Archeologists in Jerusalem have uncovered a first-century burial shroud. The find seems to be extremely significant and pretty cool as well.

Jerusalem (CNN) — Researchers said Wednesday for the first time they have found what they believe to be pieces of a burial shroud from the time of Jesus. The find is of importance because tests on the shroud and the body it wrapped revealed the earliest proven case of leprosy in the Old City of Jerusalem. And in addition, the weave of the shroud raises fresh doubts about the Shroud of Turin, which many people believe was used to wrap the body of Jesus. According to researchers involved in the excavation and subsequent testing, the recently discovered shroud lends more credible evidence that the Shroud of Turin does not date to Roman times when Jesus died but from a later period.The latest shroud was found in a tomb complex on the edge of the Old City of Jerusalem. “This is the first time that we have a shroud from the time of Jesus,” said Shimon Gibson, the excavation director.

In my opinion the article places way to much emphasis on the Shroud of Turin (If I’m honest, I could care less about the Shroud of Turin). This new shroud however, is a collossal find on it’s own merit for a couple of reasons.

First, this find seems to corroborate a specific element of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

He called such a find in the Jerusalem area unique because the high humidity levels in the city do not normally allow for the preservation of organic material. Gibson said the remains of the man covered in the cloth consisted of different wrappings for the body and the head, which was consistent with burial practices of the era. He also said research had shown that the weave of the cloth was a simple one, much different from the more complex Shroud of Turin’s.

John 20:6-8 says, “Then Simon Peter came along behind (John) and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen.” This is just a little throw away detail about the resurrection of Jesus and yet it is these details that often underscore the larger truths. If the authors get the details right- the thought goes- then it lends greater credibility to the whole. Jesus’ body was wrapped and then a head cloth was placed over his face- the exact practice verified by first century traditions.

Secondly, it gives us a better idea as to what the tomb of Jesus may have looked like.

Based on the tomb’s location and the style of the shroud wrappings, researchers have said the shrouded man was an affluent member of Jerusalem society.

Jesus was buried in a tomb donated by a wealthy member of the Sanhedrin named Joeseph of Arimathea. It is very possible that this tomb would share some of the same characteristics. I look forward to filing these pictures away for use as a visual aid in my teaching classes. Let’s hope the archeologist took some great pictures. Hey guys, post those pics on Facebook! Kidding. High Res shots would be much better.

Finally, this find means that we could be close to understanding that age old skin condition known as leprosy. Now maybe we can speak with authority instead of basically making things up.

Because of the unique nature of the find, the remains of the shroud and the bodily remains were subject to molecular and DNA testing. Researchers said they were surprised to find that the shrouded man suffered from both leprosy and tuberculosis. The discovery of leprosy was found in DNA samples taken from the skeletal remains and is the earliest proven case of the disease, according to Hebrew University professor Mark Spigelman. It is likely the shrouded man died from tuberculosis, Spigelman said, and its presence in other remains found at the site suggest “the significant impact social diseases such as tuberculosis had on society from the low socioeconomic groups up to the more affluent families, such as Tomb the Shroud in first-century Jerusalem.”

Leprosy? Are you kidding me! (Allow me to slip into Bible teacher mode) This could mean that I can stop saying things like, “Well… we don’t know exactly what leprosy was…” or “Leprosy could have been a simple skin disorder…” NO MORE! Leprosy can be leprosy! Yay!

I’d encourage you to read the article and to check out the pics for yourself (first century corpse- you’re welcome!). It will be interesting to find out more about this latest find. As the weeks go on I hope that the researchers will release more of their findings so we can find out all we can about the times in which Jesus lived.

Story at CNN.com