Sindon, also known as Syndone, was a fine cloth that resembled

muslin Muslin () is a cotton fabric of plain weave. It is made in a wide range of weights from delicate sheers to coarse sheeting. It gets its name from the city of Mosul, Iraq, where it was first manufactured. Muslin of uncommonly delicate handsp ...

or cambric. It had multiple applications, including as a material used in furnishing, covering the

pyx A pyx or pix ( la, pyxis, transliteration of Greek: ''πυξίς'', boxwood receptacle, from ''πύξος'', box tree) is a small round container used in the Catholic, Old Catholic and Anglican Churches to carry the consecrated host (Eucharist) ...

, and was referenced in the

Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...

and ancient Greek literature. According to Christian tradition, it was Sindon cloth in which the body of

Jesus of Nazareth Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

was shrouded.

History

Sindon was an ancient Babylonian textile primarily made from

linen Linen () is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant. Linen is very strong, absorbent, and dries faster than cotton. Because of these properties, linen is comfortable to wear in hot weather and is valued for use in garments. It also ...

. There are varying accounts of the texture and material, with some sources indicating

cotton Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus ''Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor perce ...

, linen, and

silk Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the coc ...

. Sindon presents a source of confusion in various contexts. Certain scholars have interpreted this term to refer to dyed cotton fabrics. It was also alternatively known as 'Syndone' and held the transitional designation of 'cendel,' which had associations with silken materials. Records of exports from England in 1382 indicate that Sindon was a type of silk material. Sindon cloth has been produced in Sindh, Pakistan, since before the Christian era, and was exported to Mediterranean countries. Sindon was also used for interior decoration. Sindon cloth curtains in green were used to decorate King Edward's chamber according to historical records of his wardrobe.

Christianity

References to 'Sindon' cloth can also be found in both the Bible and ancient Greek literature. According to Christian tradition, Sindon cloth was used to shroud the body of Jesus. The

Shroud of Turin The Shroud of Turin ( it, Sindone di Torino), also known as the Holy Shroud ( it, Sacra Sindone, links=no or ), is a length of linen cloth bearing the negative image of a man. Some describe the image as depicting Jesus of Nazareth and bel ...

, which is purported to be Jesus's burial shroud, is a rectangular piece of sindon fabric that measures approximately in length and in width. It displays a faint, sepia-toned image of a man's front and back, with wounds consistent with crucifixion. Aldred the Glossator, a 10th-century priest, offered an explanation for the term "sindon" (i.e., "shroud" or "fine linen cloth"), but he provided this clarification specifically where the word is used to refer to the burial shroud of Jesus in passages such as MtGl(Li) 27.59, MkGl(Li) 15.46, and LkGl(Li) 23.53. Sindon cloth was considered sacred and had multiple uses, such as being used to cover the pyx. Prominent historical relics in

Suffolk Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowes ...

include the 'Sindon cloth', used to cover the pyx containing the reserved Blessed Sacrament, and the 'burse', a case designed for the corporal upon which the Host is placed during Mass. Both of these items originated from the Hessett church in Suffolk and are currently on loan to the British Museum.

References

{{reflist Textile artefacts Linens Textile arts Textiles

History

Christianity

See also

References