FILE-A central detail of the Shroud with the face (left). The 2015 Turin Shroud exhibition begins in Turin Cathedral, Italy. The Turin Shroud is a linen cloth with the image of a man. It is considered an important relic of Christ
Researchers in Italy announced the discovery of a linen cloth that some believe is the shroud of Jesus Christ.
The team examined a sample of the Shroud of Turin and concluded that it could be 2,000 years old, Newsweek reported, citing a study published in the journal Heritage.
Scientists studied this ancient cloth using a method called wide-angle X-ray scattering. The group used this technique on a tiny sample of the Shroud, which is housed in the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist in Turin, Italy.
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Citing the study, Newsweek noted that researchers said the results of their examination of the cloth were consistent with measurements collected on a linen sample dating to 55 to 74 AD and were consistent with the theory that the shroud was a 2,000-year-old relic.
Newsweek noted that this latest report does not provide any information on whether the artifact is indeed the Shroud of Jesus, but researchers concluded that its age is consistent with its time.
Over the years, scientists have studied the Shroud of Turin, a centuries-old linen cloth engraved with the image of a crucified man believed by many to be Jesus of Nazareth. Some experts have claimed in studies that the artifact is a medieval forgery.
The researchers concluded in their report that more detailed X-ray examination of more samples of the fabric of the Shroud of Turin was needed to confirm the results of their study.
