The Shroud of Turin is one of the most studied and controversial artifacts in history. It is also one of the most important in the Catholic Church.
The linen cloth that is said to be the burial garment of Jesus has been revered by many popes—especially in modern times.
In 2010, Pope Benedict XVI spent several minutes praying in front of the Shroud.
And so did Pope Francis in 2015.
Now, new scientific discoveries have been made, confirming that the cloth does date back to the time of Jesus.
The Institute of Crystallography in Italy conducted a new X-ray dating method on a portion of the linen. The results showed the cloth is significantly older than what was found in a dating test conducted in 1988. The new results revealed the Shroud is indeed a 2,000-year-old relic, as believed by Christian tradition.
But this new discovery isn't the only reason why the Shroud is back in the news—it has also inspired a new artificial intelligence image of Jesus. This image, based on the face of Jesus in the Shroud, has gone viral across social media networks and matches traditional depictions.
The Shroud of Turin was first discovered in 1354 and currently resides in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Turin, Italy.
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