Henry's Marvelous Mystery Trivia Quiz

Answer: Italy

Turin is located in Northern Italy in the Piedmont region. Prior to its arrival in Turin, the Shroud's home was a chapel in Chambéry, which is the capital of the Savoy region. It was damaged there in 1532 when the chapel caught fire. We were very lucky! The Shroud is not always on display, but was taken out shortly before our arrival for the holy season of Lent.

Answer: Cathedral of St. John the Baptist

Dedicated to St. John the Baptist, the Turin Cathedral was built in 1491-98, however, some sort of Christian church has existed on the site since Roman times. There is talk of either building a new chapel just for the purpose of housing the Shroud or making the current church more grand to accommodate all the pilgrims who visit, but I do not know when that might happen.

Answer: Burial Cloth

That's right! I have seen shrouds on mummies in Egypt. Because clothing is so expensive, the Christian church suggests burial in shrouds. That way the family does not lose a change of clothes that someone would be able to use!

Answer: Linen

Traditionally shrouds may be made of any material as long as it is natural fibre; so wool, cotton, or linen are typically used. The Shroud of Turin, made of linen, measures 14.3 × 3.7 feet, and is woven in a 3-1 herringbone twill.

Answer: Thumbs

In 1532 the Shroud was damaged by molten silver in a fire, and some nuns tried to patch the holes. There are fourteen large triangular patches and eight smaller ones that were sewn onto the cloth by Poor Clare nuns. I have heard talk that more repairs will be made soon. Wait! I can also see all kinds of flower and plant impressions on the cloth, along with the blood stains. My lord, the Earl of Warwick, has always said that I have eyes like a hawk! About the thumbs? The crucifixion nails almost always struck the median nerve, and caused the thumbs to bend inward into the palms.

Answer: Flagrum

Typically the Romans would whip a condemned criminal before he was put to death. The whip, called a flagrum or flagellum, was made of two or three leather thongs connected to a handle. The thong was knotted at intervals with dumbbell pieces of metal in order to inflict deep cuts and torn flesh! Ouch! There is no wonder that there is so much blood on the Shroud. Although Jewish law limited the number of stripes allowed, Roman law did not. The idea was to beat a person until he was near death, but not to kill him until the final subjugation on the cross. The person wrapped in the Shroud died a horrible death.

Answer: False

Although traditional art shows the nails driven through the palms, that probably would not have worked because the small bones of the hand would not have been able to support the weight of the individual as they were hung on the cross. The Romans nailed through the wrists, as seen on the Shroud. Again, that is why the individual has no thumbs! It is likely that when the nails were driven through the wrist, the median nerve was struck, causing the thumbs to bend inward into the palms. Whew! At least the mystery of the thumbs is solved! (And yes, for a medieval boy, I do have a vast knowledge of anatomy)!

Answer: True

The human image on the Shroud shows a man who is tall, anywhere from 5'7" to 6'2". He has long hair, a beard, and a mustache. The front and back views meet in the middle of the cloth.

Answer: Constantinople

There are many stories about holy shrouds; one of them is that the Shroud of Turin may have been owned by the Byzantine emperors in Constantinople. The sacking of the city in 1204 by Crusaders is well-documented. It is said that the Crusaders sacked and looted the city for three days after gaining entry, and many priceless objects were either stolen or destroyed, including ancient Greek and Roman artifacts and religious relics and works of art.

Answer: Jesus Christ

All four of the Gospels speak in some way of the body of Christ being wrapped in a shroud. The bloods stains that I can see seem to be consistent with the story of Christ's death. There are blood stains on the head, where the crown of thorns was placed; all over the body from the beating received; at the feet, where the nail was driven; and on the side, where the spear wound was inflicted. What an experience this has been! I will never forget my pilgrimage to Turin.