There are four L-shaped patterns of small burn holes on the Shroud of Turin.
These are often called the poker holes because some have speculated that
the holes were created by someone pushing a hot poker through the Shroud while it was folded in four.
Why? As a test by fire by early Christians to test the shroud's authenticity.
Most shroud researchers think this is fanciful. There is no good reason from
history except that such medieval thinking probably led to such test on relics.
The holes are burn holes. Because there are four matched repetitions of the holes
with progressive levels of burn penetration, it is reasonable to assume that
something, such as burning grains of incense, was spilled onto the shroud while
it was folded in four; folded in half lengthwise and then folded in half
widthwise.
