By Tim Binnall
An anthropologist has put forward a rather intriguing new theory regarding the Shroud of Turin which suggests that the famed relic was actually a medieval tablecloth. The thought-provoking hypothesis is reportedly the brainchild of researcher David Akins, who believes that he has determined when and how the iconic image, thought by some to be a depiction of Jesus Christ, wound up on the linen in the first place as well as the true purpose of the peculiar piece of cloth. According to the anthropologist, the shroud's complex origin story can be traced back to a town in England and an inadvertent turn of events which ultimately produced the piece which has been fiercely debated for centuries.
Akins theory begins with the observation that studies of the shroud found that the cloth contains trace elements of alabaster, a type of rock used by sculptors during the medieval period, which is also when separate analysis has suggested that the relic originated. Connecting these two details, the anthropologist argues that the linen was likely circulating in the British town of Burton on Trent during that time frame, since the community was the central location for the creation of alabaster artwork by virtue of massive deposits of the mineral that could be found there. Akins goes on to posit that in the early 1300s, the persecuted Knights Templar settled in the town after fleeing France with their hoard of treasure and the Holy Grail.
In recognition of their experience, Akins says, the mysterious group "would have created a statue" depicting the Fisher King, who was a legendary figure said to be tasked with guarding the Holy Grail. Noting the piece was probably proudly displayed in the town's abbey, the anthropologist theorizes that it was later put into storage while the building was renovated, which "is where the story of the Turin Shroud begins," as it was likely wrapped in a linen cloth for decades while construction was taking place. Upon completion of the project, he surmises, workers at the abbey unwrapped the statue and discovered that "the alabaster had reacted with chemicals in the mustiness of the cellar and left an image of the Fisher King" on the material.
"No doubt one of the monks noticed a similarity between the features of the Fisher King impregnated onto the cloth and those of Jesus Christ," Akins mused, "and came up with a plan to present it as the shroud of Christ himself" in the hopes of reaping a small fortune for the hoaxed relic. He goes on to propose that additional studies of the cloth, which found organic elements in keeping with pollen and fish, as well as its dimensions, which were 13 feet in length and three feet in width, reveal that the linen was likely just a tablecloth that had been used in the abbey before being repurposed as material to wrap the King Fisher statue.
As one might imagine, Akins is confident that his theory can explain all of the various confounding details surrounding the shroud which have come about through different studies over the years, proving the hypothesis is another matter altogether, especially since there is no sign of the speculative Fisher King statue in Burton on Trent. While the anthropologist said that the piece may have been destroyed by the monks who perpetrated the original hoax, he did express hope that the sculpture might still be buried somewhere on the grounds of the abbey and, if found, "it could be matched to the image on the shroud" and solve the curious case once and for all.