Hi Think Atheist community it has been recently reported in a few news articles across the web that the Shroud of Turin (otherwise known as the Shroud of Jesus) is the real deal due to an alleged new found evidence. This comes as quite a surprise to me as it was sometime ago originally claimed to have been proven as a fake.
The original findings concluded and I quote:
" the Shroud was made in the 13th century, then it isn't a relic of Christ, for obvious reasons. Radiocarbon dating has repeatedly placed the Shroud as medieval in origin – specifically, between 1260AD and 1390AD." - Telegraph
To me that sounds conclusive enough to determine that the shroud is indeed a fake and forgery.
However more recent news reports claim that the tests may not have been that conclusive overall. They acknowledge that the material was calculated to have originated in the 13th century with the use of carbon dating, but also claim and I quote:
"the dating results might have been skewed by contamination and have called for a larger sample to be analysed." - Yahoo! News / Associated Press
Many of the newer reports claim that they have evidence that:
"The research in "The Mystery of the Shroud," by Giulio Fanti of the University of Padua and journalist Saverio Gaeta, is based on chemical and mechanical tests on fibers of material extracted for the carbon-dating research. An article with the findings is expected to be submitted for peer-review ...
the release of a book based on new scientific tests on the shroud that researchers say date the cloth to the 1st century." Yahoo News / Associated Press
However Pope Francis himself has yet to admit that the face impressed upon the cloth is or is not the face of Jesus. Personally I am not convinced myself at all and I find the "evidence" extremely vague to be honest. Why would the original findings conclude that the cloth was of the 13 century and then a re-test state that its now the 1st century? Something just doesn't feel right about this, its all so very vague to me.
What are your thoughts on this?
"The Turin Shroud is fake. Get over it" - Telegraph
"Shroud of Turin goes on display amid new research" - Yahoo! News / Associated Press