The Shroud of Turin does not depict the face of Jesus Christ: new study refutes the sensation

The Shroud of Turin, the cloth believed to have been used to wrap the body of Jesus Christ after his death, has been the subject of debate for years over its authenticity. A new study has found that the imprint on the shroud could not have been made by a three-dimensional human body, but may have been made by a bas-relief, a shallow carving.

The author of the new study, Cicero Moraes, created a virtual simulation in which the cloth was placed on the body in an attempt to recreate the famous religious painting. But the virtual cloth, when laid flat, showed a much more extended image than on the Shroud, writes DailyMail.

"The explanation for the differences is very simple. When you wrap a 3D object in fabric and that object leaves a pattern similar to bloodstains, those stains create a stronger and more deformable structure relative to the source," said study author Cicero Moraes, a Brazilian forensic scientist and 3D illustrator.

"What we see as a result of printing stains from the human body would be a more swollen and distorted version of it. However, the bas-relief would not cause deformation of the image, making the figure resemble a photocopy of the body," explained Moraes, who has forensically reconstructed the faces of many historical figures from their skulls.

According to the researcher, the image of the imprint left by the 3D body shows a striking difference with the Shroud. The scalp and toes are strangely spread outward, while large parts of the torso, groin, and neck area were not captured at all. Instead, the image of the imprint left by the shallow bas-relief reproduces the image from the holy shroud well.

To confirm his words, Cicero Moraes gave the example of the golden posthumous mask of the ancient Mycenaean king Agamemnon. At first glance, the mask seems too wide for a human face, but in fact, this is a normal distortion.

According to the forensic expert, anyone can conduct such an experiment at home and verify the veracity of the new research.

"You should paint your face with a pigmented liquid. Then, using a large napkin, paper towel, or cloth, wrap it around your face. Then, lay the cloth on a flat surface and look at the image that you get," Moraes explained in detail.

The Brazilian researcher doubts that the Shroud touched the body of Jesus. However, he does not call the artifact a fake, but an artistic and historical treasure.

"In the debate, people are usually divided into two camps. On the one hand, there are those who believe that this is the authentic Shroud of Jesus Christ, and on the other, those who think it is a fake. But I am inclined to a different approach: that it is actually a work of Christian art that has managed to convey its purpose very successfully," said Cicero Moraes.

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