Shrouded in Mystery
1 x 52' HD
Over the centuries, many false relics have been considered the Holy Shroud – the burial cloth of Jesus. But the faithful deem the Shroud of Turin authentic.
In 1898, when amateur photographer Secondo Pia developed the images he took of it, he realised that the cloth revealed, in negative, the image of a man's body and face bearing the marks of crucifixion and torture, as Christ endured.
For many believers around the world, the miraculous image, displaying all the characteristics of Christ's Passion and Resurrection, irrefutably proves the relic's legitimacy. But science suggests otherwise. Carbon 14 analysis in 1988 by three laboratories dates the shroud from the late 13th or 14th century, long after the death of Jesus. Defenders of the shroud remain undeterred. They point to the fact that no one can explain how the image became imprinted on the shroud in the first place.
This documentary will investigate both sides of the argument to understand the origin and significance of this relic. Historians, archaeologists and scientists will search for clues in religious texts, official documents and the latest research, hoping to shed light on this most famous of relics.
