The book provides an up-to-date summary of what is known about the Shroud. The focus is on historical and empirical evidence.

Shrouds have long held a special place among the sacred relics of Christendom. In the Middle Ages, shrouds, like holy relics, were the prize possessions of churches and cities. Cloaked in mystery, these artifacts have long been objects of reverence and awe, as well as sources of debates, quarrels, thefts, and excommunications. Shrouds--so some claim--provide visible testimony to faith. One in particular has drawn the interest of scholars, clergy, and the public alike: the Shroud of Turin. In The Shroud of Turin, Andrea Nicolotti chronicles the history of this famous cloth, including its circuitous journey from the French village of Lirey to its home in the Italian city of Turin, as well as the fantastical claims surrounding its origin and modern scientific efforts to prove or disprove its authenticity. Full of intrigue and mystery, The Shroud of Turin dismantles hypotheses that cannot survive the rigors of historical analysis. Nicolotti directly addresses the thorny problem of the authenticity of the relic and the difficult relationship between history, faith, and science.

Interest in the Turin Shroud continues to the present day even though it was finally carbon dated in 1988 and shown not to be of an age consistent with Christ's burial. Scientifically, the age of the shroud cloth is of little consequence, but to the general public, it is of considerable significance. The author Harry E. Gove is a co-inventor of accelerator mass spectrometry and was responsible for its use in establishing whether the Turin Shroud could have been Christ's burial cloth. Relic, Icon or Hoax?: Carbon Dating the Turin Shroud presents an eyewitness account of the events that culminated in the final determination of the age of the linen cloth of the Turin Shroud and some of the subsequent reactions to the results. The book discusses the application of accelerator mass spectrometry to the carbon dating of the Turin Shroud using samples only a few square centimeters in area and weighing only a few tens of milligrams.

The shroud of Turin is one of history’s most controversial and perplexing relics. Many believe it to be the genuine burial shroud of Jesus Christ. Some hypothesize the image on the shroud was created through a rare scientific phenomenon. Still others think the shroud is a fake, proven—through carbon tests in 1988—to be a clever forgery. In The Truth About the Shroud of Turin , investigative reporter Robert K. Wilcox applies his investigative eye and compelling writing style to this mysterious artifact. Featuring new evidence, The Truth About the Shroud of Turin offers new insight into this baffling mystery and offers compelling evidence that the shroud is the authentic burial shroud of Jesus Christ. "Wilcox weaves an intriguing detective story, utilizing over 30 years of research including trips the world over, seeking to unravel the secrets of the world’s most intensely-studied artifact, giving readers much evidence to decide if the Shroud is just an elaborate hoax or the actual burial cloth of Jesus." —JOSEPH MARINO, shroud scholar

Christianity was born nearly two thousand years ago in ancient Palestine. It has shaped the course of human history. Yet historians still cannot say how it really began. How did a first-century Jew called Jesus manage to spark a new religion? It is one of the biggest and most profound of all historical mysteries. This extraordinary book finally provides a convincing answer. Traditionally, the birth of Christianity has been explained via the miracle of the Resurrection. After Jesus died he was raised from the dead by God and appeared to his disciples, telling them to spread the gospel. Once they saw the Risen Jesus, nothing could shake their belief. Within a few generations Christianity had spread throughout the Middle East and Europe; within a few centuries it had taken over much of the world. But historians have been unable to account for Christianity’s remarkable success without the Resurrection to spark it. If no one really saw the Risen Jesus, how were his followers convinced that he was their immortal Messiah? Art historian Thomas de Wesselow has spent the last seven years deducing the answer to this puzzle, and in doing so he has pieced together an entirely new picture of the birth of Christianity. Reassessing a familiar but misunderstood historical source and reinterpreting many biblical passages, de Wesselow shows that the solution has been staring us in the face for more than a century. The Shroud of Turin, widely thought to be a fake, is in fact authentic. And it holds the key to the greatest mystery in human history.

"Heller, while a man of science, was nevertheless a devout man (Southern Baptist). He viewed his task concerning The Shroud with great scepticism; there have been far too many hoaxes in the world of religion. The book describes in great detail the events leading up to the team's conviction that the Shroud was genuine; last - not least - being Heller and Adler's verification of "heme" (blood) and the inexplicable "burned image" of the crucified man. Although carbon dating indicates that the image is not 2000 years old and that the cloth is from the Middle Ages, there is not enough evidence to disprove Heller's assertion that the Shroud is indeed genuine"--Amazon.com

The Turin Shroud is the most important and studied relic in the world. Many papers on it have recently appeared in important scientific journals. Scientific studies on the relic until today have failed to provide conclusive answers about the identity of the enveloped man and the dynamics regarding the image formation impressed therein. This book not only addresses these issues in a scientific and objective manner but also leads the reader through new search paths. It summarizes the results in a simple manner for the reader to comprehend easily. Many books on the theme have been already published, but none of them contains such a large quantity of scientific news and reports. The most important of them is the following: The result of the 1988 radiocarbon dating is statistically wrong, and three new dating methods demonstrate that the Shroud has an age compatible with the epoch in which Jesus Christ lived in Palestine. A numismatic analysis performed on Byzantine gold coins confirms this result. This book is, therefore, very important with respect to the Turin Shroud.

Raymond N. Rogers was the head of the chemistry experiments for the Shroud of Turin Research Project (STURP), the team of 24 researchers that performed the first ever in-depth scientific examination of the relic in 1978. He was a professional chemist for 52 years and spent 35 years as a research chemist at Los Alamos National Laboratory, until his retirement in 1988. Rogers shares his frank and often-unvarnished personal perspectives on his 30 year involvement in Shroud studies. He details his own research and backs it up with solid observations, chemical analysis and microscopy. He provides us with his own theory of the Shroud's image formation and his own opinion on its authenticity. He discusses the role of religion and science and how each has impacted Shroud research. Most importantly, he discusses the possible future for the Shroud itself. Rogers' unique perspective, straightforward style and in-depth knowledge will both inform and enlighten you. Includes 68 Color and B&W Illustrations.

It is the most controversial religious icon in the world. No one knows where it came from. No one knows when it was made. But now, the greatest mystery in religious history holds the key to a present-day serial killer who devises savage, bizarre deaths for his victims. And only two American cops, following a trail that stretches from California to the Vatican, can expose the secret of the Shroud. From internationally bestselling author Sam Christer, published in 35 languages around the world, comes a thriller packed with relentless action, shocking twists and astounding research - the most suspenseful and intelligent novel of its kind since The Da Vinci Code.