Sindon 7:26-34 (
2023)
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Abstract
The Shroud of Turin is a controversial linen cloth thought by some to be a medieval artifact
and by others to be the burial cloth of Jesus of Nazareth. To better explain the reasons why
reaching a consensus among experts seems highly unlikely, this paper focuses on the possible
relationship between the Shroud of Turin and the Pray Codex, the first illuminated manuscript
in Hungarian (c. 1192 – c. 1195). An analysis of the recent literature, including a qualitative
survey, highlights not only the variety but also the weakness of the reasoning processes of the
scholars, from less complete and intuitive to extremely detailed and systematic approaches. A
new methodological approach excludes the position according to which it is certain that the
Turin shroud has no direct or indirect link with the Pray Codex. A better understanding of
the historiographical criteria and of the Bayesian framework might constitute a precious basis
for solving similar interdisciplinary disputes.