The Sudarium of Christ

Death and resurrection – religious doctrine becomes scientific truth

The Shroud of Turin is much older than had previously been assumed. This is confirmed by a relic in the Spanish city of Oviedo, the »Santo Sudario«, which is  revered as the face cloth (sudarium) of Christ. The »Sudarium of Oviedo« or »Shroud of Oviedo« contains bloodstains from the same wounds as the Shroud of Turin, blood from the same blood group, and pollen that is identical to pollen from the region of Jerusalem. In fact, its existence as far back as 570 AD can even be established with certainty. This relic, complementary to the Turin Shroud, has  enabled Spanish forensic scientists to reconstruct in detail Jesus’ death on the cross and the events surrounding his burial for the first time. Even the face of Christ can be traced scientifically as a composite picture – silent witnesses of the Passion  begin to speak.

The Shroud of Turin will be on show again in April/May 2010. Millions will make the pilgrimage to Turin to view it, and the Pope's visit has been confirmed.

Michael Hesemann, born in 1964 in Düsseldorf, is a historian, documentary filmmaker, and as a journalist specialises in topics relating to parascience, contemporary and ecclesiastical history. His access to the inner circles of the Vatican and to archives not normally available to the public has allowed him to conduct research, the results of which have appeared in numerous books that have been translated into 14 languages to date. The author lives in Düsseldorf and Rome.