( CNN ) My name is Mark Goodacre , and I am a professor of New Testament and Christian origins in the Department of Religious Studies at Duke University . I was series adviser and one of many on-camera experts on CNN 's `` Finding Jesus , '' which premiered Sunday evening . I also appear in each episode of the program . Viewers were invited to tweet and post their questions to Facebook during the show . Below are some of the most interesting , and my answers to them . Vance Lipsey : Is there a better way to check the shroud than carbon dating ? I 've been told carbon dating is very inaccurate . Goodacre : Actually , carbon dating is an excellent way to ascertain the date of an artifact . Many are disappointed , not surprisingly , that the shroud dated to between AD 1260 and 1390 . I recall my own disappointment ( but not surprise ) on hearing the results back in 1988 . But the scientists doing the carbon dating were not amateurs , and the samples were tested in three separate labs . Moreover , the carbon date cohered with other evidence that the shroud was a medieval forgery , like the fact that there is no evidence of its existence until the 14th century . Cynthia Restivo : So I know the carbon dating was off , but was n't it later shown that the piece of cloth used for the testing was a section that had been repaired after some fire damage or something ? Which would explain why it dated different ? Goodacre : No , that 's not been established . Those who defend the authenticity of the shroud often say the sample might have been taken from a part of the shroud that was repaired after it was damaged by fire in the 16th century . But this is special pleading . The scientists who took the sample knew what they were doing . Professor Christopher Ramsey noted that the unusual weave on the sample matched the weave on the rest of the shroud perfectly . Beth A Hafele : So were Jesus ' wrists nailed or his hands ? All shows and movies have his hands nailed . Goodacre : One of the curiosities about the Turin Shroud is that the figure appears to be nailed through the wrists . This has long intrigued those who have studied crucifixion because there is some anatomical plausibility here -- nails through the wrists would support the body better than nails through the palms of the hands . It is just possible that the bones of the only crucified victim we have , Jehohanan , show a nail mark above the wrist , but this is disputed . There are two further factors here . One is that victims of crucifixion may often have been tied instead of ( or as well as ) being nailed . Also , some dispute whether the shroud figure is nailed through the wrists . ( See Antonio Lombatti 's graphic . ) Virginia McCoy : Once again , Mary Magdalene is totally ignored . They used the Gospel that described Peter as having discovered the empty tomb . When other Gospels describe Magdalene as the one that discovered it and then she called out to others . Goodacre : Well , you will be pleased to hear that there is an entire episode devoted to Mary Magdalene in this series , and her identity and role are fully explored , including her presence at the empty tomb . I think you 'll enjoy it . Jacques Lemire : About the @ CNN program on Jesus . Good stuff , but I am not sure about Jesus crying out in pain . A psalm : The lamb is silent . Goodacre : I found Adam Bond 's portrayal of Jesus ' death in the drama really compelling , and his cry is quite arresting . It 's true that Isaiah 53:7 says `` He was led like a lamb to the slaughter , and as a sheep before its shearers is silent , so he did not open his mouth . '' Many early Christians saw this as a prophecy of the way that Jesus , their Messiah , died . It is apparently fulfilled in Jesus ' silence during his trial ( e.g . John 19:9-10 ) , but in all four Gospels , Jesus is vocal on the cross , and in the end he cries out with a loud voice ( e.g . Mark 15:34 and 37 ) , so the drama makes good sense there . Thanks again for watching and for all your great questions , and apologies that we could not answer all of them . I was really thrilled to be involved , and I loved working with the production team behind `` Finding Jesus . '' I think they have put together a superb series , which blends visually compelling drama and intelligent commentary from a wide range of experts . I look forward to hearing everyone 's reactions to the remaining five episodes !
Religion professor Mark Goodacre appears in each episode of the program . He defends the carbon dating used to determine the age of the Shroud of Turin .