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AMERICANALMANAC (Sadie Smith) - Shroud of Turin DNA study detects Near Eastern genetic traces, reigniting debate over relic's origins

A peer-reviewed genetic analysis of the Shroud of Turin has identified a rare DNA lineage tied to the ancient Near East and salt-loving microbes consistent with a Dead Sea environment, findings the Vatican says support the burial cloth's authenticity. The study, published July 9 in the journal Scientific Reports, examined 12 linen fiber samples removed […] The post Shroud of Turin DNA study detects Near Eastern genetic traces, reigniting debate over relic's origins appeared first on American Almanac .

A peer-reviewed genetic analysis of the Shroud of Turin has identified a rare DNA lineage tied to the ancient Near East and salt-loving microbes consistent with a Dead Sea environment, findings the Vatican says support the burial cloth's authenticity. The study, published July 9 in the journal Scientific Reports, examined 12 linen fiber samples removed from the Shroud during a 1978 investigation and never previously subjected to genomic analysis. Led by Dr. Gianni Barcaccia, a professor of genetics and genomics at the University of Padua in Italy, the research team used next-generation sequencing, technology capable of searching millions of genetic fragments simultaneously, to catalog the biological material embedded in the cloth. Among…Open

What was the conclusion of the authors of the 2026 study regarding the Shroud's age?
The study's authors stated the evidence "cannot establish whether the Shroud was created in medieval Europe or dates back approximately 2,000 years" and does not prove its connection to Jesus, framing the work as a contribution to understanding the cloth's biological history rather than a verdict on its authenticity.
Q&A ID eda9d005-6e1f-4bcb-b744-afc2154bb15f
What did the radiocarbon dating of two loose threads from the Shroud suggest?
The radiocarbon dating of two loose threads reflected documented repairs rather than the age of the original cloth, which suggests that the medieval date assigned to the Shroud in the 1980s may have been drawn from patched material rather than the linen at the cloth's core.
Q&A ID cbe29237-ac8d-45f5-9cb2-327cce9bc6ea
What were the findings of the 2015 study involving Barcaccia's group regarding DNA?
The 2015 study uncovered DNA from at least 19 plant species and mitochondrial lineages attributed to at least 14 people; in that analysis, 55.6 percent of classified human DNA sequences corresponded to Near Eastern lineages, and 38.7 percent corresponded to Indian lineages.
Q&A ID 87dc9492-3e63-48e7-82c4-ad4e77ca59ad
Did the study find any plant species exclusive to the Levant?
No, the researchers noted an absence of flora typical of the Middle East, which is a gap that cuts against the narrative of a cloth that spent its early centuries in the Holy Land.
Q&A ID 08ac2925-3fe3-42f9-9f63-7cee0b8bc0e9
Keywordsshroud-of-turindnageneticsvaticanturinitalymiddle-eastnear-eastdead-seajesus-christreligionarchaeologyscientific-studyhistoryauthenticitylevantisraellebanonsyriajordandr-gianni-barcacciauniversity-of-paduagenomic-analysisradiocarbon-datingbiological-tracesancient-historychristianityfaithsciencedebates