“Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. And he saw the linen cloths lying there and the handkerchief that had been around His head not lying with the linen cloths but folded together in a place by itself.” (John 20:6-7 NKJ)
Different Bible translations interpret the cloth wrapped around Jesus’ head differently. Some use the word handkerchief. Others say “napkin” or “face cloth”. Indeed, many social media influencers also have their own theories about John 20 and what the folded cloth in Jesus’ tomb means.
The original Greek word is soudarion (soo-dar-ee-on), based on the Latin term for “sweat cloth” or “towel.” Though soudarion can indicate a cloth used to wipe away perspiration, ancient Jewish families commonly used them in their burial practices. After they prepared the body of a loved one with fragrant spices, they often wrapped it with two to three burial cloths. The cloth covering the face was the soudarion, which was separate from the body cloth(s).
In John 20, the apostle writes that he and Simon Peter found Jesus’ burial cloths “lying there” and the soudarion “folded together in a place by itself.” The cloths simply “lying there” indicates there was no struggle. If grave robbers had attempted to take Jesus’ body, as the Pharisees feared (Mt 27:64), they would not have bothered to unwrap the cloths in their haste.
The conclusion is that Jesus’ body had been glorified, enabling Him to pass through the cloths without disturbing them. The event must be interpreted as unlike Lazarus’ resurrection experience; he walked out of his grave still wrapped in his burial cloths (Jn 11:44).
Folded or Twisted?
Another key word here in John 20:7 is “folded.” Some translations say “rolled up” or “wrapped together.” The original Greek word is entulisso, which means “to twist” or “entwine.” Therefore, the cloth was not necessarily folded but twisted, likely from wrapping around Jesus’ head.
Unfortunately, some still insist that the cloth was a neatly folded napkin, based on a supposed Jewish custom of folding your napkin if you planned to leave a dinner table but intended to return. They assert that because Jesus’ cloth was folded, it must indicate Jesus’ future return.
While the Bible assures us of our Lord’s future return at an unknown time, neither biblical nor secular sources can confirm that such a custom of napkin folding ever existed, especially in ancient Israel. At that time, people did not use a napkin at the table at all and commonly washed their hands in a basin. Napkins did not exist.
Understanding the distinction between a table napkin as we know it today and an ancient funereal soudarion is significant. The cloth was twisted, not folded, and lay right where Jesus’ head had been, indicating He had passed right through it in His glory.
What is most important is that the disciples found the cloth undisturbed. They understood its meaning and believed (v8) that Jesus rose from the tomb just as He said He would (Mt 16:21; Mk 8:31, 9:31; Lk 9:22; Jn 2:19). He rose in victory over death and sin in a glorified body, offering us a path to salvation and eternal life with Him in His kingdom. In the end, the entire theory of the folded napkin is far less a solid theory and more of a conjured-up, social media-created myth.
May we all believe as John and Peter did. Jesus is risen just as He said.
