As I catch up with the news, it seems that another dating technique has been used on the Shroud of Turin.
X-Ray scattering … whatever that is… was used to examine the cellulose patterns of the fabric to see how they have broken down, thus indicating an age. The x-ray technique shows that the Shroud dates back to the time of Christ.
Of course it does.
Meanwhile, AI has been applied to the image on the Shroud.
Thought experiments.
First, if the image on the Shroud was caused by a massive blast of energy like a nuke going off, then this is could be the Lord’s appearance at the moment of the Resurrection. Also, if I remember rightly, there was a study of the image that showed multiple echo-like images all superimposed on each suggesting that it isn’t a snapshot, but rather it is a moving picture.
Unless there was some divine intervention, Christ would have had his DNA only from His Mother. If this image, above, is accurate, would we then be able to have an idea of the appearance of the Blessed Virgin?
Loading ...
Related:
https://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/inventions/first-photo-ever-taken.htm#:~:text=It%2520took%2520at%2520least%2520eight,and%2520photographer%2520Joseph%2520Nic%C3%A9phore%2520Ni%C3%A9pce.
Additionally, x-ray scattering is an extremely common way to determine the composition of a material. X-ray dating is rather fringe and difficult, but with much less uncertainty that other techniques (looking at you, Carbon-14 with an average uncertainty between 50-70%).
I’m highly suspicious (and rightly so) of anything “AI” right now. Especially since this AI rendering makes Him look Anglo. I think there’s another person (from Spain, I believe) who used the existing data from the image and without using AI came up with a full-sized 3-D model of the image on the Shroud. I think this is more accurate.
Check the Catholic News Agency website for a story with images and video, dated Apr 7, 2023.
The Y chromosome strictly comes from the father, so there need not be anything other than the Y chromosome created ex nihilo for Christ’s sacred humanity. We don’t know, though, without doing DNA tests between the blood on the shroud/ from Eucharistic miracles and the first-class relics of Mary’s hair.
The early iconography of Jesus and Mary depicts them with very similar facial features. The iconography that includes Joseph has Jesus and Joseph looking dissimilar. There are a lot of theological points being made in iconography that are often overlooked.
AI — AI art of Jesus tends to be a hybrid of Jim Caviezel and Robert Powell (whose features tend to be more dominant) with a few others thrown in. Once you know that, you cannot unsee it. AI doesn’t generate art of Jesus that looks like early iconography nor Eastern depictions — it is just modern Western movie depictions.
Very striking image – thanks for posting.
I read years ago,I think in St. Mary of Agreda, (I could be mistaken), That as a child Jesus resembled Mary but as a Man ne resembled St Anne who was a handsome woman.
This is fascinating, Father!
I am struck by His calm, steady gaze. And the marks of His torture and beatings. This is the image of a very handsome, strong young man. I can easily believe that it may accurately portray my Lord.
Whether this is true to His real appearance, as wonderful as this is, what is even more wonderful is that Jesus overcame all earthly sin and torments and cruelties inflicted on Him for our sake. *That* is the most remarkable thing of all!
Thank you for posting this, Father. I am deeply touched by this!
Never had a doubt as to the authenticity of the Holy Shroud of Turin. Never even a moment. What about it is so compelling? I can’t exactly say, but perhaps it is that it is mystery in itself… Any scientific analysis is simply insufficient to say much about it to me.
My initial thought at first glace at the AI image…? Only “Master!”
We live in confounding times.
Has it always been so?
Has this made the front page of the NYTimes as did the infamous “carbon dating tests” of 1988?
Assuming someone does create a reasonably accurate image of Our Lord from the Shroud, by whatever technique, not only would one get a good idea of what Our Lady looked like, but also to some extent St Adam and St Eve. St Hildegard of Bingen, and one or two other mystics of whom I have forgotten the names, were given visions of the Creation of the World. These visions of course perfectly harmonised with the historical account given in Genesis, but the mystics also noticed a very close resemblance between the Old Adam and the New Adam, and the Old Eve with the New Eve. Beautiful are the works of the God!
I wonder if they plan to use this technique on the veil of Manopello? Paul Badde wrote several books on it. In that image Jesus’ eyes are opened.