The best known relic of Jesus Christ is the Turin Shroud. It is supposed to have his face imprinted on it and is now housed in Turin Cathedral. The linen fabric is 4.25 metres by 114 centimetres. Some believe it is a 1000-year old forgery while others believe it is contemporary with the crucifixion. The shroud was first observed on the 28 of May 1898, on the reverse photographic plate of an amateur photographer called Second Pia. It was not believed to be a medieval forgery, because if it was, it would seem odd that it was only discovered in 1989.
The twin wrist wounds on the Turin Shroud indicate signs of crucifixion. If the victim was nailed through the hand, he would die too quickly from suffocation. There are also punctures on the persons head, which could be evidence of a crown made of thorns. On the persons torso and legs, there are scores of linear wounds, which could have been caused by a Roman flag rum or whip. On the persons face there is severe swelling from beatings. Blood streams on both arms would have been adopted during crucifixion.
On the opposite side of the Shroud is a second face, matching the one on the front. The image is superficial, it could not have been painted. It seems that the cloth was wrapped twice around the persons face and there was a chemical reaction between the cloth and the body.
Historical records show that a shroud bearing the image of a crucified man was in possession of a French
Crusader called Geoffroy de Charney around the years 1353 to 1357. He had put it on display in Lirey, France, which became a place of pilgrimage. The shroud was then owned by the House of Savoy and in 1578 it w2as moved to Turin Cathedral. For the eighteenth time in the Turn Shroud’s history it was put on display in Turin on the 10 April to the 23 may, 2010.