Shroud of Turin really is 2,000 years old, new study suggests
FILE-A central detail of the shroud with the face (left). The 2015 Exposition of the Shroud of Turin begins in the Turin Cathedral, Italy. The Shroud of Turin is a linen cloth with the image of a man. It is considered an important relic by the Christ
Researchers in Italy announced a new discovery regarding a linen cloth some believe was a burial shroud for Jesus Christ.
The team examined a sample from the Shroud of Turin and determined that it could be 2,000 years old, Newsweek reported, citing a study published in the journal Heritage.
Scientists inspected this ancient cloth using a method known as Wide-Angle X-ray Scattering. The group used this technique on a tiny sample from the Shroud, which is in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Turin, Italy.
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Citing the study, Newsweek noted that the researchers said the results of their inspection of the cloth were compatible with measurements collected from a linen sample dating from A.D. 55-74, and consistent with the theory that the Shroud is a 2,000-year-old relic.
Newsweek noted that this latest report does not explain whether the artifact was indeed Jesus' burial shroud, but researchers determined that its age is consistent with his time.
Through the years, scientists have studied the Shroud of Turin, which is a centuries-old linen cloth that bears the image of a crucified man that many believe is Jesus of Nazareth imprinted on the cloth, while some experts in studies have claimed the artifact is a medieval forgery.
Researchers concluded in their report that a more accurate X-ray probe of more samples taken from the Shroud of Turin fabric is needed to confirm the results of their study.