Stephen Jones Starting New Section

Stephen Jones is getting ready to start his next section of his blog: "3. The Bible and the Shroud," which is by his count part 18 of a series. Here already, is the Table of Contents.

Stephen makes the point that the Shroud of Turin with major bloodstains is consistent with the Gospel accounts of the crucifixion of Jesus.

I’m looking forward to these next twenty-one postings as they unfold.

THE SHROUD OF TURIN
3. THE BIBLE AND THE SHROUD
© Stephen E. Jones

Introduction
The man on the Shroud
He was scourged
He was beaten about the head
He was crowned with thorns
He carried his cross
He fell
He was nailed to a cross
He died on the cross
His face was covered with a small cloth
His legs were not broken
He was speared in the side
He was buried in tomb
His body was washed
His body was anointed with spices
He was enfolded in a linen shroud
His body did not decompose
His body was resurrected!
Objections
Alternatives
Conclusion

The proposed List of Contents indicates that Mr Jones’ focus will be on the Passion narrative, so that it would therefore seem that a forensic type approach is envisaged. He might like to look a little further into the Apostolic and post-Apostolic church biblical texts to see if there might be some other indications as well. An obvious one is that he will have to deal with the description of the cloths found in the tomb. Mr Hamon has from time to time mentioned a few other more obscure indications. Are there suggestions or secret indications of the Shroud in various obscure references to linen, apparel and so on? Why did Mary Magdalen mistake the resurrected Christ for the gardener – was it because he wore a himation like a gardener, in reality the Shroud? What is behind the vision of the large cloth that Peter sees descending from heaven – is this an obscure reference to it? There are further suggestions or hints in some Revelations’ texts – the horseman named Faithful and True riding into battle and yet his cloak is already soaked in blood; there are saints dressed in fine white linen, and so on. The gospel accounts were of course written well after the events they describe, but other possible references might be found in some of the other narrative sections. There is an obvious problem of unavoidable speculation in these references, and they can only be inferred from interpretation. They might not appeal to Mr Jones’ preference for an evangelical interpretation of the texts, and he might have to acknowledge an underlying ‘disciplina arcani’ to get at them. It also tends to be a fairly specialized field with which he might have some difficulty. However he has written on such issues as ‘coins on eyes’ and commented on pareidolia. He may like to consider whether there might be obscure references to the Shroud in some of the biblical texts apart from the specific Passion narrative.

One thought on “Stephen Jones Starting New Section”

daveb of wellington nz says:

June 12, 2013 at 5:12 pm

The proposed List of Contents indicates that Mr Jones’ focus will be on the Passion narrative, so that it would therefore seem that a forensic type approach is envisaged. He might like to look a little further into the Apostolic and post-Apostolic church biblical texts to see if there might be some other indications as well. An obvious one is that he will have to deal with the description of the cloths found in the tomb. Mr Hamon has from time to time mentioned a few other more obscure indications. Are there suggestions or secret indications of the Shroud in various obscure references to linen, apparel and so on? Why did Mary Magdalen mistake the resurrected Christ for the gardener – was it because he wore a himation like a gardener, in reality the Shroud? What is behind the vision of the large cloth that Peter sees descending from heaven – is this an obscure reference to it? There are further suggestions or hints in some Revelations’ texts – the horseman named Faithful and True riding into battle and yet his cloak is already soaked in blood; there are saints dressed in fine white linen, and so on. The gospel accounts were of course written well after the events they describe, but other possible references might be found in some of the other narrative sections. There is an obvious problem of unavoidable speculation in these references, and they can only be inferred from interpretation. They might not appeal to Mr Jones’ preference for an evangelical interpretation of the texts, and he might have to acknowledge an underlying ‘disciplina arcani’ to get at them. It also tends to be a fairly specialized field with which he might have some difficulty. However he has written on such issues as ‘coins on eyes’ and commented on pareidolia. He may like to consider whether there might be obscure references to the Shroud in some of the biblical texts apart from the specific Passion narrative.

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