The Sign. The shroud of Turin and the secret of resurrection

Author – Thomas De Wesselow

Genre – Art and History

Publisher – Viking, Penguin group

Rating – 4/5

After the success of “The Da Vinci Code” loads of books on Christian conspiracy theories have made their way to the mainstream market.  Most deal with Templar conspiracy theories, Mary Magdalene or Grail quests. “The Sign” is based on the supposed Shroud which was used to wrap the dead Jesus and placed in the tomb.

The shroud of Turin is widely believed to be a clever artefact of the middle ages.   While Welleslow attempts to establish that the Shroud is a genuine relic and was used to wrap Jesus, the going is fine. Arguments on how the image of a crucified person was transferred on the cloth is based on scientific research – though widely argued.  Though I’m still unconvinced how such a clear imprint of a person could come on a cloth which was used to wrap the dead crucified person at the base of the cross, transferred to a stretcher and then deposited in the tomb. Such movement should have caused smudging where the body was handled wrapped in the cloth. Plus, the clear framing of the face by hair. How can shoulder- length hair frame the face when a person is lying down?

Further arguments on this crucified person being Jesus based on historical evidence is believable albeit a few gaps. Chief among them is the shroud carbon dating result which shows that the shroud material is from the middle ages.  However since the carbon dating result was not concurred with a second test result and historical evidence points otherwise, it is possible to give the shroud the benefit of doubt.

However, Welleslow’s further claims are more hypothesis and have little or no historical or scientific evidence. He recounts the story of the burial and resurrection of Jesus.  The body of Jesus was taken down from the cross, rigor mortis had set in. It was washed carefully at the site of crucification i.e. at the base of the cross, wrapped in the Shroud in question, carried to the tomb in the shroud  and laid to rest there still covered in the shroud. (How could such a complex ritual as cleansing of a dead body be done at such a dusty place as the base of the cross?) Since it was the Sabbath the next day, the body could not be embalmed that day as the Jewish rituals. The body was not touched on the Sabbath. The next day, a contingent of women headed by Mary Magdalene went to the tomb to complete the embalming of the body. The woman however discovered that stone to the entrance of the tomb lay rolled away and an angel of the Lord (Mathew 28;2); a young man in while robes (Mark 16;5); two men in dazzling white (Luke 24;4), appeared and proclaimed to them that Jesus was no longer in the tomb but had risen from the dead. The women were to go back and proclaim this good news to the disciples. Only in John 20;1, Mary Magdalene sees the tomb stone rolled away, does not see any heavenly visitors but is frightened and runs to tell Peter and the disciples that the body of Jesus is no longer in the tomb. In all these appearance stories, only John clearly mentions Mary Magdalene saying that the body of Christ was not in the tomb though it does not mention her going into the tomb at all. However both Luke(24;12)  and John(20;6) mention that Peter entered the tomb and found it empty of the body of Jesus and instead saw the linen shroud. He wondered when he saw the cloth.

Welleslow now recreates the story of the resurrection taking the shroud into account. The impression of Jesus’ body had already come on the shroud when the woman went into the tomb. Although how the women made out the dim outline of the body on the shroud in the candle or lamplight of the cave/tomb in the dim early morning glow is a big question. Thereafter Welleslow argues that what the gospels refer to as “angel”, “a young man”, “two young men”,” Jesus” was the shroud. The impression of Jesus on the shroud was taken by the disciples as the sign of Jesus’s spiritual resurrection. Thus began the proclamation of the good news that Jesus had risen. This theory, given the ancients penchant for story telling and myth creation is far more believable to the reasoning mind than a flesh and blood resurrection theory or the Jesus being in a live but comatose state after being taken down from the cross and being revivified after 2 days in the tomb theory.  However, to claim that the strangely marked shroud of Jesus was the basis of the resurrection stories sounds too far fetched. After all the disciples who preached Christianity were so convinced of Jesus’ and their own resurrection that they did not even fear death.  However miraculous the strange markings on the shroud may have seemed, was it enough to transform frightened fishermen into bold missionaries of a radically different religion in alien lands?  If the shroud with the imprint of Jesus was seen as his spiritual resurrected self, were the disciples also hoping to be transformed thus?

Yes, there is a mystery to be solved and the Christian emphasis on faith and belief in miracles does not satisfy Christians today. How else can one account for the large number of Christian conspiracy theory books making it to the best seller lists?  I see other books authored by Indian writers which try and explain in socio-political and sometimes scientific terms the mythology of Ramayana and Mahabharata. The world then in asking for rational answers to their faith. It is looking for a more solid footing than fantabulous myths of miracles.