To demonstrate that the Sudarium of Oviedo is the companion to the Shroud of Turin, and that both are described in the Gospel of St John, several pieces of evidence might be adduced, and a new book by Cesar Barta does its best with as many as he can. In his remarkably comprehensive assessment of the research, the author, although clearly persuaded of the cloths’ affinity, is too honest not to present all the evidence fairly, with the result that, in spite of some determined manipulation, none of it really stacks up.
So begins a review of a new book, published officially just yesterday (May 26, 2022): The Sudarium of Oviedo: Signs of Jesus Christ’s Death written by César Barta and edited by Giulio Fanti.
The review, Separated at Birth?, is by Hugh Farey. It can be found on The Medieval Shroud blog:
Hugh also writes in the introduction of an amazingly comprehensive and thoughtful review:
Much of the book is dedicated to a forensic determination of exactly what positions a dead man might have been placed in, and for how long, and exactly what configurations the cloth may have taken, and how it was fastened, to itself or to the hair of the head it may have covered, for the various stains, creases and holes to have ended up the way they have; but I will not discuss any of that here. I think it quite likely that the cloth was fastened around somebody’s head, and perhaps the reconstruction is accurate, but that’s a far cry from placing the Sudarium around the head of Jesus. For that, we need evidence of its antiquity, and its location, and to associate it with the Shroud, we need it to match. That’s what I’ll be reviewing below.
He does so nicely!
I’m looking forward to reading the book. It’s pricey, however. It is available on Amazon for $95.05 USD and at Barnes & Noble for $99.95 USD.
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FYI: About the author (from Amazon):
César Barta has developed his professional career in the nuclear and electronic fields. He is a test engineer in space science at IberEspacio, Spain. He devotes his free time to research and dissemination on the Holy Shroud and the Holy Sudarium, having taught courses and attended conferences both in Spain and in other countries in Europe and America. He assiduously collaborates with national and international specialized magazines. He has been involved in Shroud research following its carbon dating in 1988 and is involved in research on the Sudarium of Oviedo as a member of the Centro Español de Sindonología, Spain.
Maybe something got lost in translation. Maybe the entity which we now refer to as the Sudarium, was originally derived from local vernacular.
Might the term “Sudarium” possibly have evolved initially from sceptical viewers by degrees from a condensed form of “Pseudo, er, um, um, um …” ?
Even now, I find myself lost for words whenever the Pseudarium, oops, correction, “Sudarium” crops up in conversation (or internet blogsites!). Mildly deflationary write ups are thus welcome.
Feel free then to keep them coming, especially you top-of-the-heap internet bloggers.
Steady trickles of cold water should not be confined to Oviedo’s street fountains…