The Causes of Jesus’ Death in the Light of the Holy Bible and the Turin Shroud

Matteo Bevilacqua, Giulio Fanti* and Michele D’Arienzo

Due to the lack of information, the pathogenesis of the death of Jesus of Nazareth is still widely debated. A univocal pathogenesis can be detected by the close comparison between what is reported in the Holy Bible (in particular the four Gospels and the prophetic passages of the Old Testament) and what can be observed on the Turin Shroud (TS). Obviously the authenticity of the latter must be here accepted in the sense that it wrapped the corpse of Jesus of Nazareth. The criteria used to support or ignore many etiological hypotheses regarding the terminal event that caused Jesus’ death must take into account: an acute fact, the perfect lucidity and the cry of Jesus immediately before his death. We conclude that the causes of death are:

Terminal cause: myocardial infarction, heart rupture and hemopericardium.

Contributing and accelerating causes, in chronological order: 1. severe emotional stress and sweating with hematohydrosis, 2. fl uid loss without drinking, 3. beating and scourging, 4. crown of thorns, 5. blunt trauma to the neck and thorax following the fall with right shoulder dislocation, paralysis of the entire right brachial plexus, pulmonary contusion with hemothorax and cardiac contusion, 6. nailing, 7. probable left ulnar proximal paralysis from stretching during crucifi xion, 8. probable right foot dislocation from stretching during crucifi xion, 9. causalgia, 10. Hypoventilation, 11. Hemorrhagic hypovolemicpolitraumatic and suspension shock.

Keywords: Jesus of Nazareth; Cause of death; Turin Shroud; Holy Bible

Published on: Apr 11, 2017 Pages: 37-46

Full Text PDF Full Text HTML DOI: 10.17352/ojt.000009
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