(Media release) Russ Breault, researcher and expert on the renowned and intriguing Shroud of Turin, will present a 90-minute multi-media lecture titled Shroud Encounter at the Lakeview Building, Floyd campus of Georgia Highlands College on Wednesday, Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
The authenticity of the Shroud of Turin has been debated for years, and Breault has been featured on the History Channel’s "The Real Face of Jesus" and the CBS documentary "Mysteries of the Ancient World" discussing its mystery and the research that has been undertaken on the subject. He has also spoken at a number of colleges and universities on the subject, including Duke, Auburn and West Point.
The Shroud of Turin has been the most analyzed artifact in the world, yet it remains a puzzle. The 14-foot long linen cloth has resided in Turin, Italy for more than 400 years and bears the faint front and back image of a five-foot, 10-inch bearded, crucified man with apparent wounds and bloodstains that match the crucifixion account as recorded in the Bible. Millions of people over the centuries have believed it be the actual burial shroud of Jesus. The historical trail tracks back through Italy, France, Asia Minor (Turkey) and may have originated in the Middle East according to botanical evidence.
A team of 40 scientists in 1981 concluded it was not the work of an artist. They found no visible trace of paint, pigment, dye or other artistic substances on the cloth. Other discoveries have defied explanation. For example, why does the image show up as a positive image in a photographic negative? The blood found on the material is AB positive with human DNA. But if the cloth indeed wrapped a corpse, there are no stains of decomposition. A mystery indeed.
The Shroud was largely dismissed in 1988 when three carbon dating labs indicated a medieval origin. However, the only sample taken was from a corner, which apparently was a repair dating to the Middle Ages. As a result, many scientists now believe the carbon dating results are probably invalid.
National Geographic called the shroud "one of the most perplexing enigmas of modern times."Shroud Encounter features more than 150 images of the shroud, and will cover all aspects of the history, science, art and theories of how the image may have been formed.
Northwest Georgia Press Releases: GHC Lecture Series Features Shroud of Turin Presentation