new book : rape of the Shroud
William Meacham
"The Rape of the Turin Shroud - how Christianity's most precious
relic was wrongly condemned, and violated." by William Meacham;
paperback, 286 pages; Lulu Press; ISBN 1-4116-5769-1.
This book was motivated in large part by the travesty of an
aggressive 'restoration' of the relic in 2002. Valuable data was
destroyed, opportunities for research squandered, materials
taken from the cloth without stringent controls, and repairs
dating from 1534 that constituted part of the Shroud's visual
heritage were removed. This operation (incorrectly termed a
restoration) was conducted in secret, without peer review, by a
small circle of advisers to the archbishop of Turin. It has been
roundly condemned by most Shroud researchers as a conservation
and scientific disaster.
The book begins with the Shroud at the pinnacle of its prestige
in the early 1980s, when millions of people, including a
respectable number of academics and scientists, considered it
quite possibly the actual burial cloth of Christ with a
mysterious imprint of His body. This perception changed almost
overnight with the announcement in 1988 that Carbon-14 dating
had produced an age of around 1260-1390 A.D. for the cloth. The
relic was wrongly condemned, however, since the dating
methodology was poorly planned, marred by petty rivalries, and
scientifically flawed. Incredibly, the dating result has never
been confirmed by running a second sample. From studies done in
the last ten years, it appears very likely that the dating is
invalid, and that the Shroud is much older. It could actually be
Christ's burial cloth after all. For reasons known only to God
and the inner sanctum at Turin, Catholic church authorities have
refused all requests for a new C-14 measurement to be made.
There is very little of a religious nature in the book, which
focuses on personalities, how events unfolded, and the
scientific issues. The author is an archaeologist at the
University of Hong Kong who had first-hand experience of both
sagas as they unfolded.
Part I is a general overview (first published as a major article
in *Current Anthropology* in 1983) of the study of the Shroud as
it stood at that time, and of the principal areas of contention.
Part II describes the lead-up to the carbon-dating of 1988, its
aftermath, and the debate over the results which continues to
the present day. Part III deals with the disastrous intervention
that took place in 2002.
EXCERPTS, COMMENTS
The book's table of contents, author biography and five-page
preface can be read by clicking "Preview this book" at
<www.lulu.com/content/144747>
The article from *Current Anthropology* that comprises part I
received a one-line comment from the grand old man of Shroud
studies in the US, Fr. Peter Rinaldi of the Holy Shroud Guild:
"I find Meacham's paper complete, lucid, cogent, one of the
finest presentations I have ever read on the subject."
In a review of the new book posted at the premier Shroud website
<http://www.shroud.com/pdfs/meacham%20book%20review.pdf>,
veteran Shroud researchers Joe Marino and Sue Benford of Dublin,
Ohio said:
"Meacham obviously speaks his mind, has a fascinating story to
tell and does it with passion. ... Politics played a huge role
in the death of Jesus. Meacham shows in his book how politics is
playing another significant role in Jesus' putative burial
cloth. This book is a 'must-read' for any Shroud researcher and
highly recommended for any reader that has even a slight
interest in the subject."
LA-based photographer and webmaster of shroud.com Barrie
Schwortz (who is Jewish and also believes the Shroud to be
genuine) said:
"noted archaeologist and Shroud scholar William Meacham gives
[in his book] a frank and often critical accounting of what he
calls the 'desecration' of the Shroud of Turin ... From its
provocative title to its stinging criticisms of the Shroud's
custodians, this book was sure to spark controversy ... it also
reveals a side of sindonology [Shroud research] seldom seen by
the general public."
Owner of the largest American collection of Shroud books,
articles and memorabilia, Richard Orareo of Boston, Mass. said:
"A fascinating well-written book. Meacham is the only one who
could have written such an inside account. He had the perfect
perspective to make sense of what happened."
The book is available from www.lulu.com for $17 plus shipping.
Prices vary at other online booksellers such as amazon.com and
barnesandnoble.com with shipping sometimes free or discounted. A
site such as www.fetchbook.info will compare prices and shipping
costs among online retailers.
William Meacham
[real email address: substitute h for z]