After centuries of scientific testing and debate, the Shroud of Turin remains one of the most intriguing religious artefacts in the world for both sceptics and believers, researchers and theologians.
Renowned author, journalist, and researcher William West, an expert on the Shroud’s authenticity, addressed a packed audience at St Patrick’s Catholic Parish in Bondi on 3 March, in advance of the Australian Holy Shroud Conference to be held in June.
During his talk, he presented 10 pieces of compelling evidence out of 99 he found that support the Shroud’s historical and scientific significance.
West began the evening by reminiscing on his journey with the Shroud, which began in Summer Hill in the 80’s when he was advised to watch the documentary The Silent Witness.
Intrigued by the Shroud the mystery was soon shattered when the carbon dating results of the late 80’s came out claiming it only dated between 1260 and 1790.
“It wasn’t until just a few years ago that I went to a Catholic bookshop and I saw a poster hanging on the wall,” he said.
“I thought, oh my gosh, that’s not good. Those people are still promoting this route. Don’t they realise that it’s a fake?
“So I thought, all right, I’ll talk about it and explain to people why it really is a fake. And I started doing research.”
Delving deeper into the literature, West discovered evidence that led him to reconsider his position.
“It’s covered in blood. That’s one of the first things you notice about the shroud,” he explained.
He described how not only are the obvious wounds—such as the large blood flow from the side—evident, but every scourge mark on both the front and back of the cloth is accompanied by bloodstains.
“The research has shown very clearly that those blood flows and clots are 100 per cent accurate and intact.
“Once the blood soaks in and dries, everyone knows it sticks hard. And when you force it off, the blood clots break. But on the shroud, all of those blood clots covering the whole body are all intact.
“Forensic pathologists from all over the world have studied it, some of the leading experts in the field, and they’ve been absolutely amazed at how precise the details are.
“Artists, by contrast, usually depict mere dribbles of blood. The Shroud actually shows clots of blood—every deposit is an intact clot,” he stated.
West further emphasised his point by referencing Pierre Barbet, a French surgeon who spent much of WWI treating battlefield casualties before becoming a leading professor and head surgeon at a major Paris hospital.
“Barbet was basically obsessed with blood and through that he became obsessed with the shroud,” West explained.
“He said that he just couldn’t fault it at all and for him that one aspect of the shroud was enough to convince him that it was definitely our Lord.
Other evidence West spoke about related to “clear signs of dirt from Jerusalem.”
“They found that dirt had a chemical fingerprint, a special limestone soil not really found anywhere else in the world, around the knees and nose” he said.
Lastly, West spoke on a close-up of the linen fabric itself.
“Now the image itself, science has discovered that because it’s not made from any artistic materials, like paint, paint and ink or dye, the only way scientists can reproduce this even today is by using a huge burst of ultraviolet light from excellent lasers,” West explained.
However, “they could never ever produce the whole image because it would take more electrical power than we have even today,” he said.