A long-standing debate surrounding the mysterious Shroud of Turin has been reignited thanks to claims made by a French coin expert.
For the last forty years, researchers have been baffled by the puzzling features found over the 'eyes' of the Shroud which do not seem to conform with the human anatomy.
Some scholars proposed that they came from low-value Roman coins, while others disagreed with those assertions.
However, thanks to advanced imaging technology, a coin expert in France believes that he has solved the mystery and that his findings reveal the true age of the revered Shroud.
Agostino Sferrazza told a French newspaper that scans showed previously unseen details from the coins, specifically a sacrificial cup and a religious staff as well as the letters 'YKAI.'
The numismatist believes that those characters are part of the Greek spelling for Emperor Tiberius, who reigned from 14 AD to 37 AD and that the symbols are also in keeping with currency from that time period.
As such, Sferrazza concluded that the coins, and therefore the Shroud itself, came from around the era when Jesus would have been crucified.
Skeptics of the 'coin theory' contend that the entire pursuit is merely wishful thinking on the part of those hoping to confirm that the Shroud is the authentic burial cloth of Jesus Christ.
While it remains to be seen whether Sferrazza's research can be confirmed by other experts, his work is a fine example of how some ancient mysteries may still hold some clues waiting to be uncovered by modern technology.
Coast Insiders looking to learn more about the Shroud of Turin can check out the 4/4/2015 edition of the program featuring researcher Barrie Schwortz.
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Source: Aleteia