1st Edition
The Shroud of Christ Evidence of a 2,000 Year Antiquity
The Shroud of Turin has been the focus of extensive study by historians and researchers since the beginning of the twentieth century. It is possibly the world’s most studied historical artifact, generating a regular flow of new research publications. There is, however, one scientific test that overshadows all other research: the 1988 radiocarbon dating. This test dated the cloth to the period 1260–1390AD and was given such extensive publicity that most people today no longer accept the Shroud to be a true relic. Sadly, very few people are aware that this test has been widely criticized for falling short of acceptable scientific standards. Similarly, most people remain unaware of the wealth of compelling evidence that contradicts the conclusions of that test and supports claims of the Shroud’s authenticity.
This book reveals extracts from secret discussions on dating evidence from the Shroud Science Group, a private, international forum of Shroud researchers and provides a detailed account of the dating evidence revealed by over a hundred years of research. It outlines reasons why the 1988 radiocarbon dating test continues to attract criticism from respected scientists and also describes a series of innovative flax dating techniques which have recently been used measure the age of Shroud material, producing results that contradict the radiocarbon date.
1. An Introduction to the Shroud of Christ
2. Dating the Shroud: Pre-1988 Evidence
3. The Controversial 1988 C-14 Test
4. Evidence of Contamination
5. Dating the Shroud: Post-1988 Tests
6. Conclusions and Future Research
Biography
Michael Kowalski holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of Manchester and a postgraduate diploma in textile technology from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology. Since retiring in 2016 after a successful career in the computer industry, he has devoted much of his time to the study of the Shroud of Turin. He has produced two documentary videos on this topic which detail the controversy surrounding the 1988 radiocarbon dating of the Shroud and outline some of the scientific evidence that shows that the Shroud is considerably older than the result of that dating test. He is editor of the British Society for the Turin Shroud newsletter and is a member of the Shroud Science Group, a private, international forum of Shroud researchers.
