MUST READ:  While conducting ancient oil lamp research in museum depots in Turkey during May 2002, Philip E. Dayvault discovered a mosaic, “the ISA Tile,” which presumably depicts the face of Jesus of Nazareth. It seems to have been derived from the facial image on the Shroud of Turin. Dayvault offers a compelling study of these images. Moreover, he examines other painting, icons, frescoes, and mosaics and determines that this mosaic may be the prototype of numerous Christological depictions.

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If, as Dayvault argues in a paper entitled, “Face of the God-man,”

the mosaic tile can be forensically associated with documentary and physical evidence from the 1st or 2nd Century, and historically and circumstantially to events in the 1st Century; then by extension, it is reasonable to accept the fact that the Shroud is also from the 1st Century . . .

His case is compelling. The paper is a MUST READ. Click here to display a webpage with link options under “Attachments.” I recommend downloading the file to your computer and then displaying it.

Dayvault goes on to suggest that this is the “Image of the Risen Lord, Jesus Christ.” Personally, I think that is safe inference. But it should not be thought of as proven, or something factually established. In the very last sentence of the paper he also says of the image, “. . . somehow made at the very moment of Resurrection.” For that, there is no evidence; not in this paper or elsewhere, as I see it. It may be true but it may be that the image was created at some other time in the tomb, and perhaps slowly.

Note: I found it frustrating that the PDF version of the paper was so locked up that I could not print a copy or search. The quoted text above is from optical character recognition software used with a picture of my computer screen taken with an iPhone.

The jury is out on this, so far. Dayvault has submitted the paper to the Shroud Science Group, which is an excellent idea. I’m optimistic and I’m excited by what I am reading here.