Just when it seems the mystery of the Shroud of Turin cannot get any deeper, scientists uncover another clue.
New DNA research on the burial cloth believed by many to have wrapped the body of Jesus Christ has uncovered a rare genetic lineage tied to the Near East, along with microorganisms that thrive in highly salty environments.
Once again, the findings raise questions about where this mysterious cloth has been.
According to the Daily Mail, Italian researchers examined linen fibers extracted from different parts of the Shroud during a 1978 investigation. Using advanced genetic sequencing, the team detected the rare mitochondrial DNA lineage H33, which is found today among populations in the Near East, particularly the Druze living in the Holy Land, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.
The research, which has been led by Dr. Gianni Barcaccia, who is a professor of genetics and genomics with the University of Padua in Italy, was published in July.
Yet the DNA wasn’t the only discovery pointing researchers eastward.
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Scientists also found microorganisms known for their love of salt, which is also known as archaea, suggesting the cloth encountered highly saline conditions sometime during its long history.
That immediately raises an intriguing possibility.
Vatican News, according to the Daily Mail, said the evidence appears consistent with the Shroud having spent time in the Middle East and in a saline environment, potentially one such as the area surrounding the Dead Sea.
The Bible tells us that after Christ’s crucifixion, Joseph of Arimathea took Jesus’ body and wrapped it in clean linen. The stone had been rolled away. The tomb was empty. Christ was risen, and the linen burial cloths remained behind.
Nearly 2,000 years later, a linen cloth bearing the haunting image of a crucified man continues to sit at the center of one of Christianity’s most enduring mysteries.
Scientists have not proven that the Shroud of Turin was used to wrap Jesus.
But with Near Eastern DNA, evidence of exposure to a highly saline environment and an image that continues to defy easy explanations, the Shroud is doing something remarkable.
It is keeping the question alive.
Abby Trivett is a writer and editor for Charisma Media and has a passion for sharing the gospel through the written word. She holds two degrees from Regent University, a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Journalism. She is the author of the newly released book, The Power of Suddenly: Discover How God Can Change Everything in a Moment. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
