Lent is upon us and Easter is soon to arrive, but first is Good Friday, the day our Lord was crucified.
I ventured out to see a matinee showing of the new movie Risen and all involved did an excellent production. From realistic scenes to the acting surrounded by so much death. The anticipated ending portrayed between the Roman Tribune and Jesus is the uplifting moment all desire.

Yet after all the research I did, both secular and faith based, for my Historical Novel called UPPER ROOM, THE WAY: 33AD to 57AD, I wondered why a fictional story of a Roman Tribune was created when we have data of two Roman Centurions directly involved. We even know their names: Centurion Petronius who guarded Jesus’ tomb and Centurion Longinus who oversaw the crucifixion.

Additional items in the movie had no historical data to support the presentation, such as the Emperor of Rome visiting Jerusalem just after Jesus’ resurrection by way of a river that doesn’t exist. Also digging up Jewish graves to find a body for the missing Jesus would have caused riots in the streets and this would have been duly noted in both secular and religious records. I personally was disappointed to just see Jesus appearing only to the apostles all the time especially when data tells of Jesus appearing to hundreds, especially in Galilee.

I know when our eyes are open, we are surrounded by images every second of every day. I also know many computer experts, artist, and forensic scientists, have collaborated to create an image showing what Jesus may actually look like from the data collected as per the Shroud of Turin. This shroud was Jesus' burial cloth and on the first micro layer of fibers is a complete body image front and back showing the full passion. After four decades of scientific study no science can explain how the image was made. These are not bold statements. The scientific facts prove the Shroud is 2,000 years old and authentic. The media version that portrays constant controversy is just to make a profit on an amazing story that they hope to keep as a mystery forever. Thus obtaining more ratings, readers, and profits. If they did their job completely, the truth would be told and their job would be done. So this blog post and video must NOT go Viral, for the message is NOT a virus. This must Propagate! Propagate, so the culture of anthropocentrism will stop.

From the few scientifically Shroud based created images showing what Jesus looks like, I see this image as the strongest. Placed into a video that you should share with all you know and love. Perhaps the image should be shown around the world as the video suggests.
The eyes are so telling...

- LJ
Author of UPPER ROOM, THE WAY: 33AD to 57AD
Author and Publisher's profits go to help the poor from sales of this Historical Novel.

The Youtube video is below and the LINK to share is: ​https://youtu.be/u0gVyEX-PkE

On April 19th of 2015 Jesus' burial Shroud, also known as the Shroud of Turin, was placed on display for the public to view until June 24th of the same year. This rare exposition of Jesus' Shroud gave time for more than 2 Million people to look upon Jesus' Shroud.

Jesus' Shroud in Turin is the most scientifically studied artifact in the history of humankind. About 14 feet long and three-and-a-half feet wide, the Shroud holds the front and back image of a brutally tortured and crucified man. This artifact has been venerated by Christians for two thousand years as the burial shroud of Jesus. Yet, the Catholic Church or any other Christian religion as I know, has not taken an official position stating that the Shroud is authentic. Now I know, a claim of authenticity does not have anything to do with those of faith believing and living the way Jesus taught us. Nevertheless, since all unpretentious people and scientist knowledgeable of all the "unspun" facts about the Shroud claim authenticity, I am now calling the Shroud of Turin what it is... Jesus' burial Shroud. In addition, since all efforts in every discipline over 35 years has failed to reproduce the same exact image, I am using one word to explain how the image appeared... Resurrection.

Coinciding with this public viewing, Pope Francis covered the logistics so homeless people from the city of Rome, could travel and visit Jesus' Shroud before he would visit. Then during the papal visit to Jesus' Shroud, Pope Francis met with workers, farmers, businesspeople, the sick and disabled.

When Pope Francis entered the cathedral and look upon Jesus' Shroud for the first time, he spent several minutes praying beside the display. Upon leaving, he approached and touched the reliquary. Afterwards in Turin's Piazza Vittorio Veneto, the pontiff said, “The Shroud attracts (us) toward the martyred face and body of Jesus. At the same time, it pushes (us) toward the face of every suffering and unjustly persecuted person. It pushes us in the same direction as the gift of Jesus’ love.”

Last week the public display concluded for Jesus' Shroud with celebrating Mass. The next time Jesus' Shroud will be made available to view is unknown.

First we have a cloth made of linen in a city called Turin. Then we have the media keeping a misleading controversy going just to make money. Lastly we have pretentious scientists, artists and self proclaimed experts stating they have the answer just for 15 minutes of fame. Fame in a media that loves to keep the controversy alive and making money.

The Shroud has been on display in Turin now for several weeks. People from all walks of life and religions have lined up to look upon this cloth for three minutes or so. In addition, the Shroud of Turin is the most studied artifact in the history of humankind. The bottom line: all unpretentious scientists know all the facts that prove this linen cloth is 2,000 years old.

For example, the 1988 Carbon dating test now faces data showing the sample tested was a repair patch done in the middle ages on the edge. Cotton was within the sample, while the main body of the cloth is linen. So the Carbon dating test results were correct, but the sample tested was wrong. Nevertheless most of the media stays away from presenting these facts in fear that their money making Shroud controversy will come to an end.

Even Barrie Schwortz, who is an orthodox Jew and the lead scientific photographer with the STURP team that researched the Shroud in 1978, now defends all the facts that show the Shroud is authentic.

In addition, modern science has not be able to reproduce the image with all the parameters, details, or the same level of resolution. They are unable to do so with modern technology nor with the best technology of the middle ages. Science may someday come to terms and give an explanation to how the image formed on the Shroud, but as of now they are incapable. For those who do not like the word incapable in the world of science, realize this: Until scientists, who are people, present an answer that they currently don't have, then yes, they are incapable. Science doesn't have an answer, because scientists are incapable of providing one. Yet, for unpretentious scientists like myself, we do not fear using the one word answer that does explain the image. That word is resurrection.

- LJ
Author of UPPER ROOM, THE WAY: 33AD to 57AD
Author and Publisher's profits go to help the poor from sales of this Historical Novel.

After 35 years of real peered reviewed science, we know the Shroud is NOT a painting, NOT a scorch, NOT a photograph, and NOT a fake from a few hundred years ago. Carbon Dating tests were done on a cotton repair job performed around the mid 1300s. So the test was right, but then wrong, because the whole body of the Shroud is Linen, not cotton. Dozens of additional facts show the Shroud to be 2000 years old including a second cloth in Spain with records going back to 400AD. This cloth is known as the Sudarium of Oviedo. The "exact" same blood stains and bodily fluid marks from around the face on the Shroud match the ones on the Sudarium. The reason is because the cloth covered the same person... Jesus. All unpretentious scientists know this data.


Skeptics, are now sacrificing any creditability grasping at singular points to state the Shroud is a medieval forgery, while ignoring the multitude of facts that prove otherwise. The biggest fact ignored is the one against the claim that a medieval forgery was done to fool the primitive minds of the times. The fact is that whatever was done in the 1300s we can do better and faster today with all our technology, but somehow after 35 years and thousands of tests, we can NOT duplicate the image with all its properties on the Shroud. No modern day mind with today's technology or even with old 14th century crafts can reproduce the image on the Shroud.

In the end, an unpretentious mind will realize who else could this cloth cover other than Jesus. His legs were not broken, He wore a cap of thorns and He rose from the dead leaving an image on his Shroud as the last miracle to be fully understood today with our modern technology. Only because of the resurrection, a new faith was born and His followers were eventually called Christians. For two thousand years their faith grew and they didn't need to see Jesus' Shroud.

- LJ
Author of UPPER ROOM, THE WAY: 33AD to 57AD
Author and Publisher's profits go to help the poor from sales of this Historical Novel.

We tend to separate ourselves from specific details of any tragedy. That information is always the most difficult to block out and always truly upsetting. Nevertheless, we have a part of the entertainment media that strives to shock those, who will watch, with new versions of visual suffering. The end results create a desensitized audience, thus constantly requiring new ways to present visual shock. However, they too will leave out details that everyone would relate with, in fear of those details turning the most devoted fan.

The majority of us do the same with Jesus' crucifixion, we avoid the details because they prove how callous evil is in reality. Thus, to understand what Jesus did for us, is to learn the details. From the research of Dr. Pierre Barbet, Dr. Frederick Thomas Zugibe, and scientific teams that examined the Shroud of Turin, the following provides details on what Jesus endured just with the cap (crown) of thorns.

Medical experiments by Dr. Zugibe and the image on the shroud, shows the pattern of blood flow attesting to a cap and not a crown of thorns previously depicted in movies. The medical details of what this cap of thorns would do to anyone are appalling and only one person was given this cap or crown by the Romans to signify the king of Jews. His name is Jesus.

On the shroud there are sections along the head showing blood flow and the hair is saturated with dried blood. This will cause the hair to remain flat to the face on both sides. As for enduring the effects, that seems impossible:

When a Roman soldier struck Jesus with a reed, hand or any object, excruciating pain would have traveled across His face, into His ears and through His forehead. Yet, even feeling a breeze upon His face would initiate severe pain.

The perception of pain in the head region comes from two major nerves. The trigeminal nerve for the front half of the head and the occipital, which is for the back half of the head. The trigeminal nerve passes through the face, including the eyes, jaw, lips, nose, cheeks, and tongue. The extremely painful condition called trigeminal neuralgia would be activated by the thorns and triggered by any slight touch, movement of the jaw, speaking or swallowing. Even temperature changes would create a stabbing pain radiating around the eyes, across the forehead, into the lips, nose, cheeks and tongue. This is agonizing pain and reported to be the worst anyone can endure. Jesus had this pain as he walked all the way to Calvary and until he died on the Cross.

All this would have created a state for traumatic and hypovolemic shock as He bled profusely. Along with feeling unsteady, short of breath, feelings of vomiting, Jesus collapsed under the weight of a patibulum, the horizontal part of the cross. This caused additional pain and paralysis of the right arm as I wrote about in my July 20, 2014 blog called: Suffered Ad Infinitum Until Death

- LJ
Author of UPPER ROOM, THE WAY: 33AD to 57AD
Author and Publisher's profits go to help the poor from sales of this Historical Novel.

I received the booklet on the left upon entering the event at St. John's University. The theater was at capacity except for a few unoccupied seats. Media was present, some security, professors, priests, nuns, church groups and many students of science, photography, theology or philosophy majors.

Barrie Schwortz was introduced by my publisher and proceeded to passionately talk for just over two hours. Not one human in that audience comprehended the passing of that much time. Ironically, words spoken in Mr. Schwortz introduction referenced our current realm in time and space. Then when the presentation concluded, time and space seemed to have stood still. This attribute can only describe presentations that are professional, exciting, intriguing, joyous, serious, factual, casual and astonishing. Mr. Schwortz meets all this criteria and more.

I was happy that my historical novel Upper Room The Way, played a small part in this event and I hope some in the audience download the story. I am proud that not only I, but also my publisher will make all proceeds go to those who are in need.

I left, as I arrived, knowing as Mr Schwortz knows... This is not about us, it is about the Son of God. Thus, I am in agreement with the whispers I heard in the audience about Barrie Schwortz:
"He is a modern day prophet."

- LJ
Author of UPPER ROOM, THE WAY: 33AD to 57AD
Author and Publisher's profits go to help the poor from sales of this Historical Novel.