What do you think?
Rate this book
The Shroud
Two decades after radiocarbon dating declared the Turin Shroud a medieval fake, brand-new historical discoveries strongly suggest that this famous cloth, with its extraordinary photographic imprint, is genuinely Christ's shroud after all. In 1978 in his international bestseller "The Turin Shroud", Ian Wilson ignited worldwide public debate with his compelling case endorsing the shroud's authenticity. Now, 30 years later, he has completely rewritten and updated his earlier book to provide fresh evidence to support his original argument. Shroud boldly challenges the current post-radiocarbon dating view - that it is a fake. By arguing his case brilliantly and provocatively, Ian Wilson once more throws the matter into the public arena for further debate and controversy.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2010
86 people are currently reading
135 people want to read
About the author
Ian Wilson
239 books27 followersAuthor of historical and religious books. He was born in Clapham, south London, but now lives in Brisbane, Australia, with his wife, Judith and their two sons, Adrian and Noel.
Wilson is most well known for his research on the Shroud of Turin.
Wilson is most well known for his research on the Shroud of Turin.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
November 12, 2013
It was the late 1970s. There was a newspaper on the kitchen table. I gave its Shroud article a quick glance. I thought, even in that brief newspaper treatment, that I'd immediately discover the fact that proved the Shroud of Turin to be a moldy, embarrassing relic of a bygone era, the Catholic version of Bigfoot.
The newspaper article let me down. It introduced facts that boggled my mind. The Shroud of Turin can be described as a photographic negative. How did someone in the Middle Ages create a photograph? More importantly, why?
Teams of scientists from disciplines I'd never heard of were subjecting the Shroud to tests I had also never heard of, and they were not triumphant in denouncing an obvious fake; rather, they were in awe.
After much reading, writing, asking questions, and a lengthy conversation with STURP photographer and online archivist Barrie Schwortz, I am now 97% certain that the Shroud is authentic. We may all be missing something, but given the amount of research that's been done on the Shroud, I think there's only a three percent chance that it is a fake.
Ian Wilson's book "The Shroud: Fresh Light on the 2000 Year Old Mystery" is one of the sources of data that have convinced me. If you are at all interested in the Shroud of Turin, you must have this book. It's a one-volume encyclopedia.
"The Shroud" is a fascinating book by any measure. The Shroud of Turin has been rigorously tested by scholars in a wide array of disciplines; Wilson's book reflects that scholarship, traveling throughout time, space, and multiple ultra-modern laboratories, darkrooms, museums, archives, remote monasteries, obscure archives, hushed but impassioned clerical offices, and politically yeasty university campuses.
Readers learn about radiocarbon dating, identification of marble from Jerusalem, the Crusades, the Knights Templar, and ancient v. medieval textile fashions and manufacture. Readers visit a land that time has forgotten: the ancient, Christian Middle East. Indeed, Egypt, Iraq, and Turkey were once devoutly Christian. Caliph Muawiya, an immensely important figure in early Islam, actually had his hands on the Shroud of Turin, and is responsible for damage to it. The book touches on Islamic - Christian conflict occurring in the present day. One of Wilson's pieces of evidence was an ancient mural in a Macedonian monastery. The mural was destroyed by Albanian Muslims in a series of vicious desecrations extending from 2001-2002.
Wilson has an eye for the gem-like anecdote; you read of a wedding that took place as the bride's brother died in the next room; he received a fatal jousting injury while entertaining the crowds before the ceremony. Another aristocrat died of drinking cold wine after a hot hunt. Reading this book was an addictive pleasure and an intellectual adventure.
A measure of the rigor that Wilson and other Shroud proponents exercise is Wilson's treatment of new claims by Barbara Frale. As Wilson's book was going to press, Frale claimed that she alone had access to a document that could strengthen the link between the Shroud and the Knights Templar. Wilson included her claims in his book, with a proviso that he had not seen her evidence. After he did so, he assessed that evidence as unconvincing, and he said as much in a carefully worded publication on Barrie Schwortz's site.
This scholarly scrupulosity is, alas, not reflected on the side of Shroud detractors, as Wilson makes clear. The denunciation of the Shroud as fake after the 1988 radiocarbon dating was decidedly not scholarly. No other artifact would have been treated in a similar manner. Case in point: radiocarbon dating mistook the date on the linen wrappings of a mummified ibis by 550 years. No one jumped up and claimed that the date on the ibis was wrong; rather, they understood that radiocarbon dating made a mistake. The Shroud was not treated in a similar manner because militant atheists with an agenda masquerading as neutral scientists so desperately wanted to discredit the Shroud. They failed, and their failure is exposed in Wilson's chapter on the fiasco of the radiocarbon dating.
Wilson works through a massive amount of data. This is the kind of book that makes you grateful for the existence of the internet. You will want to read this book with Barrie Schwortz's Shroud website your constant companion. There you can find the full texts of the peer-reviewed articles Wilson cites.
The evidence Wilson works through includes the following: Mechthild Flury-Lemberg, a textile expert, attests that the Shroud is consistent with the size, quality, and stitching technique of the ancient world, not of the Middle Ages. Swiss criminologist Max Frei found Middle Eastern pollen on the Shroud. Physicians and other observers familiar with anatomy, going back centuries, attest to the Shroud's accurate depiction of Roman flagellation and crucifixion. Sampling of the foot area of the shroud image showed the presence of travertine aragonite, a form of marble typical of Jerusalem. There is more.
Wilson then walks the reader through a detailed, proposed history of the Shroud lasting two thousand years. Wilson makes a very strong case that what we today call the Turin Shroud was once known to history as the Image of Edessa. He argues that the notorious and shameful sack of Constantinople in 1204 by wayward Crusaders was the event that transferred the Image of Edessa, in Turkey, to Western Europe.
The Knights Templar, Wilson reports, were known throughout Europe for their banking and their fortresses. They were very good at storing valuables and secrets. The Knights Templar became too powerful and they were interrogated, tortured, and purged. The last Templars were burned at the stake. The victims included Geoffrey de Charny. The first man in recorded history to display what we now call the Shroud of Turin was another man named Geoffrey de Charny. There may be some connection, Wilson argues.
Thomas de Wesselow is a non-believer. His book "The Sign: The Shroud of Turin and the Secret of the Resurrection" pushed me very close to believing in the authenticity of the Shroud. De Wesselow's treatment of the blood stains on the Shroud is masterful. Wilson's book sealed the deal, for me. Read it. I really cannot imagine any intelligent person not being fascinated by this book, and awed by its implications.
The newspaper article let me down. It introduced facts that boggled my mind. The Shroud of Turin can be described as a photographic negative. How did someone in the Middle Ages create a photograph? More importantly, why?
Teams of scientists from disciplines I'd never heard of were subjecting the Shroud to tests I had also never heard of, and they were not triumphant in denouncing an obvious fake; rather, they were in awe.
After much reading, writing, asking questions, and a lengthy conversation with STURP photographer and online archivist Barrie Schwortz, I am now 97% certain that the Shroud is authentic. We may all be missing something, but given the amount of research that's been done on the Shroud, I think there's only a three percent chance that it is a fake.
Ian Wilson's book "The Shroud: Fresh Light on the 2000 Year Old Mystery" is one of the sources of data that have convinced me. If you are at all interested in the Shroud of Turin, you must have this book. It's a one-volume encyclopedia.
"The Shroud" is a fascinating book by any measure. The Shroud of Turin has been rigorously tested by scholars in a wide array of disciplines; Wilson's book reflects that scholarship, traveling throughout time, space, and multiple ultra-modern laboratories, darkrooms, museums, archives, remote monasteries, obscure archives, hushed but impassioned clerical offices, and politically yeasty university campuses.
Readers learn about radiocarbon dating, identification of marble from Jerusalem, the Crusades, the Knights Templar, and ancient v. medieval textile fashions and manufacture. Readers visit a land that time has forgotten: the ancient, Christian Middle East. Indeed, Egypt, Iraq, and Turkey were once devoutly Christian. Caliph Muawiya, an immensely important figure in early Islam, actually had his hands on the Shroud of Turin, and is responsible for damage to it. The book touches on Islamic - Christian conflict occurring in the present day. One of Wilson's pieces of evidence was an ancient mural in a Macedonian monastery. The mural was destroyed by Albanian Muslims in a series of vicious desecrations extending from 2001-2002.
Wilson has an eye for the gem-like anecdote; you read of a wedding that took place as the bride's brother died in the next room; he received a fatal jousting injury while entertaining the crowds before the ceremony. Another aristocrat died of drinking cold wine after a hot hunt. Reading this book was an addictive pleasure and an intellectual adventure.
A measure of the rigor that Wilson and other Shroud proponents exercise is Wilson's treatment of new claims by Barbara Frale. As Wilson's book was going to press, Frale claimed that she alone had access to a document that could strengthen the link between the Shroud and the Knights Templar. Wilson included her claims in his book, with a proviso that he had not seen her evidence. After he did so, he assessed that evidence as unconvincing, and he said as much in a carefully worded publication on Barrie Schwortz's site.
This scholarly scrupulosity is, alas, not reflected on the side of Shroud detractors, as Wilson makes clear. The denunciation of the Shroud as fake after the 1988 radiocarbon dating was decidedly not scholarly. No other artifact would have been treated in a similar manner. Case in point: radiocarbon dating mistook the date on the linen wrappings of a mummified ibis by 550 years. No one jumped up and claimed that the date on the ibis was wrong; rather, they understood that radiocarbon dating made a mistake. The Shroud was not treated in a similar manner because militant atheists with an agenda masquerading as neutral scientists so desperately wanted to discredit the Shroud. They failed, and their failure is exposed in Wilson's chapter on the fiasco of the radiocarbon dating.
Wilson works through a massive amount of data. This is the kind of book that makes you grateful for the existence of the internet. You will want to read this book with Barrie Schwortz's Shroud website your constant companion. There you can find the full texts of the peer-reviewed articles Wilson cites.
The evidence Wilson works through includes the following: Mechthild Flury-Lemberg, a textile expert, attests that the Shroud is consistent with the size, quality, and stitching technique of the ancient world, not of the Middle Ages. Swiss criminologist Max Frei found Middle Eastern pollen on the Shroud. Physicians and other observers familiar with anatomy, going back centuries, attest to the Shroud's accurate depiction of Roman flagellation and crucifixion. Sampling of the foot area of the shroud image showed the presence of travertine aragonite, a form of marble typical of Jerusalem. There is more.
Wilson then walks the reader through a detailed, proposed history of the Shroud lasting two thousand years. Wilson makes a very strong case that what we today call the Turin Shroud was once known to history as the Image of Edessa. He argues that the notorious and shameful sack of Constantinople in 1204 by wayward Crusaders was the event that transferred the Image of Edessa, in Turkey, to Western Europe.
The Knights Templar, Wilson reports, were known throughout Europe for their banking and their fortresses. They were very good at storing valuables and secrets. The Knights Templar became too powerful and they were interrogated, tortured, and purged. The last Templars were burned at the stake. The victims included Geoffrey de Charny. The first man in recorded history to display what we now call the Shroud of Turin was another man named Geoffrey de Charny. There may be some connection, Wilson argues.
Thomas de Wesselow is a non-believer. His book "The Sign: The Shroud of Turin and the Secret of the Resurrection" pushed me very close to believing in the authenticity of the Shroud. De Wesselow's treatment of the blood stains on the Shroud is masterful. Wilson's book sealed the deal, for me. Read it. I really cannot imagine any intelligent person not being fascinated by this book, and awed by its implications.
January 21, 2011
The Turin Shroud. Fact or fake? Ian Wilson's 'The Shroud' claims the 2000 year old mystery solved. Published 2010, this work updates Wilson's 'The Turin Shroud', published 1978.
(Firstly, I've always been on the side of this historical artifact being the genuine article, even since the 1988 radiocarbon tests declared an age of between 1260 and 1390, but have never been too deeply aquainted with the facts\provenance of the Shroud as well as the Sudarium of Oviedo.)
Wilson's Shroud journey is judiciously traced over the past two thousand years. From Jerusalem 30ad, from where the disciple Addai (Thaddaeus) takes it to Abgar V, King of Edessa. (Modern day Sanliurfa, Turkey.) Where for the next nine centuries it is known as the Image of Edessa, and inspires mosaics, frescoes and iconography. In the tenth century the 'Image' is removed from Edessa by the Byzantine emperor Romanus and taken to Constantinople to become a sacred relic of the Eastern Orthodox church. It vanishes after the sack of Constantinople during the fourth crusade in 1204. It is now the secret property of the Knights Templar, reputed to be 'the head' that is part of the Order's sacred ceremony. After French King Phillip's dawn swoops on the Templars of Friday 13th October 1307, the Shroud turns up again some forty years later as the property of a Geoffrey de Charney, in Lirey, France. From here, the Shroud is firmly on record and in time passes into ownership of the Dukes of Savoy, to eventually reside in it's present home of Turin. It only became the property of the Roman Catholic church in 1983.
Incredible though this journey is, even more amazing is the cloths survival at all. It has endured flood and earthquake, a Muslim trial by fire, from where the poker holes originate. It narrowly escapes fire at it's home of Chambery in 1532, and a probable arson attack in Turin in 1997.
The work is not another holy grail hunt of the tabloid variety. Wilson has written a most level headed appraisal of this relic, of which he has spent decades in research, along with a sound judgment of the late twentieth century scientific analysis.
Mark Guscin states that the blood on the Oviedo cloth is group AB which matches the blood group on the shroud. Ian Wilson makes no mention of this, except to say that DNA tests have shown the blood to be from a human male.
What happened on that 'third' day, or how the image came to be imprinted on the cloth is for other folk to pursue, as history is concerned, the figure wrapped in the shroud was dead, and the cause of that death was crucifiction.
(Firstly, I've always been on the side of this historical artifact being the genuine article, even since the 1988 radiocarbon tests declared an age of between 1260 and 1390, but have never been too deeply aquainted with the facts\provenance of the Shroud as well as the Sudarium of Oviedo.)
Wilson's Shroud journey is judiciously traced over the past two thousand years. From Jerusalem 30ad, from where the disciple Addai (Thaddaeus) takes it to Abgar V, King of Edessa. (Modern day Sanliurfa, Turkey.) Where for the next nine centuries it is known as the Image of Edessa, and inspires mosaics, frescoes and iconography. In the tenth century the 'Image' is removed from Edessa by the Byzantine emperor Romanus and taken to Constantinople to become a sacred relic of the Eastern Orthodox church. It vanishes after the sack of Constantinople during the fourth crusade in 1204. It is now the secret property of the Knights Templar, reputed to be 'the head' that is part of the Order's sacred ceremony. After French King Phillip's dawn swoops on the Templars of Friday 13th October 1307, the Shroud turns up again some forty years later as the property of a Geoffrey de Charney, in Lirey, France. From here, the Shroud is firmly on record and in time passes into ownership of the Dukes of Savoy, to eventually reside in it's present home of Turin. It only became the property of the Roman Catholic church in 1983.
Incredible though this journey is, even more amazing is the cloths survival at all. It has endured flood and earthquake, a Muslim trial by fire, from where the poker holes originate. It narrowly escapes fire at it's home of Chambery in 1532, and a probable arson attack in Turin in 1997.
The work is not another holy grail hunt of the tabloid variety. Wilson has written a most level headed appraisal of this relic, of which he has spent decades in research, along with a sound judgment of the late twentieth century scientific analysis.
Mark Guscin states that the blood on the Oviedo cloth is group AB which matches the blood group on the shroud. Ian Wilson makes no mention of this, except to say that DNA tests have shown the blood to be from a human male.
What happened on that 'third' day, or how the image came to be imprinted on the cloth is for other folk to pursue, as history is concerned, the figure wrapped in the shroud was dead, and the cause of that death was crucifiction.
September 27, 2015
I am giving this book 4 stars because of the vast research and conclusions presented by the author, Ian Wilson. I had the great opportunity to view the Shroud in Turin this past June, 2015. Wilson's book presents a good history of what could possibly have been the movements of the Shroud throughout history, from 30 A.D. until the previous showing in 2010. He believes that the Image of Edessa, which he has been able to research through historical documents, writings and art, and the Shroud are one in the same. I particularly appreciated the photos and figures, along with the well documented chronology of the Shroud and agree that it is a possibility that he is correct. During the showing in 2015 a conference was held in Turin where evidence was submitted disputing some of Wilson's findings along with other topics of discussions and possibilities for the history of the Shroud. Nevertheless, the big question is whether or not the Shroud is real. Well all I can say is that when I stood before it I was truly moved to tears. The face on the shroud is amazing and actually looks into your soul. Viewing the Shroud commands a presence of reverence and awe. As Pope Francis commented after his viewing, even if we don't believe it is real it still "draws us to love." I am eager to read some of the documentation from the 2015 conference, but highly recommend this book as a well documented possibility of what happened to the Shroud. However, I believe the Shroud will be a subject of great discussion and study for years to come. Perhaps that is the way it is meant to be.....
November 15, 2012
This was well written. Ian Wilson comes down on the side that the Shroud is really the burial cloth of Christ but he offers convincing and scholarly reasons why. He does this in a very readable style without being preachy.
One problem he tackles very successfully is the Carbon Dating which, "proved" the shroud was a fake. It turns out, there is reason to doubt the findings of the Carbon dating.
Do I think the Shroud is really the burial Cloth of Christ? It wouldn't surprise me but I don't need the Shroud to convince of Christ's Resurrection.
One problem he tackles very successfully is the Carbon Dating which, "proved" the shroud was a fake. It turns out, there is reason to doubt the findings of the Carbon dating.
Do I think the Shroud is really the burial Cloth of Christ? It wouldn't surprise me but I don't need the Shroud to convince of Christ's Resurrection.
December 16, 2014
The author examines the history of the Shroud of Turin while is believed to be the burial cloth of Jesus Christ. He spent forty years researching the subject and examines both scientific and faith based evidence. The book is well written and worth the read whether you believe or not if read with an open mind. There are also numerous illustrations and photographs.
May 3, 2012
I liked it. Yes, he is a booster for the authenticity of the cloth known as The shroud of Turin, but I thought he did a good job of presenting the various threads of evidence and letting you decide for yourself.
July 21, 2025
Well-researched and well-written.
The time required to read and understand this book is worthwhile.
However, the details in the historical timeline here are simply conjecture and not convincing.
By comparison, the dateline for the New Testament context:
Pauline Letters: ca. 45 to 65 A.D.
Synoptic Gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke: ca. 60 to 100 A.D.
Gospel of John: ca. 90 to 110 A.D.
Book of Acts: ca. 75 to 100 A.D.
Gnostic Gospels: ca. 100 A.D. to 300 A.D.
Flavius Josephus, Jewish-Roman historian: 35 A.D to ca. 101 A.D.
1) A burial shroud is mentioned only in the Gospel accounts.
2) The Pauline letters, written BEFORE the Gospels, have NO reference to the Shroud.
The first / earliest New Testament report on the resurrection is I Corinthians 15 (ca. 45 A.D.).
There is NO mention of the Shroud and NO mention of an empty tomb.
Also, I Cor. 15: 44 speaks only of a spiritual body in the resurrection.
3) The book of Acts, written AFTER the fall of Jerusalem (70 A.D.), has NO reference to the Shroud circulating in the earliest Christian communities.
Why is there NO mention of the Shroud in the Pauline epistles?
Why is there NO mention of the Shroud in the book of Acts?
Why do the Gospels make NO mention of the imprint or outline of Jesus' body on the Shroud?
Why do the Gnostic Gospels, written later, make NO mention of the Shroud?
The 1st century historian Josephus mentions Jesus, John the Baptist, James, and the early Christian community. Why does he make NO mention of the Shroud?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 7, 2024
[5 Jan 2019] Not a natural subject for me, but like a lot of people I had heard of the Shroud (who hasn't?) and never really given it any serious thought. I had no preconceived ideas - one way or the other - and truly had a relatively open mind. So it was somewhat of a shock that this easy to read, well written book proved so immersing and enjoyable. Wilson certainly knows his subject and although declares himself objective you do start to think that someone who has spent so much of his life and expended so much hard work on it was either set on proving the Shroud as a Holy Relic or ensuring it should be declared a fake. The more you read the clearer it becomes which camp Wilson is in.
He presents the evidence piece-by-piece in a strict chronological order. It is meticulously and expansively researched and expertly referenced. Speculation is labeled as such. It is well illustrated and you are left with a very clear understanding of the history of the Shroud. The book title 'the mystery of the shroud solved' is slightly misleading as there are two major gaps in our knowledge that have not been resolved. Whether the Image of Edessa and the Shroud of Turin are the same cannot be 100% certain (even today) and the radio-carbon dating evidence of the 1980s that suggested it was a medieval fake, although it can be legitimately challenged, still stands.
The book takes a factual scientific approach and is very illuminating and incredibly interesting. However - to some extent - the central theory that the Shroud is a piece of linen, which was wrapped around the dead-body of Jesus Christ for three-days and that this contact somehow left his image on it is not explained. The other issue of 'Christian faith' which to some extent does not rely on science is also not explored.
A wonderful factual book based on meticulous research, but whether you think the author achieves the premise of solving the mystery will depend on whether you believe there is a mystery to be solved. If you want to have the information presented in a clear logical way on which to reach your own conclusion then this is the book for you.
He presents the evidence piece-by-piece in a strict chronological order. It is meticulously and expansively researched and expertly referenced. Speculation is labeled as such. It is well illustrated and you are left with a very clear understanding of the history of the Shroud. The book title 'the mystery of the shroud solved' is slightly misleading as there are two major gaps in our knowledge that have not been resolved. Whether the Image of Edessa and the Shroud of Turin are the same cannot be 100% certain (even today) and the radio-carbon dating evidence of the 1980s that suggested it was a medieval fake, although it can be legitimately challenged, still stands.
The book takes a factual scientific approach and is very illuminating and incredibly interesting. However - to some extent - the central theory that the Shroud is a piece of linen, which was wrapped around the dead-body of Jesus Christ for three-days and that this contact somehow left his image on it is not explained. The other issue of 'Christian faith' which to some extent does not rely on science is also not explored.
A wonderful factual book based on meticulous research, but whether you think the author achieves the premise of solving the mystery will depend on whether you believe there is a mystery to be solved. If you want to have the information presented in a clear logical way on which to reach your own conclusion then this is the book for you.
January 3, 2025
Is it? Is the long linen cloth held at Turin Cathedral the actual burial shroud that his grieving followers wrapped Jesus’s body with after his crucifixion?
That’s what this book sets out to answer and, basically, its answer is, “Yes, it is.”
For myself, I think the case is both weaker and stronger than the one Ian Wilson presents. It’s weaker historically: it’s very hard to get from the Shroud’s first verifiable appearance in the historical record, in 1355 in the unlikely setting of Lirey, a village in France, to the original shroud via its presumed preservation after the Resurrection, through centuries of Roman persecution, then to Constantinople as a holy relic and then a long hiatus after the Sack of Constantinople in 1203 before its eventual reappearance in France.
However, the case is stronger for the image itself. None of the proposed techniques for producing an image like the Shroud come close to the image itself. There were no artists at the time capable of producing an image of this nature. And no contemporary forger would have put the nails through the wrists, for all crucifixion scenes of the time assumed that Jesus had been nailed through the hands, not the wrists.
So the Shroud remains a mystery. If it is a forgery, then it’s forgery would be almost as miraculous as if the Shroud were, indeed, the burial cloth of Jesus. If it’s genuine, then… Everything changes.
That’s what this book sets out to answer and, basically, its answer is, “Yes, it is.”
For myself, I think the case is both weaker and stronger than the one Ian Wilson presents. It’s weaker historically: it’s very hard to get from the Shroud’s first verifiable appearance in the historical record, in 1355 in the unlikely setting of Lirey, a village in France, to the original shroud via its presumed preservation after the Resurrection, through centuries of Roman persecution, then to Constantinople as a holy relic and then a long hiatus after the Sack of Constantinople in 1203 before its eventual reappearance in France.
However, the case is stronger for the image itself. None of the proposed techniques for producing an image like the Shroud come close to the image itself. There were no artists at the time capable of producing an image of this nature. And no contemporary forger would have put the nails through the wrists, for all crucifixion scenes of the time assumed that Jesus had been nailed through the hands, not the wrists.
So the Shroud remains a mystery. If it is a forgery, then it’s forgery would be almost as miraculous as if the Shroud were, indeed, the burial cloth of Jesus. If it’s genuine, then… Everything changes.
June 14, 2017
Ian Wilson has done it again! When I first read his, what became the Bible, The Turin Shroud back in 1978 I was but a kid interested in Ancient Mysteries. Now with this update he has brought some new and relevant information to the forefront. He has made the connection of the Shroud of Turin and the Image of Edessa much more plausible. He with some new documents that were found recently more pieces have now been added to the connection to the ancient trading city and pathway for Christianity. While it still does not close the gap for sure to tie the two artifacts together, it makes a better theory for it and does get us that much closer to absolute proof, as in the years after De Charney's showing of the Shroud. Also mentioned is some of the modern updated information about the carbon dating and cloth weaving which has also come to light in the last decade. Anyone that follows the Shroud also has Ian Wilson's books as their go to books on the subject. This is yet another in the line of must haves on the Shroud. What I like most is that the information is presented in a unbiased manner and you can decide yourself where to go from there. To many times the books are heavy biased for or against the Shroud because of the authors beliefs on the subject. That is what makes Wilson's books refreshing
August 11, 2023
From goodreads introduction. I could not say it better........
"Two decades after radiocarbon dating declared the Turin Shroud a mediaeval fake, brand-new historical discoveries strongly suggest that this famous cloth, with its extraordinary photographic imprint, is genuinely Christ's shroud after all. In 1978 in his international bestseller The Turin Shroud Ian Wilson ignited worldwide public debate with his compelling case endorsing the shroud's authenticity. Now, 30 years later, he has completely rewritten and updated his earlier book to provide fresh evidence to support his original argument. Shroud boldly challenges the current post-radiocarbon dating view - that it is a fake. By arguing his case brilliantly and provocatively, Ian Wilson once more throws the matter into the public arena for further debate and controversy."
I am a firm believer in Jesus and the resurrection, I have never needed the Shroud, or really believed in it. This book leaves me in little doubt that the cloth is genuine...
"Two decades after radiocarbon dating declared the Turin Shroud a mediaeval fake, brand-new historical discoveries strongly suggest that this famous cloth, with its extraordinary photographic imprint, is genuinely Christ's shroud after all. In 1978 in his international bestseller The Turin Shroud Ian Wilson ignited worldwide public debate with his compelling case endorsing the shroud's authenticity. Now, 30 years later, he has completely rewritten and updated his earlier book to provide fresh evidence to support his original argument. Shroud boldly challenges the current post-radiocarbon dating view - that it is a fake. By arguing his case brilliantly and provocatively, Ian Wilson once more throws the matter into the public arena for further debate and controversy."
I am a firm believer in Jesus and the resurrection, I have never needed the Shroud, or really believed in it. This book leaves me in little doubt that the cloth is genuine...
May 10, 2018
If a book gets five stars from me, then it really made an impression. Wilson's book is great. I picked it up off a bookshelf in 2010 after seeing a documentary in my teens about the Shroud of Turin which intrigued me. The book delves into not only what we know about this mysterious relic, but also its most likely path since the first century. Wilson examines the debacle of the 1988 carbon dating episode which rendered it a medieval forgery. Wilson argues for its authenticity based on evidence predating its carbon dating. It eventually got me to Italy in 2015 to see the cloth for myself. I'm not sure about the e-book version, but the print version has some very high quality color plates available to help the reader navigate aspects of Wilson's research. Well worth the price, time and effort. Judge for yourself!
May 6, 2022
Great Resource!
Engaging and well researched. Everything you ever wanted to know about the shroud , and more. The section on the Knights Templar connection was especially well done. I highly recommend.
Engaging and well researched. Everything you ever wanted to know about the shroud , and more. The section on the Knights Templar connection was especially well done. I highly recommend.
September 26, 2022
Scientific spirituality; the manifestation of the supernatural in the natural world: the author spells it out. Imo anyone with an open mind could not now doubt the gospels in the face of this evidence.
December 12, 2022
beautiful new material. Hugely important for our understanding of the Universe.
I would recommend this book to someone who has not thought much about what the purpose of the Universe is.
I would recommend this book to someone who has not thought much about what the purpose of the Universe is.
January 19, 2025
I’m convinced
…not that proof is required for the faithful. However, this book outlines a compelling case for the Shroud being the genuine article. Gripping from start to finish , a fascinating book.
…not that proof is required for the faithful. However, this book outlines a compelling case for the Shroud being the genuine article. Gripping from start to finish , a fascinating book.
December 31, 2019
A great account of a very long history.
February 9, 2025
brilliant
Such a fascinating read and so full of detail. Incredible - so well researched and put together. Amazing. Well worth reading
Such a fascinating read and so full of detail. Incredible - so well researched and put together. Amazing. Well worth reading
July 26, 2016
Utterly fascinating, especially when connected to the potential 'second witness': The Sudarium of Oviedo
https://www.shroud.com/guscin.htm
The opening chapters of the book were my favorite, as The Shroud was put through the rigors of our 21st century forensic process by recognized authorities in archaeology, anthropology, botany, textiles, visual art, and the justice system, producing some remarkable results (or miraculous coincidences for skeptics).
The majority of the book spends time attempting to connect the Image of Edessa (from antiquity and the high Middle Ages) to the Shroud of Turin. No small task. Personally, I have my doubts that these are the same, alone because the former is connected to heavy Christian legend. But it is an intriguing theory nonetheless.
https://www.shroud.com/guscin.htm
The opening chapters of the book were my favorite, as The Shroud was put through the rigors of our 21st century forensic process by recognized authorities in archaeology, anthropology, botany, textiles, visual art, and the justice system, producing some remarkable results (or miraculous coincidences for skeptics).
The majority of the book spends time attempting to connect the Image of Edessa (from antiquity and the high Middle Ages) to the Shroud of Turin. No small task. Personally, I have my doubts that these are the same, alone because the former is connected to heavy Christian legend. But it is an intriguing theory nonetheless.
August 28, 2014
This is an outstanding book if you're interested in reading a sober explanation of the shroud. Roughly 2/3 of the book consists of Wilson tracing a possible history of the shroud all the way back to the first century AD. If you're a history buff this will be quite rewarding.
August 19, 2015
BOTNS bingo-recommended by a friend-Interesting look at the history, science, & stories about the Shroud of Turin. Thanks to one of our college student Catholic Worker volunteers for the book recommendation.
January 5, 2014
A good book for skeptics and believers alike. If the Shroud of Turin interests you, Ian Wilson is one of the most learned, the most fair, and the least sensational writers on the subject.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews