New book on the Turin Shroud 'restoration'

[wmeacham <wmeacham@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I have recently published the following book which members of TEXCONS may find
of interest, as it deals with the treatment of the world's most famous
textile:


*The Rape of the Turin Shroud - how Christianity's most precious relic was
wrongly condemned, and violated.* by William Meacham; paperback, 286 pages;
Lulu Press; ISBN 1-4116-5769-1.


This book was motivated in large part by the travesty of an aggressive
'restoration' of the relic in 2002. Valuable data for scientific study was
destroyed, opportunities for research squandered, materials taken from the
cloth without stringent controls, and repairs dating from 1534 that
constituted part of the Shroud's visual heritage were removed. This operation
(officially but incorrectly termed a 'restoration') was conducted in secret,
without peer review, by a small circle of advisers to the archbishop of Turin;
the principal 'restorer' was Mechthild Flury-Lemberg of Switzerland. The work
has been roundly condemned by most Shroud researchers as a conservation and
scientific disaster.

The book also focuses on the carbon-dating of 1988. It deals mostly with
personalities, how events unfolded, and the scientific issues. The author is
an archaeologist and had first-hand experience of both sagas as they unfolded.

The book begins with the Shroud at the pinnacle of its prestige in the early
1980s, when millions of people, including a respectable number of academics
and scientists, considered this unique cloth to be quite possibly the actual
burial cloth of Christ with a mysterious body imprint. Part I of the book is a
general overview (first published in 1983 as a major article in the
prestigious journal *Current Anthropology*) of the study of the Shroud as it
stood at that time, and of the principal areas of contention. Part II
describes the lead-up to the poorly planned carbon-dating of 1988, and the
debate over the results which continues to the present day. Part III deals
with the 2002 "restoration" -- focusing on how such an important object of awe
came to be subjected to such extremely radical and unnecessary surgery, and
examining in detail the damage done and the faulty premise on which the
operation was based.

The Table of Contents, author bio and five-page Preface can be read online at
<www.lulu.com/content/144747> by clicking "Preview this book."

A review by two veteran American Shroud researchers can be seen at
<http://www.shroud.com/pdfs/meacham%20book%20review.pdf>

If ordered direct from the publisher (lulu.com), the book costs US$17 plus
shipping. At online booksellers the price varies from $20-24, but some offer
free or discounted shipping. A website such as <www.fetchbook.info> will
compare prices including shipping costs for various destinations.


COMMENTS ON THE BOOK


The article from *Current Anthropology* that comprises Part I received a
one-line comment from the grand old man of Shroud studies in the US, Fr. Peter
Rinaldi of the Holy Shroud Guild: "I find Meacham's paper complete, lucid,
cogent, one of the finest presentations I have ever read on the subject."

In their review of the book posted on shroud.com, veteran Shroud researchers
Joe Marino and Sue Benford of Ohio wrote: "Meacham obviously speaks his mind,
has a fascinating story to tell and does it with passion. ... Politics played
a huge role in the death of Jesus. Meacham shows in his book how politics is
playing another significant role in Jesus' putative burial cloth. This book is
a 'must-read' for any Shroud researcher and highly recommended for any reader
that has even a slight interest in the subject."

LA-based photographer and webmaster of shroud.com Barrie Schwortz (who is
Jewish and believes the Shroud to be genuine) wrote: "noted archaeologist and
Shroud scholar William Meacham gives [in his book] a frank and often critical
accounting of what he calls the 'desecration' of the Shroud of Turin ... From
its provocative title to its stinging criticisms of the Shroud's custodians,
this book was sure to spark controversy ... it also reveals a side of
sindonology [Shroud research] seldom seen by the general public."

Owner of the largest American collection of Shroud books, articles and
memorabilia, Richard Orareo of Boston, Mass. said: "A fascinating well-written
book. Meacham is the only one who could have written such an inside account.
He had the perfect perspective to make sense of what happened."

Jim Cox of the *Midwest Book Review* said the book "made a quite favorable
impression on me."


William Meacham
Centre of Asian Studies
University of Hong Kong