DNA and the holy shroud

In 1968, the authenticity of the Holy Shroud of Turin, supposed to have enfolded the body of Christ, was brought into question by being dated to medieval times by carbon 14 testing. Since 1988, this dating has been challenged, particularly during the Symposium of Rome in 1993. Nevertheless, uncertainty persists, and Pope John Paul II recommended that scientific research be continued when the Shroud was exhibited in May, 1998.

A virtually infallible scientific test, already widely used, would settle the question of the Shroud's authenticity if it could be carried out.

This is DNA testing. DNA is the vector of heredity present in the nucleus of every living cell, including blood.

Two gene prints, fragments of DNA, can be compared to unambiguously identify a person, just like fingerprints. In this case, the DNA of the crucified man of the Shroud would have to be compared to that of Christ. If they proved to come from the same person, then the Shroud would be authenticated. But how could such DNA samples be obtained?

There are traces of blood (group AB) on the Shroud, genetic analysis of which was initiated by the late Professor Jérôme Lejeune. DNA from the Shroud is therefore available.

Christ's DNA should be sought in the basilica of Saint-Denis in Argenteuil, where tradition places the Holy Tunic, the seamless tunic worn by Jesus on the way to Calvary. Far less thoroughly studied than the Holy Shroud, its many brown stains have nevertheless been subjected to chemical analysis. They are composed of blood, and a few red globules have even been recovered by immersing a fragment of the cloth in an isotonic saline solution for several days. Blood has impregnated the cloth to the point that the stained areas have become rigid. There is therefore more than enough for an attempt to extract DNA.

The location of the bloodstains, described in a brochure entitled "The Holy Tunic of Argenteuil", to which we referred, comes out in favour of the relic's authenticity. Its author, Hughes de Nanteuil, writes that: "there is (blood) all over the back, and particularly on the shoulder, where there is a stain measuring six inches by six inches (15 cm x 15 cm). This can easily be understood when one considers that someone condemned to crucifixion would have to lean forward to bear the heavy weight of the cross on his right shoulder. The Holy Tunic also has far fewer stains at the front".

The effusion of blood formed by the cross cutting into the shoulder, and gashes caused when the victim fell to the ground are not the only injuries to have stained the Tunic. Smaller haemorrhages were caused by the many wounds to Christ's torso caused by the lead weights of a Roman scourge.

If the DNA on the Holy Tunic and the Holy Shroud were to prove identical, the crucified man of the Shroud would be Jesus of Nazareth. Otherwise, the authenticity of these two relics would be brought into question, and DNA from the Shroud would have to be compared with a more reliable sample of Christ's DNA. However, it may prove extremely difficult to find such a third sample.

Saint Louis had the Sainte-Chapelle built to house relics of the Passion: the Cross, nails, and crown of thorns, of which some fragments remain. Parts of the Cross were in contact with the blood of Christ, and it may be possible to recover traces for analysis from between the wood fibres. These relics are currently in the Notre Dame's cathedral of Paris.

Once again, if the DNA obtained in this way was identical to that from the Shroud, Jesus of Nazareth and the crucified man of the Shroud would be one and the same. The Holy Shroud would thus be proven authentic; it would have enveloped the body of Christ.