* Alan D. Adler; Chemist Studied Shroud of Turin
Alan D. Adler, 68, a blood chemistry expert who investigated the Shroud of Turin. The shroud, which many believe was Christ’s burial cloth, bears a faded image of a bearded man and what appear to be bloodstains that coincide with Christ’s crucifixion wounds. The controversial 13-foot-long linen cloth has been kept in the city of Turin, Italy, since 1578. Asked by the Vatican to investigate the claims, Adler established in 1988 that the shroud image was that of a person and that the blood came from violently inflicted wounds. He said such blood has an identifiable chemistry. But he was unable to prove whether the image on the shroud was Christ’s. The retired biochemist also worked in the 1990s for the Cardinals Conservation Commission for the Shroud of Turin, recommending encasing the fabric in argon gas to prevent further deterioration. Adler taught at the University of Pennsylvania and at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury and also worked seven years as senior staff scientist with the New England Institute in Ridgefield, Conn. On Saturday in Redding, Conn.