Shroud of Turin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Shroud of Turin |
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The Shroud of Turin: modern photo of the face, positive (left), and digitally processed image (right)
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| Material | Linen |
| Size | 4.4 m × 1.1 m (14 ft 5 in × 3 ft 7 in) |
| Present location | Chapel of the Holy Shroud, Turin, Italy |
| Period | 13th to 14th century |
The Shroud of Turin (also known as the Holy Shroud) is a long piece of linen cloth. It has a faint image of the front and back of a naked man. Many people, especially in the Catholic Church, believe this image is of Jesus after his crucifixion. They think it was his actual burial cloth and that his image appeared on it in a special way.
The image on the shroud looks clearer in a black and white photographic negative than in its natural sepia color. This interesting effect was found in 1898 by Secondo Pia. He took the first photographs of the shroud. This negative image is important to a Catholic belief called the Holy Face of Jesus.
History of the Shroud
The first clear records of the shroud date back to 1354. It was shown in a church in Lirey, France. In 1389, a bishop named Pierre d’Arcis said it was not real.
The shroud was bought by the House of Savoy in 1453. It was later kept in a chapel in Chambéry. In 1532, it was damaged by a fire. In 1578, the Savoy family moved the shroud to their new main city, Turin, Italy. It has been there ever since.
Since 1683, the shroud has been kept in the Chapel of the Holy Shroud. This chapel was built just for it. It is connected to the royal palace and the main cathedral in Turin. The shroud became the property of the Catholic Church in 1983. This happened after the death of former king Umberto II.
What Scientists Found
In 1978, a scientist named Walter McCrone studied tiny pieces from the shroud. He used adhesive tape to collect samples. He believed the image was painted with a red color called ochre mixed in gelatin. McCrone also thought the bloodstains were painted with a red pigment called vermilion, also in gelatin.
Other scientists did not agree with McCrone's findings. So, people still debate how the image was made. In 1988, three different laboratories used radiocarbon dating to find the shroud's age. This method helps tell how old something is. They found that the shroud was made between the years 1260 and 1390. This means it is from the Middle Ages.
Debates and Beliefs
The age found by carbon dating is accepted by most experts. However, some people still question it. They believe the samples tested might have been dirty or taken from a part of the cloth that was repaired later. These ideas are not accepted by most experts.
For example, some suggest the medieval repair theory or bio-contamination theories. These are ideas that most experts do not agree with. Today, the Catholic Church does not officially say if the shroud is truly Jesus's burial cloth or not.
See also
- Depiction of Jesus
- Relics associated with Jesus
- Seamless robe
- List of photographs considered the most important
