The Shroud of Turin is a 14.3 foot by 3.7 foot linen cloth that bears the faint image of a man who appears to have been crucified. For centuries, some have claimed it to be the authentic burial shroud of Jesus Christ, while others have dismissed it as a medieval forgery. What does the Bible have to say about the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin?
The Bible does not explicitly mention the Shroud of Turin. However, there are a few biblical principles we can apply when evaluating the Shroud:
1. The Bible focuses on Jesus’ resurrection, not burial artifacts
The core message of Christianity centers on Jesus’ resurrection from the dead and subsequent appearances to his followers (1 Corinthians 15:3-8). The gospel writers record Jesus’ burial only briefly, with no mention of his burial shroud (Matthew 27:57-61; Mark 15:43-47; Luke 23:50-56; John 19:38-42). Even if the Shroud of Turin were definitively proven to be Jesus’ burial cloth, it would add little evidence to the biblical account of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.
2. The Bible warns about false prophets and miracles
In the Olivet Discourse, Jesus warned his disciples that prior to his return, “False messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect” (Matthew 24:24). The apostle Paul similarly states that the coming of the lawless one will be accompanied by “all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders” (2 Thessalonians 2:9). Authenticating artifacts like the Shroud could potentially aid false prophets in their deception.
3. The Gospels record Jesus’ appearances, not his image
After his resurrection, Jesus appeared physically to Mary Magdalene (John 20:11-18), the disciples (John 20:19-23), two followers on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-32), and to over 500 others (1 Corinthians 15:6). The emphasis is on Jesus’ bodily appearances, not any image left behind. If the Shroud of Turin were definitively proven to bear the image of Jesus, it would raise questions about why the biblical authors make no mention of such an extraordinary artifact.
4. We walk by faith, not by sight
The apostle Paul writes that “We live by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). Faith is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8), not something that comes from seeing physical artifacts. As Jesus told Thomas, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29). Christians do not need archaeological evidence like the Shroud of Turin to have faith in Jesus.
5. The Shroud does not match key details in the Gospels
While the image on the Shroud does appear to be of a man who was crucified, several key details differ from the Gospel accounts. For example, the Shroud shows the nails piercing the wrists rather than the hands (John 20:27). It depicts a man whose legs were not broken, whereas the Bible says the legs of the two criminals crucified with Jesus were broken (John 19:31-33). If authentic, we would expect the Shroud to match the Gospel accounts.
6. Radiocarbon dating argues against the Shroud’s authenticity
In 1988, three laboratories performed radiocarbon dating on the Shroud and concluded there is 95% certainty the material originated between 1260 and 1390 AD. This date range is well after the time of Jesus in the 1st century AD. The Shroud’s defenders challenge the reliability of this dating. But radiocarbon dating is a widely accepted scientific technique, so these results create a strong presumption against authenticity.
7. God desires faith, not proof
When Jesus appeared to Thomas after His resurrection, He invited Thomas to touch His wounds, but then said, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29). Faith pleases God, as “without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6). If God wanted to provide absolute proof of Jesus’ identity through artifacts like the Shroud, it would undermine the need for faith.
In summary, while the Shroud of Turin is an interesting archaeological artifact, the Bible neither supports nor precludes its authenticity. As Christians, our faith is rightly founded on Jesus’ resurrection, not physical relics. The biblical authors’ silence on any burial shroud argues against investing significant attention on this artifact. We walk by faith in the risen Christ, not by sight of burial clothes. The Shroud may be authentic, but we do not need it to demonstrate the truth of Christianity.
At the end of the day, the Shroud of Turin’s authenticity as Christ’s burial cloth remains unproven. As the apostle Paul proclaimed:
We preach Christ crucified…to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. (1 Corinthians 1:23-24)
Our faith rests secure on the power and wisdom of the crucified and risen Savior, not on any physical relics here on earth. As Hebrews 11 reminds us, faith is “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Jesus alone is the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2), not any image, imprint, or artifact left behind. The story of Easter is far greater than any shroud.