Shroud of Turin Material Evidence (2008)

2008 will be the 20th anniversary of the C14 dating of the Shroud that condemned the most famous relic in Christendom as a fake. But since then, despite many attempts, no one has been able to determine who the forger was or how it might have been done. Reporter Rageh Omaar sets out to find out exactly what it is about the image that has defied imitation and explores new evidence that challenges the verdict on the Shroud. With unique access to the Shroud itself and those closest to it, Rageh goes on his own journey of discovery. He also visits the leader of the 1978 US investigation that was given access to the cloth for a week, Dr John Jackson, who, for the first time, and exclusively, reveals the results from the data collected and a lifetime of research. Two other Shrouds of Christ have existed at different times down the centuries. One is the Shroud of Constantinople, described as having an image of Christ and stolen by the Crusaders in 1204. The Turin Shroud appeared 150 years later in the family of one of those Crusaders. The other is the Shroud of Jerusalem that wrapped Jesus' body and which - according to John's Gospel - had such a profound effect when it was discovered. With the help of a team of international scholars Rageh explores new evidence that links the Turin Shroud to both locations and times. Could they be one and the same? But if they are, where does that leave the Carbon 14 test? New information about the behavior of C14 in the atmosphere exists which was unknown twenty years ago when the Shroud was dated. A new hypothesis has come forward that could explain how a genuinely old linen could produce a much "younger" date in certain conditions. Professor Christopher Ramsey of the Oxford Laboratory that did the original C14 test is collaborating on experiments to test the hypothesis. The results of this collaboration will be revealed in the film.