New Website Offers Shroud-based Pictures of Jesus
"Veronica's Veil" by Ray Downing
Our good friend Ray Downing, 3-D computer graphics expert and producer of the very popular "Real Face of Jesus?" and "Jesus: The Lost 40 Days" programs on the History Channel, has created a new website, Jesus Pictures - The Face of Jesus Based on the Shroud of Turin, which offers a wide variety of images of Jesus based on the 3-D models he created for the above programs. Visit the site to find a broad selection of beautiful images depicting Jesus in different settings. Here is the message Ray sent us today:
These images were generated from the 3D computer graphics model featured in two History Channel’s specials, "The Real Face of Jesus?" and "Jesus: the Lost 40 Days." In the online store you will find unique portraits of Jesus rendered against a background of the famous Shroud 3-1 herringbone weave. The website’s blog is dedicated to highlighting lesser known facts that relate to the the Jesus narrative and the Shroud of Turin. Visitors can sign up for our newsletter for news, updates, offers, and coupons.
Posted May 6, 2015
Limited Edition Shroud Sculpture Available
Limited Edition Shroud Sculpture
(No Longer Available)
Our good friends in Mexico at sindone-art.com have created a beautiful tribute for the current Shroud exposition, in the form of a limited edition, serial numbered sculpture of the Shroud man that comes in a custom fitted case along with a formal Certificate of Authenticity and an explanatory brochure. You can get detailed information, see many more photographs and place an order on the Limited Edition Commemorative Sculpture page of their Spanish language website. (No longer available). In addition, their new website, La Santa Sindone, includes news stories about the Shroud and the current exposition. They were kind enough to send us detailed information about the sculpture and we are including it here for you:
On the occasion of the Holy Shroud Exposition 2015 at the Turin Cathedral we have produced a Limited Edition of 250 commemorative sets to honor this magnificent event. The sales period of these pieces is planned to last during the Exposition (April 19 to June 24) both Local (Mexico) and Global (USA, Italy). Here are the details: The modestly priced (US$50.00) sculpture stands around 7" tall on its base and weighs appoximately 1.4 lbs. PIECE - Material: Resin, Color: Beige shading, Details: The entire piece is finished by hand, correcting details, imperfections and applying shading. BASE - Material: Banak Wood, Color: Black. PLAQUE - Material: Anodized aluminum, Color: Silver smoke, Engraving: Diamond Tip.
Posted May 6, 2015
The Shroud in the Media
National Geographic Italia - The Science of the Shroud
by Bruno Barberis (Link to Google English translation)
In our April 19, 2015 update we included a number of links to recent media reports on the Shroud. Since then, the media coverage has remained extensive as evidenced by the number of articles published in print and online (although admittedly, many are repetitive). In addition, the number of interview requests I received this year was far greater than previous years, so I am including links to a number of them here. Of course, it is impossible to link to everything, but let us know if we missed anything important.
ABC 21 Alive - Wabash Man to open Museum on Shroud of Turin - Feature report on Richard Orareo's Shroud Museum includes 3 minute video interview - March 31, 2015 (Link no longer available).
Coast to Coast AM Radio Program with Barrie Schwortz - This 2 hour 38 minute audio only clip has received around 25,000 "views" on YouTube - April 4, 2015 (Link no longer available).
Londoneria - Polish Edition - Shroud of Turin Under the Microscope (Polish Language) by Dariusz Nadolczak - A blogger interviews Barrie Schwortz - April 5, 2015 (Link no longer available).
The Edge Television Broadcast hosted by Daniel Ott - 1 hour 42 minute video interview with Barrie Schwortz (by phone) - April 11, 2015
National Geographic Italia - The science of the Shroud by Bruno Barberis - Article by Italian Shroud expert - Link to original Italian language version titled, La scienza della Sindone - April 2015
Spirit Catholic Radio Network - Spirit Mornings with Jen Brown and Matt Willkom - 22 minute mp3 Audio interview with Barrie Schwortz - April 13, 2015 (Link no longer available).
EWTN Live with Fr. Mitch Pacwa, SJ - The Shroud - Video interview with Shroud lecturer Donald Nohs - April 22, 2015 (Link no longer available).
I think the above cartoon sums up the situation perfectly! If you sent us an e-mail recently and still haven't received an answer, please don't take it personally. The mail volume has been enormous and these days, it is truly impossible for me to respond to them all. I do try and answer as many as I can, but in the end, some do go unanswered. I truly appreciate your understanding.
We normally don't spend much time dwelling on our web statistics, but March and April were off the charts. For just those two months, we had 271,738 visitors that viewed 616,015 pages and 4.67 million files, generated 5.15 million hits and more than 207 GB of bandwidth. We should have no problem reaching more than one million visitors this year! (We had 940,000 in 2014). In addition, our April 19th post on our Facebook Page reached over 11,100 people, nearly triple our previous record.
Posted May 6, 2015
The Next Update
Today's update should keep you occupied for a month or two, but if you are already wondering about our next update, here are the facts. The next few months will be busy ones, as I will be traveling to Rome and Turin in May and continuing my lectures here in the U.S. in July, August and September. I expect our Summer Update to go online in late July or early August and it will include a final report on the Shroud exposition, the first issues of Rex Morgan's Shroud News, the next issue of the BSTS Newsletter and much more. Have a great summer and we'll see you soon!
Posted May 6, 2015
Shroud Public Exhibition Opens Today - April 19, 2015
The Shroud on public display (Courtesy Sindone 2015 Facebook Page)
The first public exhibition of the Shroud of Turin in five years opened today in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Turin, Italy, where the famous relic has been kept since 1578. The exhibition, scheduled to last for 67 days, is the longest public display of the relic since 2000 (when it was displayed for 72 days), and will end on June 24, 2015. Pope Francis is scheduled to visit Turin on June 21, 2015 to commemorate the bicentenary of the birth of St. John Bosco (August 16th, 2015), visit the Shroud himself and deliver his comments on the relic. To date, more than a million pilgrims have made reservations via the Archdiocese of Turin's Online Reservation System to see the Shroud while it is on public display and I am sure the final count will be much higher. If you intend to visit the Shroud during this exposition, you can still make your reservations at the above link.
One new addition for this exhibition is a special display reliquary in which the Shroud will be protected by a thick glass specifically designed to improve viewing. The Shroud was transferred into this new reliquary in the days leading up to the public exposition (see video below). The Turin authorities have been working diligently to prepare for the million plus visitors expected to flood Turin during the next nine weeks and have trained thousands of volunteers to assist the pilgrims during their stay. As before, special attention has been devoted to ill, infirm and impaired pilgrims and wheelchairs and medical staff will be standing by to assist where needed. Special, shorter lines will be available for those with physical limitations, to make their visit easier. In previous exhibitions, a custom bas relief display designed by our dear friend, Prof. Nello Ballosino, was made available so the visually impaired could "see" the Shroud image with their fingers and I expect it will be available again for this exhibition. The authorities always do a wonderful job in making everyone's visit a truly memorable experience.
Video - The Shroud is moved to its new display reliquary
Needless to say, there has been considerable interational media coverage of the event over the past week, including articles on the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and the National Geographic websites, to name only a few. It is impossible to include them all here, but we have selected some of the best for your information:
Beato Angelico's 'Lamentation'
displayed with Turin Shroud
DEMOTIX - April 18, 2015 article Preview Ostension of the Holy Shroud in Turin - Slideshow of images from media preview held April 18, 2015 (Link no longer available).
MSN News - April 18, 2015 article Turin Shroud goes back on display for faithful and curious - Article includes interview with Turin's Archbishop Nosiglia (Link no longer available).
L'indro - April 16, 2015 article Shroud: Priority Conservation - Google English translation of Italian language article includes interview with Prof. Piero Savarino
Of course, we will publish a preliminary report with the latest news on the exhibition in our next major update, scheduled to go online in early May. I will be in Turin and visiting the exhibition myself on May 16th through May 21st and will publish a final report on the entire event in our summer update sometime in July or August. For those of you going to the exhibition, I wish you safe travels and an enjoyable experience in Turin. I hope to meet some of you there next month! And speaking of updates, see the next story below for a closer look at what is coming to Shroud.com in just a few weeks!
Posted April 19, 2015
Major Website Update Coming In May
The Orphaned Manuscript
by Alan D. Adler
Our next website update, scheduled to go online in early May, will truly be an important one. Not only will it provide you with an update on the ongoing public exhibition, but it will also include the final two issues of Shroud Spectrum International (#41 and #42) and mark the completion of the entire collection of 42 regular issues on this website. Rounding out the collection is the 2002 Special Issue, The Orphaned Manuscript, a compilation of papers by the late Shroud researcher and blood chemist Alan D. Adler, published as a "Special Issue" by Dorothy Cripino in a single volume after Adler's death. A number of the papers included in this volume have never before been available on the internet. The book perfectly encapsulates Adler's profound contributions to Sindonology. This important collection should be a welcome addition to every Shroud scholar's library.
But we are not finished yet! In the May update we will also announce which major Shroud publication we will be archiving next, and I promise you it's a good one! That update will also let you finally download an important and long-awaited Shroud documentary, give you access to a host of new books, videos, papers and articles, take a closer look at the Shroud in the media and much more. See you in May!
Barrie Schwortz
Posted April 19, 2015
New Shroud Documentary Premieres Today, March 1, 2015
New CNN Shroud Documentary
A new documentary on the Shroud of Turin airs today on CNN in the premiere episode of their new six-part series titled "Finding Jesus."Among those interviewed are STURP co-founder Dr. John Jackson and noted Shroud scholar, lecturer and STERA, Inc. Board Member, Russ Breault, along with many others. STERA, Inc. also provided a number of still photographs that were included in the program. Check your local listings for times in your area. Sorry for the late notice, but I was traveling and lecturing this past week and just returned last night. The program was announced several weeks ago and has been heavily promoted on CNN and other networks ever since. We posted a notice about it on our Facebook page on February 8th. Although it has not yet even aired (as of this writing), it has already sparked heated debate on the internet. Our normal policy with new Shroud programs is to let you know about them but wait until we actually see the program before praising or criticizing it. Of course, we also hope to include some qualified reviews of the program in our next update, sometime in April.
Having participated in many Shroud documentaries myself, I have come to regard them all with the proverbial "grain of salt," and have written several articles and editorials cautioning everyone not to take these programs too seriously or get too upset when they don't get things right. In fact, I wrote an article in 2013 describing my behind-the-scenes participation in a Smithsonian Channel program and thought it might be appropriate to reprint an excerpt from it here today, in case you missed it.
"...I should first remind everyone that this is a television program we are talking about and not a scientific paper or journal article. As I have said countless times before in articles and editorials, a television documentary is not the best place to obtain accurate Shroud information. Documentaries must first be entertaining or networks will reject them. Many directors on many documentary shoots have said to me, "Let’s not get too technical!" You also have to remember that many hours of footage were made during course of the production before it was edited into the 44 minute program you now see. Getting the full story (and getting it right) in an entertaining 44 minutes is not an easy task, and the resulting program will not only reflect these legitimate time restraints but also any biases (or lack of understanding) on the part of the producers, writers, director and editor. They are neither scientists nor sindonologists themselves nor do they have a vested interest in the Shroud. They spend the time to do their research, write a script, produce a professional quality program and then move on. By their nature, documentaries can only, at best, give us a tiny glimpse into what is truly a complex topic. You try to explain the Shroud to someone in less than an hour!..." (Read more...)
Barrie Schwortz
Posted March 1, 2015
CNN Documentary: The Reviews Are In
Now that several days have passed and many people have had the opportunity to view the CNN documentary, it is time to look at some reviews of the program. In fact, I received so many letters and phone calls that rather than try and answer them all, I decided to write my own review of the documentary, which you will find linked below. In addition, I am providing a link to a relevant article that addresses certain issues raised in the program and links to other online sources with reviews you might find interesting. So let's get started:
Link to CNN website where you can watch the full episode online: Finding Jesus: The Shroud of Turin (Sorry. This link was removed by CNN)
CNN Jesus Series Premiers with the Shroud - A review by Robert K. Wilcox, author of "Shroud" (1977) and "The Truth About the Shroud of Turin: Solving the Mystery" (2010)
CNN's Finding Jesus Loses Him - An in depth review of the program by John C. Klotz, author of The Coming of the Quantum Christ (2014)
Revisiting the Shroud of Turin - After CNN - Link to the blog of biblical scholar Dr. Simon J. Joseph, a recent contributor to Shroud.com. (Link no longer available).
Shroud of Turin Blog - Dan Porter's excellent blog that includes viewer's comments and links to many other online reviews of the documentary
Finding Jesus - CNN on Facebook - CNN's Facebook page with comments from viewers and participants in the program (Link no longer available).
This is just a small sampling of the many comments posted on various blogs and websites. If you do a little searching, I'm sure you will find a lot more.
Barrie Schwortz
Posted March 5, 2015
Updated March 19, 2015
Shroud.com Celebrates 19th Anniversary January 21, 2015
Welcome to our 19th Anniversary Update! You may have noticed (if you entered through our Home Page), that we have replaced the black & white ventral Shroud photograph that has graced our front page for the past 19 years with a larger color photograph of the entire Shroud taken in 1978. We hope you like the new look.
This update includes some very important new materials. Not only have we included four more issues of Shroud Spectrum International (with only 2 remaining to complete the archive of 42 regular issues), but we have also included a new Author Index and Title Index to make researching the journal even easier for everyone. We have also included a new feature titled "From the Crispino Archives" that includes eight older Shroud articles going back to 1902 that Dorothy thought were important enough to have scanned by her friend Mark D. Williams, who created the indices, did the scanning and graciously shared them with us. This update also includes the latest (December 2014 #80) issue of the BSTS Newsletter and much more.
I still marvel that 19 years have passed since the site first went online in 1996. Each year I write this introduction to our anniversary update with the intention of saying something new and fresh, but every year I find myself coming back to the same theme: This website would not be possible were it not for the cooperation and participation of all of the researchers, historians, scientists and scholars in the world who have allowed us to publish their work over the years, our gracious donors whose contributions help fund our efforts and all of our loyal viewers (more than 940,000 of you in 2014) who visit the site regularly and read millions of our pages! You make our work truly satisfying and worthwhile. Thank You! - Barrie Schwortz, Editor
Four More Issues of Shroud Spectrum International Added to Archives + New Author and Title Indices and More!
Shroud Spectrum International No. 35/36
We are very pleased to present you with four more issues of Shroud Spectrum International (the first and only peer reviewed journal dedicated solely to the study of the Shroud), bringing us up to Issue #40. With only 42 regular issues ever published, we should complete the archive and include the last two issues in our next update. That will leave only 2002's The Orphaned Manuscript by Alan D. Adler, which was considered a "Special Issue" when published, and which will become the final entry to the archive. Of course, this is only possible thanks to the late Dorothy Crispino, the founder and editor of the journal, who gave us permission to reprint it here on this website, along with the extraordinary efforts of Stephen E. Jones, BSTS Member living in Western Australia, who graciously volunteered to do all the scanning and optical character recognition (a massive amount of work) and Ian Wilson, who provided Stephen with the original issues and valuable input.
Shortly after Dorothy's passing on August 16, 2014, we received an e-mail from her friend and colleague Mark D. Williams. He had corresponded with Dorothy some years earlier and did some digital scanning for her as well. Here is an excerpt:
"I noticed recently your tribute to Dorothy and remembered I had had some correspondence with her about ten years ago. I had created an Author and Title Index for the Spectrum which she said she planned to hand out when people bought back copies and to share freely. I don't know if you ever got copies. I am attaching those here and if you find it appropriate, I would love it if you would consider putting them on Shroud.com as my tribute to Dorothy. What a wonderful lady... I also had some old articles that Dorothy had sent me which I had volunteered to scan for her and convert to pdfs. I will attach those in a separate email if they may be of any interest to you or anyone."
Our sincerest thanks to Mark for sending these to us, and what a wonderful tribute they are! We have now included the Author and Title Indices on the Shroud Spectrum International page so they are available to everyone as a handy reference to Spectrum's content when researching the Shroud. We are also including a new section on the Spectrum page titled Articles from the Crispino Archives, with links to Mark's scans of some of the early articles that Dorothy found important. Thank you for sharing Mark!
Speaking of sharing, our friend and noted French Shroud researcher Sébastien Cataldo, who is in the business of converting materials to e-books professionally, has graciously converted the Premiere Issue of Shroud Spectrum International into e-pub Format and mobi Format (designed specifically for tablets and mobile devices) so we could make them available freely here on Shroud.com. These files can also be opened on your computer if you have the appropriate e-book reader software installed (both free downloads). Our sincere thanks to Sébastien, who can be reached directly via his French language website: www.ebook-creation.fr.
Posted January 21, 2015
BSTS December 2014 Newsletter Issue No. 80 Now Online
BSTS Newsletter No. 80
We are happy to report that the British Society for the Turin Shroud page has been updated and the latest December 2014 Issue No. 80 of the BSTS Newsletter is now online. This issue includes excellent articles by noted Shroud researchers like David Rolfe, Dr. John Scotson and Hugh Farey, the newsletter's Editor. It also includes overviews of several recent Shroud conferences, an update on the 2015 exposition, reviews of several new papers and much more. If you are a subscriber to the printed newsletter (and we hope you are), you should be receiving your issue shortly. Due to the holidays, the issue was not mailed until the beginning of January. Our congratulations to newsletter Editor Hugh Farey on his third issue!
Posted January 21, 2015
Update on the 2015 Shroud Exposition
Link to Online Reservation System
The Turin authorities recently reported that, by the end of 2014, around 400,000 people had already made their reservations to see the Shroud, which goes on public display between April 19 and June 24, 2015. If you plan to go, you can use the link to the Archdiocese of Turin Online Reservation System and make your own reservations for the exact dates and times you wish to visit. If you are going with a tour group, the tour organizers will make the reservations for you so you do not need to make reservations yourself. If you haven't yet decided, you can view a number of different tour options (or create your own itinerary) from a variety of professional tour companies listed on our Tours To Turin: The 2015 Exposition page.
It has also been announced that Pope Francis will be visiting Turin to see the Shroud and commemorate the anniversary of Don Bosco on June 21, 2015. He will also celebrate a public Mass in Piazza Vittorio, adjacent to the Cathedral and Royal Palace of Turin. Please note that the Cathedral will be closed for his visit and no reservations are available on that day, so you won't get to see the Shroud, but you can attend the public Mass and see Pope Francis.
If you are traveling on your own rather than as part of a tour, there are some other interesting sights related to the Shroud in Turin that you might want to visit. The most important of these is the Museo della Sindone (Museum of the Shroud), which is within walking distance of the Cathedral and contains many historical Shroud related artifacts, including the silver casket that served as the Shroud's reliquary for hundreds of years, and the Basilica Superga, which contains the Royal Crypt of the Savoy family. You can read more about and see photographs of these and other Turin sights in the GALLERY section of our Tours To Turin: The 2015 Exposition page.
Posted January 21, 2015
Tours to Turin: The 2015 Exposition - Page Updated
Tours to Turin: The 2015 Exposition
Our Tours to Turin: The 2015 Exposition page has been updated and now includes listings and links for eight different professional tour companies offering a variety of tours to visit the Shroud during the public exhibition later this year. However, the deadline for booking tours with these providers is rapidly approaching and most will close their reservations by March 1, 2015. So take a look at the various tours being offered or contact any of the companies directly if you prefer to create your own itinerary.
As we mentioned in earlier updates, STERA, Inc. is working directly with Canterbury Pilgrimages (for the fourth time since 1998) and will meet with some of their tour groups when they arrive in Turin. I typically have meals and spend some quality time in conversation with each group, give each a private two hour presentation and then go to see the Shroud with them the following day. It gives everyone the opportunity to get to know me a little better and me the opportunity to finally meet some of our website viewers in person. Not only that, but those who participate in one of these special pilgrimages will receive a receipt for a tax deductible contribution for a portion of their tour costs directly from STERA, Inc., as this will serve as our primary fund raising project for the year. I spoke with Gregory Sylvain, Canterbury's Director of Marketing today and he reports that the tours are filling up fast and they will stop taking reservations after February 28, 2015. I hope to see some of you in Turin!
Posted January 21, 2015
Recently Published
Once again, a large number of new materials have been published since our last update. We are including links to many of them here and this time they include new print books, e-books, books on DVD-ROMs, papers, television programs, videos and websites! Enjoy!
Books
The Coming of the Quantum Christ
by John C. Klotz
In early October 2014, our good friend John Klotz released his new book, The Coming of the Quantum Christ (see our October 5, 2014 article for a description), but only in several e-book formats, so it would be available in time for the St. Louis Conference taking place later that month. John has now completed preparing the print version, which is available directly from CreateSpace. The profusely illustrated book is also now available in a wide range of e-book and other digital formats (like pdf, text or html) via the Smashwords website.
The Rape of the Turin Shroud
by William Meacham
The full title of William Meacham's 2005 controversial book is The Rape of the Turin Shroud: How Christianity's most precious relic was wrongly condemned, and violated, and it has just been made available in a number of e-book formats. The book provides a detailed account of the two major events affecting the Shroud in the last 30 years, namely the C14 dating and the "restoration." You can now obtain a Kindle version from Amazon.com, a Nook version from Barnes & Noble or an e-Pub version from Lulu.com. It is also available in the iBook format on the iBookstore (no link available).
Den Sikrede Seieren
(The Secured Victory)
by Kjell Arne Morland
Noted Norwegian author Kjell Arne Morland is a priest living in Melhus, Norway, who has published a Norwegian language book in pdf format titled Den Sikrede Seieren (The Secured Victory) which deals with "the trustworthyness of the Resurrection of Christ" and makes mention of the Shroud in several chapters. He presents four types of "evidences", and the most important of them is the trustworthyness of the Gospel narratives (chapter D) and the Turin Shroud (chapter E). If you read Norwegian, you can download the free pdf format book at the above links.
Der Kern der Dinge ist ihr Schein
Gehe nie vom Weg ab, der zum Ziel führt
(The heart of the matter is its light
Never go off the path that leads to the goal)
by Rudolf Berwanger
This 766 page German language book, Der Kern der Dinge ist ihr Schein (The heart of the matter is its light) by our good friend Rudolf Berwanger, is only available on DVD-ROM. You can order the DVD or freely download and read individual pdf files (and images) from the book at the above links. Here is a brief description: "This book reveals the secret of the Holy Grail, which communicates the core point with the second coming of Jesus Christ, as proven by the secret deciphered in the Ghent Altarpiece images. It also proves that the image of the crucified Man on the Turin Shroud actually is Jesus Christ, openly revealed to us in this relic..." (Originally added to the Shroud Booklist 1 Dec 2014)
Papers and Articles
How was the Turin Shroud Man crucified?
M. Bevilacqua, G. Fanti, M. D’Arienzo,
A. Porzionato, V. Macchi, R. De Caro
How was the Turin Shroud Man Crucified? by M. Bevilacqua, G. Fanti, M. D’Arienzo, A. Porzionato, V. Macchi, and R. De Caro was recently published in the journal Injury, Volume 45, Supplement 6, December 2014, Pages S142–S148. This link to the paper is via Science Direct. We have also added a permanent link to the article on the Scientific Papers & Articles and Website Library pages of the site. Here is a brief excerpt from the Abstract:
As the literature is not exhaustive with reference to the way the Turin Shroud (TS) Man was crucified, and it is not easy to draw significant information from only a “photograph” of a man on a linen sheet, this study tries to add some detail on this issue based on both image processing of high resolution photos of the TS and on experimental tests on arms and legs of human cadavers.
What Went Wrong With the Shroud’s Radiocarbon Date? Setting it all in Context by Paul C. Maloney
What Went Wrong With the Shroud’s Radiocarbon Date? Setting it all in Context by Paul C. Maloney, is actually not a new paper (as it was originally presented at the 2008 Ohio Shroud Conference), but it was never available online. In fact it was only recently posted on Dan Porter's Shroud blog. As Paul states in his newly updated foreward, "I had requested that this paper not be published with the 2008 Ohio Conference papers because there were some questions about the nature and history of cotton I wanted to explore before doing so." Paul has since completed his research and this updated version of the paper is the result. We have also added a permanent link to the paper from our Ohio Conference page.
Bl Sebastian Valfrč: The Black Thread, Reweave, and Unravelling the Shroud by Pam Moon
Our dear friend Pam Moon continues her research with a new article she recently published on her Shroud of Turin Exhibition website titled,Bl Sebastian Valfrč: The Black Thread, Reweave, and Unravelling the Shroud. Here is a brief excerpt from her article: "I was delighted to discover from Emanuela Marinelli and Will Meacham that the large black thread was probably stitched in 1694 by Bl Sebastian Valfrč. The invisible reweave hypothesis of Joe Marino and Sue Benford supported by Donna Campbell may refer to two or three different episodes of stitch repair and Bl Sebastian’s repair was one episode."
Television and Video
Secrets of the Bible - The Turin Shroud
A new Shroud documentary titled "The Turin Shroud" aired on January 4th on the American Heroes Channel (AHC) here in the U.S. as part of their Secrets of the Bible series. The program description on the AHC website was rather minimal ("Is the Turin Shroud real or a fake? An Italian Professor believes he has the answer.") and it turned out that the professor in question was none other than our friend, Giulio Fanti! The program provided the viewer with some personal insights into Giulio and what motivated him to begin his research on the Shroud, along with a good overview of the earlier science performed by the STURP team. It also included interviews with John Jackson, co-founder of STURP and Pamela Moon, Shroud researcher from the U.K. It then went on to review Giulio's recent research into image formation and his personal beliefs about the Shroud. As AHC is one of the Discovery Networks, I am sure it will be airing on other channels around the world in the near future, so watch your local listings for its availability.
The Shroud of Turin in Fifteen Minutes by Russ Breault
STERA, Inc. Board Member Russ Breault recently posted The Shroud of Turin in Fifteen Minutes video to YouTube, in which he clearly (and brilliantly) explains the basics and shares his personal views about the Shroud of Turin. As most of you know, Russ is one of the top speakers on the Shroud here in the U.S. and no one does it better! Consider this another great presentation from a great presenter! See the Websites section below for even more from Russ.
The Conspiracy Show with Richard Syrett - The Shroud of Turin
Once you get past the title, this Canadian television program features pro authenticity Shroud experts Dr. Andrew Silverman (England) and Dr. Gary Chiang (Canada) debating several Shroud sceptics on the authenticity of the Shroud and whether or not it proves the Resurrection. After viewing the program, the audience is given the opportunity to vote "Yes" or "No" on the question. We thought you might like to watch and decide for yourself. On a side note, Dr. Chiang's interview was filmed in front of one of STERA, Inc's lifesize Shroud replicas.
Websites
Shroud University Website
ShroudUniversity.com is an academic site hosted by Russ Breault as part of The Shroud of Turin Education Project, Inc. The primary function of Shroud University is to provide streaming video for major Shroud Conferences held over the years. For anyone who has attempted to access this site in the past and had trouble with the video stream, all videos are now hosted on YouTube and should easily stream on all computers (Apple and PC) and on all browsers. Here are links to the specific Shroud Conferences Russ has archived:
Ariel Agemian, K.S.G. is the new website for the Armenian artist, Ariel Agemian. Published by the artist's daughter, Annig Agemian-Raley, the site offers visitors the opportunity to review the artist's work, learn more about his background and history and order reprints online. Of course, the site features his most famous artwork, the very popular "Face of Christ"ť based on the Shroud of Turin. In 2011 we published two articles by Annig, an Ariel Agemian Biography and More On Ariel Agemian. We are also including a link to the new site on our Links To More Information page.
Posted January 21, 2015
Backlit Transparencies in PhotoGlow Frames are Back!
For most of last year our Website Store page showed our Backlit Transparencies in PhotoGlow Frames and our Lifesize Photographs listed as either "Temporarily Not Available" or "Temporarily Out of Stock." That was because, after nearly 36 years, the changing technologies in the imaging world finally caught up with us. Not many professional laboratories still offer photographic prints or transparencies made using the older, analog technology. Everthing is moving to digital imaging and older technologies (like those based on light sensitive photographic emulsions) are fading quickly into history. Both Kodak and Fuji have discontinued making most films and the majority of professional laboratories have shifted over to digital printing techniques, which are more economical, efficient, environmentally safer and offer printing onto a much broader range of surfaces. Consequently, we had to perform a complete series of tests on all the prints and transparencies we offer and the materials we print them on to insure that the image quality using the new technologies remains just as good as the older photographic techniques.
We are very happy to announce that we have now completed the testing on most of the images we offer and have found the new techniques and materials to be just as good (or maybe even better) than the "old days." So the Backlit Transparencies in PhotoGlow Frames and the Lifesize and Half-Lifesize prints and transparencies are available again. We truly appreciate your patience!
Posted January 21, 2015
News From STERA, Inc.
Shroud of Turin Education and Research Association, Inc.
First, I want to extend a sincere "thank you" to all of our friends and supporters who made contributions to STERA, Inc. last year. Your generosity, friendship and continued support are truly needed and deeply appreciated.
STERA, Inc. held their second annual Board of Directors meeting on Sunday, December 21, 2014. Due to the holiday season, the meeting was limited to several important topics. We first reviewed a request from a noted Shroud researcher for access to some of STERA, Inc.'s materials, which was unanimously approved by the board. The next order of business was a discussion of the upcoming 2015 Shroud Exposition in Turin and the details of STERA, Inc's involvement with Canterbury Tours (for the 4th time since 1998) and my meeting with their tour groups in Turin. This will serve as our major fundraising event of the year. Some of the details are still being finalized, but several tours are already scheduled (see the Tours to Turin: The 2015 Exposition page for details) and more will be added in the coming weeks. I also presented the 2014 Financial Report as of the date of the meeting.
Once again, thank you for your support last year! Our best wishes to you and yours for a joyous and healthy New Year!
Barrie Schwortz
President
Posted January 21, 2015
Visit Us On Facebook
STERA, Inc. on Facebook
In case you missed it, STERA, Inc. is on Facebook and we try to update our page frequently. Due to my travel and lecture schedule, it is not always possible for me to update the website when new items come up on short notice, but it is fast and easy for me to post a short message or some important new links on our Facebook page, no matter where I am in the world. So check the page from time to time to see what's new and like us to let us know you care!
My spring lecture schedule is dramatically abbreviated this year due to the upcoming public exhibition of the Shroud, as I will be in Turin for a few weeks in May and will need some extra time to prepare for that event. Consequently, I have scheduled a number of my lectures in the fall. Since viewers often write me asking where and when I might be giving Shroud presentations, I am again including my upcoming schedule in case I happen to be in your area. If so, please drop by and say hello. Please understand that many of the times and venues are still not finalized and are subject to change. I will do my best to update them before the events if possible. I also want to extend a special thanks to Prof. Tom Kerr, from the Art Department at St. John's University, for creating and sharing with us the great sketch he made of my lecture at the university last year (see above). Thanks Tom! [Note: Dates below include travel days].
February 23 through February 28, 2015 - I will be attending and speaking at the University Series™, an annual multi-parish adult education program held in Southern California each year during the Lenten season. The University Series™, an event created and organized by my dear friend Fr. Dave Heney, offers 100 seminars connecting faith with real life in areas such as current events, contemporary moral issues, evangelization, faith and science, marriage and family, church history, scripture and prayer. The 2015 season runs from February 19 to March 27 at eleven different parishes that span the border of Los Angeles and Ventura counties. I will make my presentation between 7:30 - 9:00pm on the evening of February 24th in St. Paschal Hall at St. Paschal Baylon Parish in Thousand Oaks, California. If you wish to learn more you can visit the University Series Website where you can review each topic and sign up for the sessions. The charge to attend is $8 per person, but you can bring a friend for free! While there, I will also make a presentation to the Ventura/North Los Angeles Legatus Chapter, a private Catholic businessman's organization, at their meeting on Friday evening, February 27th.
March 11 through March 15, 2015 - I will be making two presentations daily in conjunction with the Vancouver Shroud Association's Man of the Shroud Exhibit, which will be on display March 11 through March 17 at the Most Precious Blood Roman Catholic Parish, 1947 Meldrum Rd., Windsor, Ontario, Canada. You can call 1-519-982-3337 for more information. Admission is free, donations are appreciated and All Are Welcome. Visit the VSA website for details on their other exhibit locations this year.
May 13 through May 22, 2015 - I will be in Rome at the Pontifical Seminary (May13-16) and in Turin for the public exposition of the Shroud (May 16-22). While in Turin I will be staying at the Pacific Hotel Fortino, Strada del Fortino, 36 - 10152 Torino.
July 8 through July 13, 2015 - My dear friend Dr. Chuck Dietzen has invited me back to Indianapolis, Indiana to participate in another series of Shroud lectures he is planning for this summer. Chuck sponsored my first visit to the area in 2011 and participated in my 2013 lecture series there as well. Now, he is organizing a "return engagement" in which I hope to visit with a number of Indiana-based Shroud scholars. In addition to Chuck and his colleague, Dr. Joe Bergeron, who both lecture on the medical aspects of the Shroud, other Shroud scholars in the area include Richard Orareo, founder of the National Shrine of the Holy Shroud in Wabash, Indiana, Shroud historian Prof. Dan Scavone and his wife Carolyn from Evansville, Indiana and Alex Fiato, Shroud researcher and lecturer from Ft. Wayne, Indiana. My scheduled lectures include: July 9 - A visit to the Poor Clare Monastery in Kokomo at 10:00 am, a lecture at the Logansport Juvenile Intake Center at 1:30 pm, and Dinner at Alex Fiato's Italian Connection in Ft. Wayne. July 11 - A lecture at St. Francis Hospital auditorium (south of Indianapolis) 9:00 am - 12:00 noon. July 12 - A lecture at the Retreat Center of Sisters of St. Francis auditorium, 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm in Oldenburg.
August 19 through August 24, 2015 - The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has invited me to speak at their 49th Annual Jalsa Convention in Hampshire, England. See the related article above for more information and details.
September 6 through September 12, 2015 - Publisher William Lauto and his wife, Professor Belenna M. Lauto, Interim Chair of the Department of Art and Design, have organized another "return engagment" for me at St. John's University in Queens, New York. My single lecture in 2014 was such a success that they decided I should come back and give several lectures in 2015. Last year, Professor Lauto organized and produced an exhibit of a large selection of my photographs from the 1978 STURP examination and I also met informally with students from the photography and art departments. Postponed until Summer 2016.
September 18 through September 20, 2015 - The Children's Museum of Indianapolis (the world's largest children's museum), has invited me to speak on September 19th, during the run of the National Geographic Sacred Journeys exhibition, which opens August 29th and will feature one of our lifesize replicas of the Shroud of Turin. I will give separate adult and children's lectures about my work with the Shroud.
September 24 through September 30, 2015 - Our good friend and supporter John Sickelton has once again organized a series of lectures in Washington state like the successful series we did in 2013 and 2014. Postponed until 2016.
October 7 through October 9, 2015 - I will be speaking in Orange County, California to the Orange Canyons Chapter of Legatus, a private Catholic businessman's organization, at their meeting on Thursday evening, October 8, 2015.
Posted January 21, 2015
Updated August 16, 2015
Some Interesting Statistics
Website Statistics for 2014
Just in case you are interested, in calendar year 2014 Shroud.com had more than 940,000 visitors (up 140,000 from last year and averaging over 2575 visitors per day) that generated nearly 15 million hits, viewed 13.5 million files, viewed 3 million pages and generated 633 GB of bandwidth! You can see the details for yourself by clicking on the above graphic. We hope to reach 1 million visitors this year with your help (so share us with your friends) and we thank each and every one of you for your continued support and participation!
Posted January 21, 2015
The Next Update
At this moment it is difficult to determine the exact date of the next update, as I am still in the last throes of finishing this one! However, based on my travel schedule through the spring and the upcoming Shroud Exposition, the next update will probably go online sometime in April, and certainly before I leave for Italy in May. Of course, we will keep you updated on the exhibition and will post any other breaking Shroud news as soon as it becomes available. I can tell you for sure that the next update will include the last two regular issues of Shroud Spectrum International, thus completing the archive, and of course, much more. So thank you for being there, stay warm and we'll see you in the Spring!
The Vatican Prophecies
Revelations In Art - Art History - Iconography
Evidence of the Crucifixion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ
Follow The Light: The Shroud's Revelations
In Search of a Quantum God by Dr. John Luckey (Link no longer available).
Shroud.com Celebrates 19th Anniversary January 21, 2015
