#293 Jeremiah Johnston - Codex Vaticanus, Book of Enoch and the Resurrection of Jesus
Episode of The Shawn Ryan Show · April 2, 2026 · 2 h 54 min
New Testament scholar Jeremiah Johnston shows Shawn Ryan artifacts and argues the Shroud of Turin and other finds evidence Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection.
Summary
In an Easter episode of the Shawn Ryan Show, New Testament scholar Jeremiah J. Johnston presented what he described as historical, archaeological and scientific evidence for the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. Johnston recounted being invited by Rich Strombach to speak at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he said he presented the case for the resurrection and claimed it was the first time Jesus had been mentioned there in 55 years. He gave Ryan replica and authentic artifacts during the interview, including a Roman spear replica, facsimiles of Papyrus 52 and the "Jesus Fragment" (P64), a crown of thorns replica, a first-century crucifixion nail, bone dice, a Tyrian shekel, Roman gold aurei and a denarius, and a Roman needle.
Most of the conversation concerned the Shroud of Turin, which Johnston said he had rejected for years as a medieval Catholic relic before concluding, after roughly three years of research and interviews with scientists, that it is authentic. He cited mathematician Bruno Barberis's odds of one in 200 billion, physicist Paolo Di Lazzaro's estimate of 34,000 billion watts released in one-fortieth of a billionth of a second, the 1976 VP8 image analyzer finding of three-dimensional encoding, AB blood typing on the shroud and the Oviedo sudarium, and Max Frei's pollen samples. He argued the 1988 radiocarbon dating should be disregarded because the British Museum withheld the raw data for 27 years and because, per Tristan Casabianca's analysis, the tested samples were not homogenous with the shroud. Johnston said the shroud's image and blood are fading and urged the Catholic Church and Pope Leo to display it publicly.
Johnston also discussed manuscripts and other finds: a facsimile of the Great Isaiah Scroll from Qumran, a signed facsimile of Codex Vaticanus, the James ossuary, the "Jesus Cup" from Alexandria bearing Jesus' name in a magical inscription, and a seventh-century Justinian solidus that he said matches the shroud face at 200 points. Asked about the Ethiopian biblical canon, he described 1 Enoch and the Apocrypha as intertestamental literature useful for context but not historical, said Enoch does nothing to illuminate the Nephilim of Genesis 6, and dismissed claims that the Ark of the Covenant is in Ethiopia or that chariot wheels have been found in the Red Sea.
He closed by listing eight reasons he believes in the resurrection, including that suffering makes no sense without it, that Jesus foretold it, that hostile witnesses such as James and Paul converted, and that the gospel re-humanized women, children and slaves. He described the church as the bride of Christ and criticized COVID-era rules that treated liquor stores as essential but not churches, and characterized hell as conscious separation from God that biblical hyperbole cannot fully describe.
Chapters
- 0:05
Welcome and opening prayer
Ryan introduces Johnston as an Easter-timed guest and Johnston opens the conversation in prayer.
- 3:29
Presenting the resurrection at Davos
Johnston describes being invited to the World Economic Forum to present evidence for the resurrection and being asked to lead a faith section.
- 9:08
Gifts: spear replica and the oldest New Testament papyri
Johnston gives Ryan a Roman spear replica and facsimiles of Papyrus 52 and the P64 'Jesus Fragment,' explaining their dating and content.
- 15:45
From shroud skeptic to believer
Johnston recounts his Oxford doctoral work on resurrection belief and how he came to accept the Shroud of Turin as authentic.
- 24:47
The 'nuclear event,' VP8 analysis and STURP findings
He describes the energy calculations behind the shroud image, its 3D encoding, and the 1978 Shroud of Turin Research Project, including AB blood typing and pollen evidence.
- 39:45
Crown of thorns, nails and the brutality of crucifixion
Johnston hands Ryan a crown of thorns replica, a first-century crucifixion nail and a flagrum while describing scourging, nailing through the calcaneus and cause of death.
- 1:15:57
The Great Isaiah Scroll and textual reliability
He presents a 24-foot facsimile of the Qumran Isaiah scroll and argues it demonstrates the stability of the biblical text.
- 1:23:40
A fading image and the disputed carbon dating
Johnston reports the shroud's image and blood are fading, criticizes the Catholic Church for not displaying it, and disputes the 1988 radiocarbon results.
- 1:37:31
Ossuaries, magic texts and Roman coins
He explains Jewish bone boxes and the James ossuary, the Alexandria 'Jesus Cup,' and how coins of Augustus, Tiberius and Herod illuminate New Testament language.
- 2:08:23
Codex Vaticanus
Johnston shows a numbered facsimile of Codex Vaticanus signed by Pope John Paul II and discusses paleography, nomina sacra and manuscript history.
- 2:19:10
The Ethiopian Bible, Enoch and the Ark of the Covenant
He addresses the Ethiopic canon, 1 Enoch and the Nephilim, extracanonical gospels, and dismisses claims about the Ark and Red Sea chariot wheels.
- 2:36:53
Eight reasons for the resurrection, the church and hell
Johnston lists his reasons for believing in the resurrection, defines the church, and describes what he believes Scripture teaches about hell.
Key points
What was said, by whom, with the exact words. Timestamps jump to the moment.
- Jeremiah J. Johnston
Johnston said his time at Davos convinced him that multinational corporations, not governments, exert primary control over world affairs.
“I learned at WEF that it's really not governments that run the world. It's these multinational companies that run the world, not governments”
- Jeremiah J. Johnston
Johnston argued that the Shroud of Turin constitutes scientific proof of Jesus' bodily resurrection based on study across 102 academic disciplines.
“it turns out when you look at it the shroud of turin is scientific proof of the physical bodily resurrection of jesus christ”
- Jeremiah J. Johnston
Johnston relayed mathematician Bruno Barberis's calculation of the probability that the shroud depicts someone other than Jesus.
“Jeremiah, there is a one in 200 billion chance it is not the historical Jesus”
- Jeremiah J. Johnston
Johnston cited physicist Paolo Di Lazzaro's estimate of the energy required to produce the shroud image, which he called a nuclear event beyond current human capability.
“it would take 34,000 billion watts of energy traveling at 140th of a billionth of a second to change the chemical makeup of a fine linen shroud to leave that image”
- Jeremiah J. Johnston
Johnston said the 1976 VP8 image analyzer test revealed three-dimensional, holographic-like encoding unique to the shroud.
“there is 3D encoding on the shroud. There is a topography, almost a holographic nature to it”
- Jeremiah J. Johnston
Johnston said the blood on the shroud is type AB, a rare Semitic blood type he considers evidence against medieval forgery.
“It would be type AB blood. The fewest amount of people in the world have type AB blood”
- Jeremiah J. Johnston
Johnston cited Max Frei's pollen analysis as tying the shroud to springtime Jerusalem.
“There are 58 pollens on the shroud. 38 of them are from Jerusalem. They only bloom in springtime during Passover”
- Jeremiah J. Johnston
Johnston asserted that Jesus' crucifixion on 3 April AD 33 is the best-established fact of the ancient world.
“we know jesus is crucified it's the best established fact of the ancient world on april 3rd a.d 33”
- Jeremiah J. Johnston
Johnston said Jesus died both by asphyxiation and massive heart failure according to hematological analysis.
“when Jesus dies, yes, he dies by asphyxiation, but based on the hematological reports, he also died of a massive heart failure”
- Jeremiah J. JohnstonPrediction · due Dec 2027
Johnston said the sequel to The Passion of the Christ, currently filming, is expected next year.
“wait. I think it's next year. Bro, can't wait. They're filming it right now”
- Jeremiah J. Johnston
Johnston said what finally convinced him was that the world's leading scientists cannot explain or replicate the shroud image.
“the greatest scientific minds in the world cannot explain or replicate how there is an image in the shroud”
- Jeremiah J. Johnston
Johnston argued that Christian faith is grounded in evidence and eyewitness proof rather than in belief without support.
“The first Christians needed proof to believe in. Faith is not faith in faith, Sean. It is faith in evidence”
- Jeremiah J. Johnston
Johnston said the flogging Jesus endured amounted to about 700 lashes, of which 372 are countable on the shroud.
“That is when Jesus endures 700 lashes. 700. We have counted on the shroud 372 lashes, but we do not have the lateral sides”
Linked moment · 1:22:26Skip to 1:22:26 using a listen link in the info box.
Jeremiah J. JohnstonJohnston reported, after meeting the custodian in Turin, that the shroud's image and blood are fading.
“And I have news, I have breaking news for your show. The image is fading”
- Jeremiah J. Johnston
Johnston said the shroud only passed to the Catholic Church in 1985 and therefore should not be dismissed as a Catholic relic.
“The shroud did not come into Catholic possession until 1985”
- Jeremiah J. Johnston
Johnston called on the Catholic Church and Pope Leo to put the shroud on public display.
“So I would encourage the Catholic Church and Pope Leo, who I signed a letter to, to bring it out, let people see it, let people make up their own minds”
- Jeremiah J. Johnston
Johnston argued the 1988 carbon dating is worthless because the tested samples were not representative of the shroud.
“The samples they used for the carbon dating are not homogenous with the shroud itself”
Listen from 1:33:16 · Radiocarbon dating of the Shroud of Turin
- Jeremiah J. Johnston
Johnston said a seventh-century Justinian solidus bearing Christ's face matches the shroud face at 200 points of congruence.
“This is a solidus that has 200 points of congruence, correspondence, comparability with the face of the man of the shroud”
- Jeremiah J. Johnston
Johnston claimed there are 45 sources establishing over 129 facts about Jesus within a century of the events.
“We have 45 sources for Jesus of Nazareth that prove over 129 facts about him within, and I'll use Bart Ehrman's skeptical, within 100 years of the event”
- Jeremiah J. Johnston
Johnston described the facsimile he brought as likely the oldest surviving Bible, Codex Vaticanus, dated near the Council of Nicaea.
“this is, I think, could be, likely, the oldest Bible that we have. This is Codex Vaticanus”
- Jeremiah J. Johnston
Johnston argued that 1 Enoch contributes nothing historically to understanding Genesis 6 and the Nephilim.
“does nothing to help us understand Genesis 6 and the Nephilim at all”
- Jeremiah J. Johnston
Johnston urged people fascinated by Enoch to instead learn 300 Greek words, which he said would cover eight of ten word occurrences in the Greek New Testament.
“if I got you to memorize just 300 Greek words, just 300, You yourself would be able to recognize 8 out of 10 word occurrences”
- Jeremiah J. Johnston
Johnston rejected the claim that the Ethiopian church possesses the Ark of the Covenant.
“And I put zero credibility into thinking that the Ethiopian church has it”
- Jeremiah J. Johnston
Johnston dismissed claims of Exodus chariot wheels in the Red Sea as clickbait.
“we don't have chariot wheels in the red sea from the from the exodus if we did they would be at every museum in the world”
- Jeremiah J. Johnston
Johnston criticized COVID-era policy that designated liquor stores essential while closing churches in New York City.
“The fact that liquor stores were essential, but churches weren't in New York City during COVID”
- Jeremiah J. Johnston
Johnston said Scripture teaches conscious torment rather than annihilationism, and that hell is what a person ultimately chooses.
“will be conscious torment i don't believe that the scripture teaches annihilationism although some fine christians do”
People
In the conversation
- Shawn RyanFormer U.S. Navy SEAL and CIA contractor, host of the Shawn Ryan Show
- Jeremiah J. JohnstonNew Testament scholar, apologist and author; president of the Christian Thinkers Society and pastor of apologetics at Prestonwood Baptist Church
Discussed
- Lee StrobelChristian apologist and author, described by both men as a friend and mentor
- Bruno BarberisItalian mathematician who has studied the Shroud of Turin
- Paolo Di LazzaroItalian physicist at ENEA who researched laser reproduction of the shroud image
- Barrie SchwortzDocumenting photographer of the 1978 Shroud of Turin Research Project
- Max FreiSwiss criminologist who took pollen samples from the Shroud of Turin
- Tristan CasabiancaFrench researcher who obtained and published the raw radiocarbon data on the shroud
- Craig EvansNew Testament scholar and Johnston's doctoral supervisor
- Scott StriplingArchaeologist who directs excavations at Shiloh in Israel
- Bart EhrmanNew Testament scholar known for skeptical scholarship
- Pope John Paul IILate pope who signed the 450 facsimiles of Codex Vaticanus and received the shroud from the Savoy family
- C. S. LewisBritish writer and Christian apologist who taught at Magdalen College, Oxford
- Secondo PiaItalian lawyer who first photographed the Shroud of Turin in 1898
- Klaus SchwabFounder of the World Economic Forum, described by Johnston as corrupt
- Mel GibsonFilmmaker behind The Passion of the Christ and its forthcoming sequel
- Jack GrahamPastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church who encouraged Johnston to present his shroud research
- Craig KeenerBiblical scholar and author of a two-volume work on miracles
Topics
- Shroud of Turin
- Resurrection of Jesus
- Crucifixion of Jesus
- Radiocarbon dating of the Shroud of Turin
- Shroud of Turin Research Project
- Codex Vaticanus
- Great Isaiah Scroll
- Book of Enoch
- World Economic Forum
- Christian apologetics
- Papyrus 52
- James Ossuary
- Ark of the Covenant
- Ethiopian Orthodox biblical canon
- Nephilim
- Roman coinage
- Hell in Christianity
- Christianity
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From the publisher
Dr. Jeremiah J. Johnston is a world-renowned scholar on the Historical Jesus, specializing in archaeology, ancient history, and the New Testament. In 2026, Dr. Johnston became the only academic invited to present evidence for Jesus and the Resurrection at the World Economic Forum in Davos—bringing the Gospel into one of the most influential global stages. His evidence-based approach bridges rigorous research and compelling communication, making the case for faith both intellectually credible and spiritually transformative. He is the author of The Jesus Discoveries: 10 Historic Finds That Bring Us Face-to-Face with Jesus, which highlights top archaeological discoveries corroborating the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus outside the biblical record. Known for his evidence-first, no-nonsense style, Dr. Johnston powerfully confronts myths and cultural skepticism while offering hope and clarity in an age of confusion. A hands-on scholar, he uses authentic and replica artifacts; such as the Shroud of Turin, crucifixion nails, the Titulus Crucis, the Pilate Stone, ossuaries, early New Testament papyri, Dead Sea Scroll facsimiles, and Roman coins. to bring history alive in vivid detail. His passion is showing how fresh discoveries, like the Shroud’s fading image, inscriptions mocking early Christians, and coins tied to Gospel events—continue to strengthen the historical case for Jesus Christ. Shawn Ryan Show Sponsors: Go to https://drinkag1.com/SRS to get an AG1 Flavor Sampler and a bottle of Vitamin D3+K2 for free in your AG1 Welcome Kit with your first AG1 subscription order—only while supplies last. Head to https://Superpower.com and use code SRS at checkout for $20 off your membership. Unlock your new health intelligence. 100+ biomarkers. Every year. Detect early signs of 1,000+ conditions. #superpowerpod Sign up for BetterHelp and get 10% off at https://betterhelp.com/srs #ad Ready to upgrade your eyewear? Check them out at https://roka.com and use code SRS for 2…
Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on September 27, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.