The Shroud of Turin ’ s ‘ Blood ’

According to the New Testament’s book of John, Roman soldiers “flogged” Jesus of Nazareth, “twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head,” “struck him in the face,” and, along with two others, “crucified him.” Because the next day was unsuitable for the display of crucified individuals, a request that those crucified have their “legs broken” and their “bodies taken down” was made and granted. (With their legs broken, victims of crucifixion could no longer push up their bodies to inhale, and death by suffocation quickly ensued.) Because the soldie rs found Jesus “already dead” they “did not break his legs,” and one soldier “instead... pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.” John states that the body was “wrapped in strips of linen,” while Luke says “in linen cloth,” Mark writes “linen cloth,” and Matthew states “a clean linen cloth,” though John later speaks of both “strips of linen” and “the burial cloth that had been around Jesus’ head.”