Conference Presentations by Pam Moon
The Man of the Holy Shroud has two injuries to the right cheek of his face; a bruise and a half-m... more The Man of the Holy Shroud has two injuries to the right cheek of his face; a bruise and a half-moon shaped lash from a whip. These injuries are of great spiritual significance because Jesus taught the following in the Sermon on the Mount: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also" Matthew 5:39. So Jesus of Nazareth practiced what he preached. As well as this message of non-violence, the Shroud is also a colour-blind image. This paper reflects on the importance of the Shroud today in the areas of non-violence and racial tension, briefly referencing the work of Mahatma Gandhi and Revd. Martin Luther King Jr.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Archaeologists have found the remains of the feet of two men we were crucified. Both had a nail t... more Archaeologists have found the remains of the feet of two men we were crucified. Both had a nail through their heel bone. The Man of the Holy Shroud of Turin appears to have a similar injury. This paper looks at some biblical passages which may illuminate this wound.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Injuries to the hands of the Man of the Shroud, 2022
This is the written text of a question and answer presentation by Dr. Andrew Husselbee and Pam Mo... more This is the written text of a question and answer presentation by Dr. Andrew Husselbee and Pam Moon on 27 May 2022 at the BSTS Shroud Conference, Brewood. It is available on video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAbV5AIbfQI&t=162s
Median nerve damage does not cause the thumb to retract into the palm in a living person. This paper begins with an explanation of this medical evidence and examines an alternative theory for the lack of thumbs on the Shroud of Turin (the tying of the thumbs). It looks at the blood flow patterns down the forearms and the haematoma, seen in 3D imagery, on the left hand. It references the blood flow experiments of Matteo Borrini and Luigi Garlaschelli (2014) and argues that the arms of Jesus may have been vertical at crucifixion. The haematoma on the left wrist raises the possibility that the hand may have been behind the crossbeam in a yoke crucifixion. The paper ends with an email correspondence between Dr Husselbee and Hugh Farey.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
The Shroud of Turin and Oxford University, 2019
This paper examines the 1988 radiocarbon dating of the Shroud of Turin and the opinions of Oxford... more This paper examines the 1988 radiocarbon dating of the Shroud of Turin and the opinions of Oxford University academics. It looks at the dangers associated with the separation of scientific tools and historical disciplines. Using 14 C as an isolated, single test resulted in the determination that the Shroud was medieval, 1260-1390 AD. However, that result created a historical vacuum for the Shroud which cannot be filled by authentic medieval sources and provenance. It does not compare with the strength of historical evidence that the Shroud of Turin was the burial cloth of Jesus of Nazareth. The core of the paper looks at the most probable reasons why the sample chosen for radiocarbon date was flawed, using Oxford University's own photographs. There is strong evidence that, following the fire of 1532 AD, the sample was disinfected, stitched, repaired (on at least three occasions) and dyed. The paper ends with the good news of 2019 that the Oxford Journal Archaeometry has published the paper Radiocarbon Dating of the Turin Shroud: New Evidence from Raw Data; T. Casabianca; E Marinelli; G. Pernagallo; B. Torrisi. That paper concludes: 'A statistical analysis of the Nature article and the raw data strongly suggests that homogeneity is lacking in the data and that the procedure should be reconsidered.'
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Drafts by Pam Moon
This paper looks at the Christocentric art created during the Macedonian renaissance which is spe... more This paper looks at the Christocentric art created during the Macedonian renaissance which is specifically attributed to Constantine VII, Romanos II and Basil Lekapenos. The artwork to be examined includes ivories and enamel work and may also include to enigmatic Narthex mosaic in Hagia Sophia. The paper argues that the artwork, created after 945, was influenced by the arrival of the Image of Edessa in Constantinople in 944. It is logical to assume the art reveals, in detail, the nature of the Image of Edessa. As all the artwork contains full body images of Jesus, and Constantine VII referred to the ‘sindon’ of Christ which he had in his possession, the paper argues the Image of Edessa was not a face-only image. The similarity of the facial imagery of the art to the Shroud of Turin is marked, so it is highly possible that the artists who created these stunning, three-dimensional masterpieces of Christ, had access to the burial cloth of Jesus, now known as the Shroud of Turin. This outpouring of exceptional art from the mid 10th century in Constantinople, in all its beautiful forms, may be a useful vehicle to trace part of the history of the Holy Shroud.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Papers by Pam Moon
If the Shroud of Turin is the authentic burial cloth of Jesus as many believe, given it is not re... more If the Shroud of Turin is the authentic burial cloth of Jesus as many believe, given it is not reproducible today (see David Rolfe's $1 million challenge), it needs to have a history from Jerusalem to Turin, via Constantinople. This paper examines the Second Byzantine Iconoclasm through the lens of the only illuminated history of this period, The Illustrated Chronicle of Ioannes Skylitzes. The surviving copy is The Madrid Skylitzes. Large sections (pages 3-12) quote the text and show the beautiful illustrations. Most significantly the text mentions an 'acheiroteukton cloth', which is 'not-made-by-hands.' Was this cloth the Shroud of Turin? This paper suggests that the Shroud was not in Constantinople before the 10 th century because it would have risked destruction during the two Byzantine Iconoclasms (726-787 and 814-842). It survived the iconoclasm because it was in Edessa not Constantinople.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
This paper, written in 2014 after the Shroud of Turin Conference in St. Lewis, looks at the evide... more This paper, written in 2014 after the Shroud of Turin Conference in St. Lewis, looks at the evidence of repair on the 1988 radiocarbon date samples. One of the episodes of repair was done by the Oratorian Bl. Sebastian Valfrè in 1694. He had a great devotion to the Holy Shroud and wrote:
The Cross received the living Jesus and gave Him back to us dead;
the Shroud received the dead Jesus and restored Him to us alive.
His sewing ability is did not match his devotion! But it is useful to help us understand some of the contaminants introduced to the Shroud sample following the 1532 fire.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
The results of the 1988 radiocarbon date of the Shroud of Turin indicated that the cloth was medi... more The results of the 1988 radiocarbon date of the Shroud of Turin indicated that the cloth was medieval (1260-1390). This paper looks at whether there may have been an underlying narrative behind the radiocarbon dating which was to verify the Freemasonry belief that the Shroud of Turin was created by Jacques de Molay, Grandmaster of the Knights Templar. De Molay was allegedly crucified on October 13th, 1307 and in Freemasonry teaching the chemical stresses on his body, caused by the crucifixion, created the Shroud image. If that agenda was there, and Freemasons had influence over the process of dating, can the results have any credibility? This paper could easily be dismissed as conspiracy theory, but there are some unusual coincidences worth considering, together with an explanation for the creation of the Shroud given by Professor Michael Tite, who co-ordinated the testing for the British Museum.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Could an artist have created the Shroud of Turin in the Middle Ages? This paper suggests it would... more Could an artist have created the Shroud of Turin in the Middle Ages? This paper suggests it would not have been possible. Given the existing technologies, they would not have had the foresight. Using the image Thamar and Apprentice from the manuscript De Cleres et Nobles Femmes by Giovanni Boccaccio (1361-62), the paper examines the knowledge base of medieval artists and argues they would not have made an image which is a photographic negative or one which has three-dimensional properties. To suggest otherwise is anachronistic.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
This paper was originally written in 2013 and posted on www.shroudofturinexhibition.com. The cen... more This paper was originally written in 2013 and posted on www.shroudofturinexhibition.com. The central argument is that the Shroud of Turin was contaminated by water which could be, and most probably was, groundwater, floodwater or bacterially compromised holy water. Coloured dissolved organic matter (CDOM) commonly found in contaminated water sources would add contaminants to the Shroud, but also may have led to the use of biocidal disinfectants. The use of biocides presents a contamination problem for carbon-14. Sheridan Bowman wrote: ‘Many materials used for preserving or conserving samples contain carbon that may be impossible to remove subsequently: do not use glues, biocides, polyethylene (PEG) or polyvinylacetate (PVA).’ The paper is succeed by later examination of madder root dye and gum tragacanth in 2015.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
The Loros, the Epitaphios and the Shroud of Turin.
The emperors of the Eastern Roman Empire c... more The Loros, the Epitaphios and the Shroud of Turin.
The emperors of the Eastern Roman Empire chose to depict themselves wearing the loros, a long cloth which they wound around their body. The loros represented the burial shroud or winding sheet of Jesus. This paper explores the possibility that the emperors venerated and protected the Shroud of Turin itself. The primary source is The Book of Ceremonies by Constantine VII, written before his death in 959 AD., together with artwork produced at the time. The paper looks at the religious and political ceremonial in Constantinople, which Constantine documented in a detailed and extensive manner, including an examination of the possible early use of the Epitaphios. Some of the theological understanding underpinning the practices described by Constantine VII is explored and related to modern day references to the Shroud of Turin. The paper concludes that the emperors did have the Shroud of Turin in their possession: they wore a replica of it around their shoulders as a symbol of their temporal and spiritual authority to rule.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
The Holy Shroud, St. Volodymyr (Vladimir I) of Kiev and Novgorod, Anna Porphyrogenita and the Varangian Guard in Constantinople, 2022
This paper is a response to the war between Ukraine and Russia in 2022. Both countries came to C... more This paper is a response to the war between Ukraine and Russia in 2022. Both countries came to Christian faith through the leadership of St Volodymyr or Vladimir I, Grand Prince of Kiev, Ukraine and Novgorod, Russia. He was married to the Byzantine princess Anna Porphyrogenita. This paper uses The Illustrated Chronicle of Ioannes Skylitzes in Madrid and multiple other sources to argue that the Holy Mandylion / Holy Shroud of Turin was carried through the streets of Constantinople in 1036. It was protected by the Varangian Guard, the army originally sent by St. Volodymyr to his brother-in-law Basil II in 988. The Shroud was burnt by incense as it was carried in a specific folding pattern. Many of these sources have been used in other papers on my page, but they have a different significance in the light of the horrific war of 2022. In addition to those sources there is also information about the family trees of Volodymyr and Anna and examples of early Christocentric art in the cathedrals St. Sophia, Kiev and St. Sophia, Novgorod. Pam Moon
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
In the 1980’s Dame Professor Averil Cameron hypothesised that the Holy Mandylion, or Image of Ede... more In the 1980’s Dame Professor Averil Cameron hypothesised that the Holy Mandylion, or Image of Edessa was not a miraculous ‘made without hand’ (ἀχειροποίητα) image of the face of Christ. It was instead a sixth century painting by an unknown artist. This paper evaluates Professor Cameron’s arguments. She ignores Biblical and early church evidence and relies on the silence of Eusebius, Aetheria and Procopius to argue it did not exist before the sixth century. However, absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. If the Holy Mandylion was just a sixth century painting an explanation is required for the deceit perpetrated by Byzantine emperors on their Christian subjects lasting over seven hundred years. From a theological perspective the emperors were also guilty of idolatry for revering a falsified image.
As a counter-argument this paper suggests, following the historian Ian Wilson, that the Holy Mandylion was the burial shroud of Jesus, now known as the Shroud of Turin. The Shroud contains the inexplicable image of a crucified Man which is not created by paint. It was once folded into eight, shown by creases on the cloth. In this folding pattern the face of Christ would be revealed.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
It is the argument of this paper that the Shroud of Turin was contaminated by water which could b... more It is the argument of this paper that the Shroud of Turin was contaminated by water which could be, and most probably was, groundwater, floodwater or bacterially compromised holy water. Coloured dissolved organic matter (CDOM) commonly found in contaminated water sources and the consequences of the
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Isaiah 9: 2-7 is one of the great prophecies of the Incarnation of Christ: 'unto us a child is gi... more Isaiah 9: 2-7 is one of the great prophecies of the Incarnation of Christ: 'unto us a child is given.' This paper is a meditation on the light the prophecy may shed on the nature of the crucifixion of Jesus and the Shroud of Turin. In particular the verse ‘you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor,’ is used to make a case for the possibility of a yoke crucifixion. The paper also reflects on the truth that, because of the cross of Jesus, where the burden of sin and death has been broken, the new yoke we share with Christ gives rest to our souls.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
This paper argues that between the arrival of the Holy Mandylion in Constantinople in 944 and 119... more This paper argues that between the arrival of the Holy Mandylion in Constantinople in 944 and 1195 there are many relics and artefacts which survive today and point to a detailed knowledge of the crucifixion of Christ. The Blutritt, the Holy Blood of Bruges, the Holy Sponge and the Crown of Thorn all tell some of the story of the crucifixion. The Madrid Skylitzes, the Pray Manuscript, the armlets of Frederick Barbarossa, the Gospel of Judith of Flanders, the Melisende Psalter and the magnificent mosaics in Sicily and in the Holy Sepulchre were created during the rule of inter-related families. The artefacts consistently show the face of Christ with features which match the Shroud of Turin. They show a right-sided spear wound, long hair, a pronounced inverted V shape on the chest, retracted thumbs, and a swelling to the neck, all consistent with what is visible on the Shroud. One armlet of Frederick Barbarossa shows Jesus lifting his Shroud out of the tomb; the Melisende Psalter illustrates the grave clothes. All these pieces of evidence suggest that, during this period, the sindon of Jesus was well known, and that the facial features and bodily wounds of Christ closely resemble the Shroud of Turin.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
A concise argument is presented for the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin as the burial linen o... more A concise argument is presented for the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin as the burial linen of Jesus Christ. The paper reasons that the Shroud could not have been created by an artist in 1355, when it was first displayed in Western Europe. The Shroud of Turin Research Project (STuRP) identified the different scientific properties of the Shroud, from image formation to blood flow. The technical skills demanded of any artist attempting to create the Shroud exceed the capabilities of all medieval (and modern artists). Equally, there are no reliable medieval sources to explain the creation of the Shroud. The only historical narrative which the Shroud follows is the biblical text of the death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
This paper presents a compendium of significant illuminations, texts, reliquaries, ivories and a ... more This paper presents a compendium of significant illuminations, texts, reliquaries, ivories and a mosaic which indicate the presence of the Shroud of Turin in Constantinople between 944 and 1036 AD. The primary source materials are the Madrid Skylitzes, which is the only surviving illustrated manuscript from this period, created by Ioannes Skylitzes (1040s-1101); the Limburg Staurotheke (945-985); the Romanos II ivories, the Zoë mosaic in Hagia Sophia and the writings of Constantine VII (905-959). There is very little explanation, as the main focus is on the sources and their inter-relation. An example of this interrelation is a Skylitzes image from an event in 1034 which shows a golden casket containing the Holy Mandylion, the ancient name for the ‘effigy’ of Christ ‘not-made-by-hands.’ Also in the casket were the letter of Jesus to Abgar and the ‘Holy Woods,’ the wood from the cross of Jesus. The surviving Byzantine Holy Woods reliquary, the Limburg Staurotheke, does not mention the Holy Mandylion but is inscribed with the words: ‘the winding sheet Christ was wrapped in while in his tomb.’ Two years later, in 1036, the ‘Holy Shroud,’ was carried through Constantinople in a Litany procession. Taken together, these sources present considerable evidence that the Holy Shroud of Turin was in Constantinople at this time.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Uploads
Conference Presentations by Pam Moon
Median nerve damage does not cause the thumb to retract into the palm in a living person. This paper begins with an explanation of this medical evidence and examines an alternative theory for the lack of thumbs on the Shroud of Turin (the tying of the thumbs). It looks at the blood flow patterns down the forearms and the haematoma, seen in 3D imagery, on the left hand. It references the blood flow experiments of Matteo Borrini and Luigi Garlaschelli (2014) and argues that the arms of Jesus may have been vertical at crucifixion. The haematoma on the left wrist raises the possibility that the hand may have been behind the crossbeam in a yoke crucifixion. The paper ends with an email correspondence between Dr Husselbee and Hugh Farey.
Drafts by Pam Moon
Papers by Pam Moon
The Cross received the living Jesus and gave Him back to us dead;
the Shroud received the dead Jesus and restored Him to us alive.
His sewing ability is did not match his devotion! But it is useful to help us understand some of the contaminants introduced to the Shroud sample following the 1532 fire.
The emperors of the Eastern Roman Empire chose to depict themselves wearing the loros, a long cloth which they wound around their body. The loros represented the burial shroud or winding sheet of Jesus. This paper explores the possibility that the emperors venerated and protected the Shroud of Turin itself. The primary source is The Book of Ceremonies by Constantine VII, written before his death in 959 AD., together with artwork produced at the time. The paper looks at the religious and political ceremonial in Constantinople, which Constantine documented in a detailed and extensive manner, including an examination of the possible early use of the Epitaphios. Some of the theological understanding underpinning the practices described by Constantine VII is explored and related to modern day references to the Shroud of Turin. The paper concludes that the emperors did have the Shroud of Turin in their possession: they wore a replica of it around their shoulders as a symbol of their temporal and spiritual authority to rule.
As a counter-argument this paper suggests, following the historian Ian Wilson, that the Holy Mandylion was the burial shroud of Jesus, now known as the Shroud of Turin. The Shroud contains the inexplicable image of a crucified Man which is not created by paint. It was once folded into eight, shown by creases on the cloth. In this folding pattern the face of Christ would be revealed.
Median nerve damage does not cause the thumb to retract into the palm in a living person. This paper begins with an explanation of this medical evidence and examines an alternative theory for the lack of thumbs on the Shroud of Turin (the tying of the thumbs). It looks at the blood flow patterns down the forearms and the haematoma, seen in 3D imagery, on the left hand. It references the blood flow experiments of Matteo Borrini and Luigi Garlaschelli (2014) and argues that the arms of Jesus may have been vertical at crucifixion. The haematoma on the left wrist raises the possibility that the hand may have been behind the crossbeam in a yoke crucifixion. The paper ends with an email correspondence between Dr Husselbee and Hugh Farey.
The Cross received the living Jesus and gave Him back to us dead;
the Shroud received the dead Jesus and restored Him to us alive.
His sewing ability is did not match his devotion! But it is useful to help us understand some of the contaminants introduced to the Shroud sample following the 1532 fire.
The emperors of the Eastern Roman Empire chose to depict themselves wearing the loros, a long cloth which they wound around their body. The loros represented the burial shroud or winding sheet of Jesus. This paper explores the possibility that the emperors venerated and protected the Shroud of Turin itself. The primary source is The Book of Ceremonies by Constantine VII, written before his death in 959 AD., together with artwork produced at the time. The paper looks at the religious and political ceremonial in Constantinople, which Constantine documented in a detailed and extensive manner, including an examination of the possible early use of the Epitaphios. Some of the theological understanding underpinning the practices described by Constantine VII is explored and related to modern day references to the Shroud of Turin. The paper concludes that the emperors did have the Shroud of Turin in their possession: they wore a replica of it around their shoulders as a symbol of their temporal and spiritual authority to rule.
As a counter-argument this paper suggests, following the historian Ian Wilson, that the Holy Mandylion was the burial shroud of Jesus, now known as the Shroud of Turin. The Shroud contains the inexplicable image of a crucified Man which is not created by paint. It was once folded into eight, shown by creases on the cloth. In this folding pattern the face of Christ would be revealed.