"We believe that we have the precise image of
what Jesus looked like on this earth," said Professor Giulio Fanti of the
University of Padua.
“This statue is
the three-dimensional representation in actual size of the Man of the Shroud,
created following the precise measurements taken from the cloth in which the
body of Christ was wrapped after the crucifixion,” explains Giulio Fanti,
teacher of mechanical and thermal measurements at the University of Padua, who
studies the Shroud. Based on his measurements, the professor has created a
“carbon copy” in 3D which, he claims, allows him to affirm that these are the
true features of the crucified Christ. Therefore,
we believe that we finally have the precise image of what Jesus looked like on
this earth. From now on, He may no longer be depicted without taking this work
into account.” The professor granted exclusive coverage of his work to the
weekly periodical Chi, to which he revealed: “According to our studies, Jesus
was a man of extraordinary beauty. Long-limbed, but very robust, he was nearly
5 ft. 11 in. tall, whereas the average height at the time was around 5 ft. 5
in. And he had a regal and majestic expression.” (Vatican Insider)
Through
the study and three-dimensional projection of the figure, Fanti was also able
to count the numerous wounds on the body of the man of the Shroud:
“On the Shroud,”
the professor explains, “I counted 370 wounds from the flagellation, without
taking into account the wounds on his sides, which the Shroud doesn’t show
because it only enveloped the back and front of the body. We can therefore
hypothesize a total of at least 600 blows. In addition, the three-dimensional
reconstruction has made it possible to discover that at the moment of his
death, the man of the Shroud sagged down towards the right, because his right
shoulder was dislocated so seriously as to injure the nerves.”
The
questions surrounding the mystery of the Shroud are still intact; certainly, in
that tortured man we see the signs of suffering in which we find also a piece
of each one of ourselves, but also—seen by the eyes of faith—hope that this man
was not just anyone, but the Man par excellence, that “Behold the Man” who
appeared docilely before Pilate and who, after the terrible flagellation, was
raised up on the cross as an innocent man; not only innocent, but taking upon
himself the guilt of all people. While belief in the Shroud is not obligatory,
even for Christians, the exceptionality of that piece of linen remains there to
challenge our understanding and our certainties, almost like a certain Jesus of
Nazareth, who challenged our certainties by loving his persecutors, forgiving
them from the cross, and conquering death, 2,000 years ago …
----
An Italian professor has created
a 3D image of Jesus based off of the Shroud of Turin, claiming that it is the
"precise image of what Jesus looked like on this earth." Giulio Fanti, teacher of mechanical and
thermal measurements at the University of Padua who has studied the Shroud for
several years, unveiled the 3D image last week.
"From now on, He may no
longer be depicted without taking this work into account," stated Fanti,
as quoted by the Catholic publication Aleteia. According to our studies, Jesus
was a man of extraordinary beauty. Long-limbed, but very robust, he was nearly
5 ft. 11 in. tall, whereas the average height at the time was around 5 ft. 5
in. And he had a regal and majestic expression."
Fanti also explained that the 3D
image allowed for an examination of the many wounds that the figure believed by
many to be Jesus suffered.
"I counted 370 wounds from
the flagellation, without taking into account the wounds on his sides, which
the Shroud doesn't show because it only enveloped the back and front of the
body."
"In addition, the
three-dimensional reconstruction has made it possible to discover that at the
moment of his death, the man of the Shroud sagged down towards the right,
because his right shoulder was dislocated so seriously as to injure the
nerves."
Purported to be the cloth that
Jesus was buried in after the crucifixion, the Shroud of Turin first appears in
the historical record around the year 1360 at the Diocese of Troyes in France.
It was eventually moved to the Turin Cathedral in Northern Italy in 1578.
Much debate has existed over the
authenticity of the shroud, including whether or not it was from the first
century and how the famous image appeared.
In 1988, carbon dating tests were
performed on the shroud, which placed its origins in the Medieval era. However,
many, including Fanti, have claimed the results were faulty due to laboratory
contamination. Then in 2013, Fanti along
with Italian journalist Saverio Gaeta released a book documenting research
on the Shroud, arguing that it was indeed from the time of Jesus and was likely
authentic. Fanti's views are not without its critics. Roy Speckhardt, executive
director of the American Humanist Association, told The Christian Post in a
2013 interview that he was "very skeptical" of Fanti's
conclusions.
"If the research team at the
University of Padua believes that the earlier carbon dating test showing the
shroud was from a different era was faulty due to contamination, why not just
do another carbon dating analysis?" said Speckhardt. If reputable
scientists are given the chance to confirm this team's results by replicating
their experiments, then the new estimated date for the shroud would gain
credibility. But even if the shroud was dated from the proper time period, that
isn't proof that it was used on Jesus."
---
If this is your belief, then you
will need no more proof. If you are of
another faith, then your questions will be answered in another manner and time.
Regardless of your religious convictions – this was
a magnificent achievement.
-bird
