Sudarium of Oviedo
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The Sudarium of Oviedo is a bloodstained cloth kept in Oviedo, Spain and claimed to be the cloth that was wrapped around the head of Jesus of Nazareth after he died. The Sudarium is severely soiled and crumpled, with dark flecks that are symmetrically arranged but form no image, unlike the markings on the Shroud of Turin.
The Sudarium and the Shroud took different routes, as confirmed by forensic palynology (whose evidentiary force is however doubted by many scientific critics). The Sudarium was apparently taken from Palestine in 614, was carried through northern Africa in 616, and arrived in Spain shortly thereafter. There is no evidence of its existence before the 7th century, however. Further, it has been dated to the 7th century by the radio carbon method (Baima Bollone (1994), Book of Acts of the 1st International Congress on the Sudarium of Oviedo, 428-429). However, Bollone indicates that the determination is quite unreliable and other indications must be considered as well.
The stains on the Sudarium match those on the head portion of the Shroud, lending strong credence to the theory that they both covered the same man, and the type of fluid in the stains is consistent with crucifixion. The match with the Shroud, however, is based on a polarized image overlay technique, the results of which are regarded by some scientists as subjective and unreliable. The most important physical evidence of of a connection between the two relics is that the material of the cloth is identical, although there are differences in the manner of weaving.
In the work Asarim the Sudarium is described as a Turban. The fact that it was set aside in the tomb when found points out that Jesus had removed it from his head himself and that the tomb had not in fact been robbed at any point in time. It can in fact be seen in the Cathedral of Oviedo, Spain.
See also
External link
- The Sudarium of Oviedo: Its History and Relationship to the Shroud of Turin (http://www.shroud.com/guscin.htm)
- The Sudarium of Oviedo and what it Suggests about the Shroud of Turin (http://www.shroudstory.com/faq-sudarium.htm)
- The Sudarium of Oviedo at Skeptical Spectacle (http://www.skepticalspectacle.com/history04.htm)de:Schweißtuch von Oviedo