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Relics of Christianity, such as the Shroud of Turin and the Holy Grail, are objects with religious significance. Carbon dating has been used to determine their authenticity, but some question the results. The True Cross and lesser-known relics also hold miraculous powers and stories.
The relics of Christianity are objects of meaning referred to in the New Testament or in the Christian tradition. They may exist in modern times as questionably authentic, like the Shroud of Turin and the Image of Edessa. Relics of Christianity can also be held to exist or have existed at some point and are not currently located, such as the Holy Grail.
Modern features such as carbon dating have been applied to some relics of Christianity to help determine their authenticity. For example, fragments of what is probably the best known localized Christian relic, the Shroud of Turin, were carbon-dated in 1988. The results indicated that the fragments were from medieval times and that therefore the cloth was not enough old to be a Christianity relic or authentic burial shroud of Jesus Christ. Critics of the carbon test, however, point out that particles left on the Shroud of Turin from a 1500s fire in the chapel where it was kept may have tainted the test results.
The ancient basilica of Santa Croce in Rome, as well as other Catholic and Orthodox churches across Europe, house what many believe are pieces of the “true cross” that Christ carried at his crucifixion. As with many other relics in Christianity, the True Cross carries stories ascribing miraculous healing powers to the object. According to legend, the True Cross healed a woman of illness after being found in AD 300 by Empress Helena.
The Holy Grail, supposedly the cup, bowl, or plate used by Christ at the Last Supper, is perhaps the most legendary of all unlocated relics in Christianity due to its connection to Arthurian folklore. According to other legends, the Holy Grail was used to collect the blood of Christ during his crucifixion. In the popular novel and film, The Da Vinci Code, the Holy Grail is depicted as a symbol for the womb of Mary Magdalene, who is supposed to have carried the child of Christ and subsequently passed on his bloodline. In The Da Vinci Code storyline, this “true” meaning of the Holy Grail is closely guarded and handed down throughout history by select members of the Priory of Sion.
Lesser-known relics of Christianity include The Iron Crown of Lombardy and the Bridle of Constantine, said to have been fashioned from the nails used during the crucifixion; The Holy Foreskin, the foreskin said to have been removed by Christ during circumcision; as well as the Gifts of the Magi given to Christ at his birth.
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