New DNA analysis of the Shroud of Turin, long venerated as Jesus’ burial cloth, suggests a surprising Indian connection. Researchers from the University of Padova found that about 40% of the human DNA on the medieval linen is linked to Indian lineages, hinting the fabric or yarn may have originated near the Indus Valley, while still not proving any direct link to Jesus himself.
The mysterious Shroud of Turin has long been the subject of various narratives and conspiracy theories. The linen cloth is believed to be the garment Jesus wore at the time of his burial. For centuries, the Shroud of Turin has been preserved at the Cathedral of San Giovanni Battista in Turin, Italy, where it has been kept since 1578. The origin of this mysterious linen cloth has never been definitively established. However, recent DNA analysis suggests that the Shroud of Turin may have Indian origins.
Since the news was published, the internet has been having a hard time believing that Jesus might have some unknown links to India.
The Shroud of Turin is reportedly a 4.3-meter-long cloth that contains brownish images of a man about 1.7 meters tall. The images show both the front and back of his body, indicating that the linen garment was wrapped around him at some point in time. The marks on the image resemble injuries similar to those described in his crucifixion. The garment is considered one of the relics associated with his remains by many Christian followers and is regarded as key evidence of his existence from biblical times.
Researchers from the University of Padova, Italy, have conducted a DNA analysis of the Shroud of Turin. The material from the relic was collected in 1978. The analysis revealed that 40% of the human DNA extracted from the cloth is linked to Indian lineages. These new revelations have further fuelled the theory that the material used to make the cloth might have originated from the Indus Valley region.
The Shroud of Turin was first documented in 1354. There were reports that the cloth was owned by a knight, but it was never discovered how he came to possess it. When the Shroud of Turin was displayed in 1389, the local bishop claimed that the relic did not belong to Jesus and was nothing more than a work of art created by a painter.
The research team wrote, “Our findings highlight its (the shroud’s) preservation conditions and environmental interactions, offering valuable insights into the identified genetic variants, which originated from multiple biological sources.” The team also included prominent researcher Gianni Barcaccia.
The scientists also found DNA from plants, animals, and people of Indian origin on the linen cloth believed to have been used to bury Jesus. These findings come from a study that has not yet been officially reviewed by other scientists and has been shared on Bioarxiv.
Years after the sample collection, in 1988, scientists discovered that the Shroud of Turin was made between 1260 and 1390. They tested the shroud, which has been preserved in Italy for more than five centuries, and concluded that the possibility of the cloth belonging to Jesus is highly unlikely.
The researchers stated after the DNA analysis that the discovery of Indian lineage was a shocker for them. They suggested that it “is potentially linked to historical interactions associated with importing linen or yarn from regions near the Indus Valley.”
Some eagle-eyed netizens began speculating whether the connection between Jesus and India is much larger than what has been revealed. Some asked whether Jesus had ever been to India, while others raised doubts about the authenticity of the news and the research. One user even stated, “It was probably a hoax created around 1300–1400 AD in Europe.”
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