This authoritative book about the controversial 'shroud' of Turin, claimed to be the burial cloth of Jesus, presents overwhelming evidence that the cloth is actually the creation of a clever medieval artist. From the earliest known document that mentions the shroud - a letter from a 14th-century Catholic bishop reporting that the artist had confessed - Joe Nickell traces the historical, iconographic, pathological, forensic, and physical and chemical investigations of the purported relic. He details the microchemical tests that revealed artists' pigments on the image and tempera paint in the areas claimed to be bloodstains Working with a panel of distinguished scientific and artistic experts, the author links the reported medieval confession and the scientific proof of pigments by demonstrating that the much-touted 'photographically negative' image can actually be convincingly simulated by means of an artistic technique employed in the Middle Ages. "Inquest on the Shroud of Turin" has all the elements of a good detective story as well as of an expertly presented judicial inquiry. Nickell notes the fact that few scientists with the requisite skills have examined the cloth (generally, those who did became sceptics). He concludes that this is one of the many suspicious circumstances in the cloth's known history of seven centuries. The so-called 'shroud' of Jesus can only be traced to about 1355, when it surfaced at Lirey, France. For the thirteen centuries from the reputed death of Jesus of Nazareth until that date, there is no evidence that his burial garments were preserved or that the 'shroud' was in existence. Even readers who do not believe in so-called holy relics will be fascinated by Nickell's methodical uncovering of the truth about the cloth. However, nothing in this book attacks the faith of Christians.
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Joe Nickell has been called "the modern Sherlock Holmes." Since 1995 he has been the world's only full-time, professional, science-based paranormal investigator. His careful, often innovative investigations have won him international respect in a field charged with controversy.
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13 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Sindonology meets critical review,
This review is from: Inquest on the Shroud of Turin: Latest Scientific Findings (Paperback)
Let me resurrect an old cliche & say that "Inquest on the Shroud of Turin" is good news and bad news. The good new is that several of the chapters are very strong, providing compelling reasons to discount the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin as the burial cloth of Jesus. I think the most enlightening chapter was at the beginning of the book & dealt with the provenance of the shroud. It was clear from its origin in 1355 that the cloth was a fraud. The early provenance shows that the only medieval contemporaries who did not discount the shroud as a fake were those who were profiting from displaying it to pilgrims in return for alms. Bishop Pierre D'Arcis wrote an investigation report stating that the shroud is a painting, & this fact was attested to by the artist who painted it. Even the pope discounted its authenticity when he issued a bull directing it could only be displayed as a "representation" and not as an authentic relic. It is amusing to think that the medieval mind had clearer insight into the shroud's bona fides than many modern minds.Another strong chapter is the one that deals with the research of Walter McCrone. (...) In any event, McCrone concludes the shroud bears traces of paint pigment (as predicted by the provenance) & that proteins on the shroud are not blood but rather the paint medium tempra. What do you call a piece of cloth with paint pigment & paint medium on it? McCrone and Nickell conclude that it is a painting (as one might expect). Now for the bad news: "Inquest" suffers from several weaknesses. Many of the chapters become lost in technical detail which I think detract from the strength of the overall argument. Why make a subtle argument when there is an obvious argument to be made that is more compelling? Also, I noted one occasion where Nickell placed emphasis where he should not & the result was misleading. Nickell states that according to the New Testament, the body of Jesus was buried according to Jewish custom, & therefore the body must have been washed. The truth is that the New Testament does NOT say the body was washed. This whole line of reasoning should have been left out in my opinion since it is misleading & detracts from the overall argument. Another weakness is that the book has not been updated since the Carbon 14 tests were published showing that the shroud is only 700 years old. This makes the cloth about the same age as the provenance indicating it is a fake. A new chapter would tie all this together quite nicely. Other reviewers have criticized Nickell for his lack of credentials as a scientist. If they had read the book more carefully (or at all), they would have noted that this book is clearly presented as a collaborative effort with technical specialists. Not only did Nickell consult on research, some whole chapters are ghost written by his collaborators. Another criticism is that the shroud could not be a painting since there is no brush strokes & no directionality. In spite of what other reviewers have said, these matters are addressed in the book. There are no brush strokes because the artist didn't use a brush. Furthermore, Nickell does discuss how paint could be applied without an indication of directionality. Read the book for more details. Finally, there is one interesting argument Nickell touches on but does not develop. The image of the face on the shroud shows evidence of fresh bleeding from scalp wounds. Nickell points out that there should be no blood because the body was washed. An alternative observation is that when a person dies, the heart stops, blood pressure drops to zero, & lividity begins to set in. A dead body simply does not bleed (at least not like the fresh stream of blood seen on the face of the shroud). Hypothetically, if the shroud were indeed the burial cloth of Jesus, it means that he did not die on the cross, but that he was taken down while still alive. No death on the cross means no resurrection, & this conclusion would turn Christian theology on its head. It appears that this one observation would give the faithful plenty of reason to reject the authenticity of the shroud, rather than defend it.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Common sense and the Shroud,
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This review is from: Inquest on the Shroud of Turin: Latest Scientific Findings (Paperback)
I expected Joe Nickell's case against the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin to be a snide and nasty affair. But it is surprisingly even-tempered, poking large holes in the cases of the defenders of Shroud authenticity. In this book, Nickell (and his panel of scientific experts) critically examine the claims of Shroud backers. Against those who feel the Shroud was formed in a burst of radiation (supposedly from the Resurrection) Nickell asserts the common sense conclusion that this radiation, if it was to make a clear image, would have to travel only in the direction of the cloth, and not out to the sides. Against those who claim that no medieval technique is known that could account for the image's formation, Nickell gives examples of rubbing techniques--during and prior to the medieval period--that were available to artists of the 14th century. Against those who claim that the image on the cloth is an anatomically perfect depiction of a crucified man, Nickell lays out the case for the image's imperfections: one arm is longer than the other, and the blood trickles are depicted as lying atop the hair, rather then seeping from it.
On the negative side, Nickell's book is the "he said" against the "she said" of other book on the Shroud. Is Walter McCrone biased toward finding paint (as STURP - the Shroud Research group claims) or (as Nickell claims) are his findings of paint pigments and tempera binder the key to solving the Shroud mystery? Did McCrone return the sticky tape samples (Nickell) or did he violate scientific protocol by hogging them (STURP's Heller)? Going back in history, does a letter from the Bishop of Troyes (claiming he had obtained the confession of the Shroud's painter) support Nickell's case, or is it the carping of a man who is losing tourism dollars to a neat relic in a neighboring diocese? In any event, "Inquest" is a relatively easy read, and should be studied by Shroud advocates, if only to ensure that they are not seduced by the sillier arguments made in support of the Shroud. Any book that brings the conversation to a higher level should be welcomed.
12 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent review of shroud silliness,
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This review is from: Inquest on the Shroud of Turin: Latest Scientific Findings (Paperback)
Nickell does a clear, thorough job of debunking all the contradictions and self-delusions of those folks who insist on believing that this long-acknowledged fraud actually contained the body of Christ(even the Catholic Church denies its authenticity). A good review of the actual "shroud" tradition (contradicted by the bible itself BTW) and the mountain of scientific data disproving the shroud's miraculous nature. Highly recommended for clear thinkers who prefer fact and data to fanciful speculation and special pleading.
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