Fragrances on the Holy Shroud? Clues from Scripture!

The Holy Shroud of Turin, the most analyzed and studied artifact in history, is a 14-ft. linen burial cloth that bears the image of a crucified man. Millions of people believe it is the authentic burial cloth of Jesus Christ of Nazareth which was miraculously imprinted with His likeness at the moment of His resurrection. BUT DID YOU KNOW that this linen cloth would have been permeated with fragrances as well? First century Jewish burial rites included preparing a body with fragrant resins & spices, oils of nard, myrrh and aloes. According to the Biblical Cyclopedia, “Ointments as well as oil were used to anoint dead bodies and the clothes in which they were wrapped. So strong were the better kinds of ointments, and so perfectly were the different component substances amalgamated, that they have been known to retain their scent several hundred years.” Jesus, Our Lord, spoke of his own body being anointed in anticipation of his burial in the following scriptures: Mt 26:12, “In pouring this perfumed oil (nard) upon my body, she did it to prepare me for burial” and Mark 14:8, “...she has anointed my body (with ointment of pure nard, very costly), beforehand for burying.” And John 19:40 gives us a further clue as to how there would have been fragrances on the Holy Shroud: “Nicodemus also, who had at first come to him by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds’ weight. They took the body of Jesus, and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews.”

Rodger Kenworthy, along with his wife Greer, are the producers of ABBA Biblical fragrant prayer oils and candles for the past 27 years. They have been researching and studying the Shroud of Turin for over 17 years. Their first encounter with this sacred relic occurred in 2005 during a visit to the Garden of Gethsemane in Jerusalem. They were invited by Father Giorgio, caretaker of the Garden, to view a full-length replica of one of the first photographs of the Shroud taken in 1898 by Secondo Pia, which was on private display within the Garden compound. It was a profound spiritual experience that God used to stir their hearts with a deep desire to learn more about this ancient linen cloth.

Since that viewing, they have been seeking God’s direction on the possibility of producing a fragrance associated with this awe-inspiring relic. Through in-depth study of first century Jewish burial rites along with the resurrection account as told in the Gospels, the Kenworthys discovered that various spices, resins and oils, such as myrrh, nard and aloes, were used to prepare a body for burial. With the leading of the Holy Spirit, they have formulated a fragrance using some of the same spices and oils which would have been on the linen burial cloth of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. After many years of inspiration, development and much prayer, it is with great joy that they announce the completion of this fragrant devotional oil inspired by the iconic Shroud of Turin, HOLY SHROUD FRAGRANCE™.

The Kenworthys believe that the HOLY SHROUD FRAGRANCE™ was brought forth by God to shed light on the significance of the Turin Shroud as it testifies to the extreme price that Christ paid for man’s redemption and as it bears witness to Christ’s resurrection. As this sacred oil is used in prayer and devotions and during times of worship and intercession, it is their deep desire that its divine aroma will be a reminder of the hope and promise of eternal life accomplished through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, Savior of the world.

Jesus said: “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live” (John 11:25).

Rodger Kenworthy met Fr. Andrew Dalton, a leading Holy Shroud authority and well-known International Shroud speaker, in Houston and introduced him to the HOLY SHROUD FRAGRANCETM. The picture to the left shows Fr. Dalton praying a blessing over the fragrance in September 2022. He spoke at various venues on behalf of the Holy Shroud Exhibit opening in Houston at the National Museum of Funeral History in April 2023.