The Shroud of Turin remains one of Christianity’s most studied and debated relics. Believed by many to be the burial cloth of Jesus Christ, the linen bears a faint image of a man who appears to have been crucified. It is kept in the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist in Turin, Italy, where it continues to draw both worshippers and researchers.
For centuries, scholars and scientists have questioned its authenticity. Some view it as sacred proof of Christ’s resurrection, while others consider it a medieval forgery. Recent claims, however, have reignited interest in the relic’s mysteries.
Biblical scholar Dr. Jeremiah Johnston stated that tests conducted in the 1990s identified blood on the cloth as type AB — a rare type found in only about six percent of people, most commonly among those of Middle Eastern descent.
According to Dr. Johnston, the findings confirmed that the blood was human and male, ruling out the possibility of an artistic hoax or animal material. He also emphasized that the blood contained both premortem and postmortem traces.
“You would have to actually kill someone to reproduce this,” Johnston said, describing the mix of blood types as scientifically extraordinary and nearly impossible to fake.
This discovery has led some believers to see the Shroud as further evidence of Christ’s suffering and resurrection. The unusual combination of blood characteristics appears inconsistent with natural decay, adding to the relic’s mystery.
Recently, an AI reconstruction based on the Shroud’s markings generated an image of what some believe could be the face of Jesus, drawing renewed fascination worldwide.
Despite the intrigue, carbon dating from the 1980s suggested the fabric originated between 1260 and 1390, though later experts argued that the tested fibers may have come from a repaired section, not the original cloth — leaving the debate far from settled.
