Sacred Blood, Sacred Image

Book excerpt: Revised Edition This is the story of the Sudarium of Oviedo, an ancient bloodstained cloth, believed to have covered the head of Jesus of Nazareth after his crucifixion. The author traces the known history of the linen and presents the up-to-date conclusions of EDICES. The investigative team that has been studying the cloth since 1989, discusses the cultural significance of the crucifixion and blood in the context of first-century Jerusalem. They demonstrate the significance of the famous passage of John 20:5-7, as analyzed by some of the most important Biblical scholars of the world. The book contains twenty pages of color photographs, many of which are from EDICES. These photographs explain visually the bloodstains and wrinkles found on the cloth, how the cloth was used, its comparison with the Shroud of Turin and the historical odyssey from Jerusalem to Spain.