The Origin of the Shroud of Turin from the Near East as Evidenced by Plant Images
Avinoam Danin
Department of Evolution, Systematics, and Ecology
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Jerusalem, Israel
Introduction: The Shroud of Turin, the traditional burial cloth of Jesus of Nazareth, has been kept in the city of Turin (Torino), Italy, since 1578. It is made of fine linen 4.35 m long by 1.1 m wide, bearing the full-length front and back images of a crucified man and many other less-conspicuous images.
Methods: Photographs of the Shroud taken in 1898, 1935, and 1978 were studied for the images seen on them. They were compared to plant images known in the Near East. Direct verification of the findings was carried out in 2000 during a special conference in Turin.
Results: a. Geographical. Among hundreds of plant images discovered, those of three species were used as geographical indicators. The boundaries of the distribution areas of Zygophyllum dumosum, Gundelia tournefortii, and Cistus creticus overlap among Jerusalem and Hebron.
b. Chronological. An assemblage of eight species clearly observed on the Shroud bloom in the Spring months of March-April. A comparison of blood-stain morphology on the Shroud and on the Sudarium of Oviedo, Spain led my colleagues to conclude that both linen were used to enshroud the same man. The Sudarium and therefore the Shroud of Turin existed already in the 8th century.
C. Natural preservatives. Images of hundreds of fruits of 2-3 species of Pistacia were discovered on the Shroud. It is assumed that they were added as "burial spices" and need further investigations.
Conclusions: Plants inserted between the linen and the enshrouded crucified man, indicate that the event took place in the Spring months March-April, at the vicinity of Jerusalem before the 8th century.
CURRICULUM
VITAE
Prof. Avinoam Danin
1.
Personal
[אד1]13. Jan. 1939 - Born in Haifa, Israel.
Citizenship - Israeli
Identity Number - 00804289/01
Home address - 11 Beth Hakerem street, Jerusalem 96343
Married with 4 children
Military service - 1956-59
Permanent address - 11 Bet Hakerem street, Jerusalem 96343, Israel
Telephone (Home) - 972-2-6520471; (Office) - 972-2-6584319
E-Mail - DANIN@VMS.HUJI.AC.IL
2. Higher education
1962 - B.Sc. in Biology - The Hebrew University, Jerusalem.
1964 - M.Sc. in Botany. Thesis: "Vegetation of the Neogene sandy areas of the Northern Negev". The Hebrew University, Jerusalem.
1970 - Ph.D. thesis: "A phytosociological-ecological study of the Northern Negev of Israel". The Hebrew University, Jerusalem.
3.
Academic positions at the University
1967-69 - Assistant, Dept. Botany, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem.
1967-82 - Research of plant communities and taxonomy of Sinai, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem..
1969-71 - Instructor, Dept. Botany, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem.
1973-79 - Lecturer, Dept. Botany, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem.
1979-88 - Senior lecturer Dept. Botany, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem
1988-92 Associate Professor, Dept. Botany, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem
1986-1997
and on - Member of the scientific committee of the Botanical Gardens, The Hebrew
University, Jerusalem
1988-1993 Scientific director of the Botanical Garden at Mount Scopus.
1988-1990 Chairman of the teaching program of the Department of Botany.
1992-2006 - Associate Professor, Dept. Evolution, Systematics & Ecology, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem.
4.
Academic and other professional activities out of the University
1971 > - Member in the Governmental Names Committee (deals with geographical and settlement names of Israel.
1979 > - Regional advisor to "OPTIMA" on the flora of Israel, Jordan, and Sinai.
1985 - Member of the organizing committee of the Symposia on Plant Life in SW Asia.
1989- 2005 Member of the committee for teaching program of Eretz Israel studies in highschools
1993 - Member, the committee of the Israel Academy for the Hebrew Language for plant names
1994 - Member, the scientific committee of the Nature Conservancy Authorities of Israel .
1998 - Coordiunator of the Jerusalem Center for the Euro+Med. PlantBase project.
1999 - Member of the committee for The Science Teaching Center
2001-2 – Member of the publication committee of Yad Ben-Zvi
2002 –5 - Member of the scientific committee of Yad Ben-Zvi