Sacred Blood, Sacred Image: The Sudarium of Oviedo, New Evidence for the ...

By Janice Bennett

A Thorough Study of a Remarkable Relic, January 24, 2007 By Mark D. Merlino (Vancouver, British Columbia Canada)

In "Sacred Blood, Sacred Image - The Sudarium of Oviedo" Janice Bennett skillfully analyzes the history, forensics, etymology and religious basis of the Sudarium, a bloodstained cloth kept in Oviedo Spain.

Bennett traces the history of Sudarium from the earliest mentions of it in early Christian century Palestine, linking it to Christ's burial cloth. She makes a convincing argument that the Sudarium was transferred from the Holy Land to Northern Spain following the Persian and Arab invasions of the 7th and 8th centuries. She then painstakingly analyzes the linen and the blood stains, painting a picture of how this linen cloth once covered the head of an adult man. This is followed by a fascinating comparison between the Sudarium and the Shroud of Turin. In this comparison, she makes a powerful case that they were both placed on the same crucified man.

The book then provides two chapters outlining first century Jewish burial customs and how the Sudarium is mentioned in the New Testament. As well, Bennett has added numerous colour images of the Sudarium, places mentioned in the book and a map of its historical journey, as well as a chronology and glossary.

If you are curious about the Sudarium or the Shroud of Turin and would like to read a very thorough study of the topic, you would definitely enjoy reading this book. Also, if you are interested in being introduced to scientific arguments in favor of Jesus' crucifixion, read this book, it is an excellent starting point.