Immediately, scientists worldwide criticized their methodology, which compromised the accuracy of the Museum’s conclusions. Furthermore, the Museum refused to release the raw data until 2017, when the results were re-examined and their dates found to be unreliable. Click HERE for more details about the British Museum’s 1988 carbon-14 dating.
On Easter Sunday 2022, David Rolfe's film Who Can He Be? was released along with a challenge to the British Museum. If the Shroud is such a crude forgery as they had claimed in 1988, it is reasonable to expect that the British Museum would be able to replicate what this alleged medieval forger achieved and demonstrate the veracity of their conclusion. To encourage them to make good on their claim, the producers of the film offered a reward of US$1,000,000 (one million US dollars) if they succeeded in replicating the extraordinary characteristics of the Shroud's image. Rolfe’s Challenge received global media attention and was kept open for twelve months, however the British Museum did not respond.
Challenge Expanded
In February 2024 the Challenge was extended to the USA when David Rolfe issued an open invitation for any person, organisation, or institution to apply to undertake the One Million Dollar Challenge to create a replica of the image of a crucified man that appears on the linen Shroud. Despite the widespread publicity generated by the extension of the $1m Challenge, no-one has applied to attempt to replicate the image characteristics of the Shroud and claim the prize.