New research published this week has suggested that the ‘Shroud of Turin’ – believed to be the burial garment of Jesus Christ – may have links to India. The Shroud has been the center of debate for centuries, with many questioning its authenticity.
Indian connection
Now scientists say that the Romans may have “imported” the linen or yarn used to weave the shroud from the Indus Valley region.
A recent research paper titled “Genetic analysis of environmental DNA on the Shroud of Turin” (bioRxiv, March 2026) revealed that roughly 38.7 percent to 40 percent of the identifiable human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) found on the canvas belongs to haplogroups typical of South Asia (India).
It suggested that the presence of approximately 38.7 percent Indian ethnic lines may have resulted from historical interactions or Roman imports of linen from areas near the Indus Valley, associated with the term “Hindoyin” found in rabbinic texts.
“The presence of 38.7 percent of the total human genomic data from Indian lineages is unexpected and is potentially linked to historical interactions associated with the importation of linen or yarn from areas near the Indus Valley, referred to as ‘Hindoyin’ according to rabbinic texts (10),” the University of Padua researchers said in their paper.
The term “Mantle”, derived from the Greek “Sindôn”, meaning fine linen, may be related to Sindh, a region renowned for its high-quality textiles.
“Historical evidence supports trade links between India and the Mediterranean, underscoring the importance of these textiles and encouraging further investigation into ancient cultural interactions and trade practices,” the paper added.
“Indeed, the biblical scholar Levergne stated that the expression ‘Sindôn’
denotes a fabric of Indian origin, prized for its qualities and used for various and multipurpose purposes (48),” he continued.
In short, the results of the analysis of DNA traces found on the Shroud of Turin indicated “potentially extensive exposure of the fabric in the Mediterranean region and the possibility that the yarn was made in India”.
The research claims to provide “original insights” into the diversity of DNA extracted from samples taken in 1978 from the Shroud of Turin, revealing its biological complexity through rigorous DNA and metagenomic analyses.
She said analysis of DNA extracted from organic particles and textile fibers taken from the shroud revealed “chloroplast and mitochondrial genome sequences representing multiple plant species as well as diverse human biogeographic origins.”
In addition to the presence of at least 19 plant species, the researchers found “sequences from at least 14 people of different geographic origins based on identified Eurasian haplogroups that are common to Western Europe and Northeast Africa.
also from the Middle East, the Arabian Peninsula, the Caucasus region, and also rare haplotypes from the Indian subcontinent (9).
What is the Shroud of Turin?
Britannica says the Shroud of Turin is a cloth said to be the burial garment of Jesus Christ. It has been kept since 1578 in the Royal Chapel of the Cathedral of San Giovanni Battista in Turin, Italy.
Meanwhile, a study published in the NIH said the Shroud of Turin is a 4.4m x 1.1m canvas “bearing a faint impression of the head-on-head, frontal and dorsal body of a man with obvious wounds, spread out in death, as if the images were created when the fabric was folded lengthwise over the human body”.
“The locations of the bloodstains are consistent with specific details of Jesus’ crucifixion: the thorns on the head, the scourging, the nail wounds on the feet and wrists, and the wound on the side. There are many triangular holes with charred edges created by a documented fire in 1532. Several water stains are also visible,” he adds.
