The Facecloth

Oh, yeah… I said there's nothing like the Shroud, except…

One thing I did learn in this show that was brand new to me was about the facecloth relic. Regardless of whether it's really that cloth, I had no idea there was another relic with a face image. How did I miss that one?

I knew there had been a facecloth, mysteriously folded off to the side (John 20:7). But if there were a facecloth, I've wondered, how could the Shroud have a face image? (And why in heaven would neatnik angels, or whoever, neatly fold up the facecloth but leave the linens rumpled in the burial niche?) The CNN report says Joe and Nick had probably wrapped the head at the Cross, and then removed that cloth before the body was finally covered with the Shroud. Oh. Did you know that? Forehead-smacking d'oh! No mystery about its being folded up and set off to the side, then; much less about its not blocking the Shroud image.

Its image seemed to me to be more blurry than the Shroud's; predictably, if it was removed before— whatever happened to the body at the resurrection. Still, intriguing.