Scientist Reproduces 'Fake' Turin Shroud

Mysterious cloth will be on rare display in Turin

(NEWSER) - Some 2 million visitors are expected to view the mysterious Shroud of Turin when it goes on display in Turin this spring. The 14-foot-long piece of linen, which is believed by many to be the burial cloth of Jesus Christ and to miraculously bear his image, has only gone on public display six times in 100 years. Some 1 million people have already reserved tickets to see the restored shroud when the exhibit opens in Turn Cathedral, notes the Independent . More»

Disciples thought image was 'living double of Jesus,' he says

(NEWSER) - As Christians prepare to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, a Cambridge professor is claiming that a piece of cloth lies at the heart of their religion. Art historian Thomas de Wesselow has devoted much of his career to studying the Shroud of Turin. He believes it is the shroud of Jesus, and that the vivid image of a man on the burial cloth convinced Christ's disciples that he was still alive, the Telegraph reports. "They saw the image on the cloth as the living double of Jesus," he explains. “Back then, images had a psychological presence. They were seen as part of a separate plane of existence, as having a life of their own." More»

Adolf was 'obsessed' with miraculous relic

(NEWSER) - The Vatican hid the Shroud of Turin at an Italian abbey because Hitler was "obsessed" with the purported burial cloth of Christ and officials worried he planned to add it to his collection of stolen artworks and relics. The shroud, imprinted with the image of a face believed by many to be Christ, was whisked from Turin for 7 years. "Officially, this was to protect it from possible bombing. In reality, it was moved to hide it from Hitler, who was obsessed by it," said a priest at the hiding-place abbey. More»

Barely visible writing has Jesus' name, she says

(AP) - A researcher at the Vatican archives claims a nearly invisible text on the Shroud of Turin proves the authenticity of the artifact revered as Jesus' burial cloth. Author Barbara Frale says computer-enhanced images of faint Greek, Latin, and Aramaic words show the name "Jesus Nazarene" in a writing style typical of the age and region. More»

(NEWSER) - Did Michelangelo actually create a small (16-inch) wooden carving of a crucified Jesus or did the Italian government get taken for a $4 million ride? Some experts believe passionately that the piece, now on exhibit in Naples, is the work of the master. But as the BBC reports, others blast the label as a deliberate ploy by the government to use the religious carving to curry favor with the Catholic church and religious conservatives. More»