The Shroud of Turin is Not the Burial Clothes of Jesus
Edward C. Lain
© October 2016
The controversy over the Shroud of Turin being the burial garment of Jesus could have been resolved hundreds of years ago, if the Church had simply turned to the Gospel of John.
First, some facts about the Shroud. The Shroud is approximately 14 feet 5 inches by 3 feet 7 inches. The figure on the Shroud is said to be of a man who was crucified. According to the image on the Shroud, the body was laid on one-half the Shroud and the other half was folded over the head down to the feet. This does not fit the Bible's description of how Jesus' body was wrapped.
There are two pieces of evidence against this Shroud being the Shroud of Christ. Number one, the Bible makes it clear that Jesus' body was anointed with much myrrh and aloes.
Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight. John 19:39 (ESV)
All the accounts I have read have found no signs of spices being present on the Turin garment.
Secondly, Jesus was wrapped in strips of linen like a mummy with a separate head shawl, as John points out as the Jewish custom.
So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. John 19:40 (ESV)
Jesus' burial garments obviously consisted of more than one piece (and John should know since he was there). This is another obvious difference with the Shroud of Turin and reason enough to reject it as Jesus' burial clothes.
Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, 7and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. John 20:6-7 (ESV)
Further Reading:
Addition information regarding the Shroud is found on such sites as: