What did the Apostles see when they entered Christ’s tomb on Easter morning? On The Drew Mariani Show, historian Dr. Cheryl White reflected on the burial cloths described in John 20 and why the Shroud of Turin continues to fascinate believers and researchers alike.

Dr. White pointed to the Gospel account of Peter and John finding the burial cloths carefully set apart in the tomb. She noted that this detail reflects a proper Jewish burial and suggests these cloths would not have been casually discarded. Instead, she said, they may have been preserved by the early apostolic community and carried from Jerusalem through Antioch, Edessa, and Constantinople before disappearing in 1204. In her view, the Shroud does not simply “show up” in the Middle Ages.

She also explained why the image remains so mysterious. The Shroud is made of linen, not a photographically sensitive material, and the image is not a painting. What appears on it is “an anatomically accurate and forensically perfect image of a man” who had been scourged, crowned with thorns, crucified in Roman fashion, and pierced in the side. Even more astonishing, Dr. White said the image rests on an extremely thin surface of the cloth, making it both simple to see and difficult to explain.

For Christians during Easter, the Shroud remains a powerful reminder of Christ’s Passion, Death, and Resurrection. It does not replace faith, but it can deepen awe before the mystery of what took place in that sealed tomb.

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