Talk:Shroud of Turin/BiblicalRefs

A number of Biblical references may be considered relevant to the Shroud of Turin. These include several passages of scripture related to the burial of Jesus and the general burial practice of the Jews at the time.(All scripture quotes in this section are from the Authorized Version for consistency.)

First, note that in many places in the Bible, spices and ointments are associated with burial. Observe that in and, Jesus had previously had his head and feet anointed with "ointment of spikenard" for "burying", as he said. Note that when king Asa was buried, he was laid in a "bed which was filled with sweet odours and divers kinds of spices prepared by the apothecaries' art" in. When the stone was about to be removed from the grave of Lazarus, his sister Martha commented: "Lord, by this time he stinketh." 

Second, note that there was a critical time factor. There was concern among the Jews that the bodies of those crucified should be taken down before sunset in, and they "besought Pilate that their legs might be broken" to hasten their deaths. This is related to the command of that he that is hanged "shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day".

All four gospels mention that Joseph of Arimathaea obtained permission from Pilate to take the body of Jesus away for burial. ,, , . Matthew called Joseph a "rich man", Mark and Luke call him a "counsellor", and John points out that he was a "disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews". Mark mentions that Pilate consulted with the Centurion, to be certain Jesus was dead, before he delivered the body. Note that Joseph "took him down", according to, and also.

All four gospels use the word "wrapped" or "wound" regarding the preparation for burial. Note in Acts 5:5-6 when Ananias died, that "the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him."

Looking now at the full text of the preparation in each gospel:  Matthew 27:59 And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, [60] And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.  Mark 15:46 And he bought fine linen, and took him down, and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre.  Luke 23:53 And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid.  John 19:38 ¶ And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus. </FONT></BLOCKQUOTE> It is apparent above that only Matthew refers to the wrapping as "a clean linen cloth", while Mark and Luke only say that the material used was linen, without specifying either a single cloth, or multiple clothes, as indicated by John below. Note above that John only observed that Joseph "came" and "took the body of Jesus." While Matthew, Mark and Luke followed Joseph to the nearby sepulchre, John took the former "mother" of Jesus to "his own home", (John 19:26-27) and came to the sepulchre later. Note that Matthew, Mark and Luke point out that certain women went to the sepulchre also, and observed how the body was laid, and Luke informs us they left, intending to come back with spices to complete the burial, since the hurried burial at that point had not included any spices. 

The "critical time" has now come in the narrative - the evening twilight has begun. The countdown on the "three days and three nights in the heart of the earth" has started. (Matthew 12:39-40) The "chief priests and Pharisees" go to Pilate to request the sepulchre be sealed and guarded against anyone tampering with the body for three whole days, since they remembered that Jesus had said, "<U>After</U> three days I will rise again." (Matthew 27:62-66) Meanwhile, Nicodemus came to Joseph in John 19:39 with an hundred pound mixture of myrrh and aloes to complete the burial with proper grave clothes (plural) and spices, in the burial manner of the Jews.

John 19:40 Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.

The sepulchre was made sure, the stone was sealed, and the watch was set. After Jesus was risen "for our justification through faith in his blood", various people came to the open and empty sepulchre. John outran Peter to the sepulchre, and:

<FONT face=Verdana>John 20:5 And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen <U>clothes</U> lying; yet went he not in. [6] Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen <U>clothes</U> lie, [7] And the <U>napkin</U>, that was about his head, not lying with the linen <U>clothes</U>, but wrapped together in a place by itself.

Luke 24:12 Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen <U>clothes</U> laid by <U>themselves</U>, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.</FONT>

And again, at the resurrection of Lazarus, when he came hopping out of the cave, unable to see where he was going, John said: "And he that was dead came forth, <U>bound</U> hand and foot with <U>graveclothes</U>: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go. (John 11:43)

And again, when Jonah's shipmates deep six'd him in the Mediterranean sea, so that they might not perish, he was provided with a separate head covering before he was entombed in the whale's belly:

Jonah 2:5 The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were <U>wrapped about my head</U>.

Jonah was closed round about by the depth. Jesus was enclosed round about by the linen clothes (plural). Jonah had a separate covering of weeds <U>wrapped</U> about his head. Jesus had a separate napkin <U>wrapped</U> about his head. Jonah was wrapped up before he was entombed in the belly of the whale. Jesus was wrapped up before he was sealed in the tomb. Jonah was three days and three nights in the tomb of the whale's belly. Jesus in the sepulchre was three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Conclusion: Plainly, the expedient singular "cloth" to cover Jesus' nakedness for transport to the sepulchre was temporary. More permanent graveclothes, (or what they thought to be permanent,) were provided later with the spices.

Sidenote: As to the question of whether or not the body of Jesus was washed before final burial, none of the gospel writers mention such, but it is evident that Jonah was washed in sea water.


 * But per WP:primary those arguments will still only count as WP:OR unless some well known journal states that. Until that material gets published "post Guttenberg" it can not go into Wikipedia. As is, it is all pre-Guttenberg. Sorry, but I did not make the rules, I just read them. History2007 (talk) 01:30, 15 April 2011 (UTC)