Frederick Zugibe
medical examiner · pathologist
- May 28, 1928 · Garnerville
- September 6, 2013 · Garnerville
- 85 years
About Frederick Zugibe
Frederick Zugibe, 85, American medical examiner and Shroud of Turin investigator.
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Full Biography
|Frederick Thomas Zugibe (/ˈzʌɡɪbi/; May 28, 1928 – September 6, 2013) was the chief medical examiner of Rockland County, New York from 1969 to 2002. Zugibe was known for his research and books on forensic medicine as well as his crucifixion and Shroud of Turin studies.
Life
Zugibe was born in Garnerville, New York on May 28, 1928. He graduated from Haverstraw High School in 1946 and obtained a Bachelor of Science from St. Francis College. Zugibe earned a Master of Science degree (Anatomy/Electron Microscopy) from Columbia University, and a PhD in Anatomy and Histochemistry from the University of Chicago. His thesis was on the human artery.
In 1968, Zugibe received a Doctor of Medicine degree (M.D.) from West Virginia University He was a diplomate of the American Board of Pathology in anatomic pathology and forensic pathology, and a diplomate of the American Board of Family Practice. Zugibe was an adjunct associate professor of pathology at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and a Fellow of the College of American Pathologists, a Fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, Forensic Pathology Section, and a member of the National Association of Medical Examiners.
He was formerly Director of Cardiovascular Research with the Veteran's Hospital in Pittsburgh. Well known in the field of cardiovascular research, Zugibe was a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology, Fellow of the Council on Arteriosclerosis of the American Heart Association, Fellow of the New York Cardiological Society, and Member of the International Atherosclerosis Society.
Zugibe spent most of his career as the chief medical examiner of Rockland County, New York, appointed on August 15, 1969, to his retirement on December 31, 2002, and continuing as Acting Medical Examiner to March 31, 2003, until his successor was confirmed. On his retirement he estimated his office had done 10,000 autopsies during his tenure.
Zugibe is well known for his research into crucifixion and the Shroud of Turin, which modifies the theories of Pierre Barbet regarding crucifixion, and the Catholic Church regarding the Shroud of Turin. He made numerous television appearances on these subjects, including How Jesus Died - the Final 18 Hours (Learning Channel and History Channel), The Shroud of Turin (CBC), Jesus, the Man (Discovery Channel), Son of God (BBC), Stigmata and the Shroud (In Search of...), The Stigmata (Learning Channel), The Shroud of Turin (60 Minutes, Australia), DaVinci and the Shroud (National Geographic), The Mystery of Jesus (CNN) and The Naked Archaeologist.
Zugibe was one of the people investigating the Eucharistic miracle of Buenos Aires.
In 2003 Rockland County dedicated the Rockland County Medical Examiner's Office as the Dr. Frederick T. Zugibe Forensic Unit. A new disease, Glycoprotein Storage Disease, first described in the American Journal of Medicine by Zugibe and co-author Dr. Enid Gilbert, has been named the Zugibe-Gilbert Syndrome.
Frederick Zugibe died on Friday, September 6, 2013, at the age of 85.
Publications
Books
- Zugibe, Frederick; Carroll, David L. (2005). Dissecting Death: Secrets of a Medical Examiner. New York: Broadway. ISBN 9780767918794.
- Zugibe, Frederick T (2005). The Crucifixion of Jesus: A Forensic Inquiry (Second ed.). New York: M. Evans & Company. ISBN 9781590770702.
- Zugibe, Frederick T. (1988). The Cross and the Shroud: A Medical Inquiry into the Crucifixion. New York: Paragon House. ISBN 9780913729465.
- Zugibe, Frederick T. (1986). 14 Days to a Healthy Heart. Macmillan. ISBN 9780026336109.
- Zugibe, Frederick T. (1970). Diagnostic Histochemistry. Saint Louis, Mo, USA: Mosby. ISBN 9780801657023.
Articles
- Zugibe, Frederick T. (January 1963). "Mucopolysaccharides of the arterial wall". Journal of Histochemistry & Cytochemistry. 11 (1): 35–39. doi:10.1177/11.1.35.
- Zugibe, Frederick T.; Gilbert, Enid F.; Gaziano, Dominic (July 1969). "Glycoprotein storage disease". The American Journal of Medicine. 47 (1): 135–140. doi:10.1016/0002-9343(69)90247-2.
- Zugibe, F.T.; Costello, J.T. (1 April 1986). "Identification of the murder weapon by intricate patterned injury measurements". Journal of Forensic Sciences. 31 (2): 773–777. doi:10.1520/JFS12314J.
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Zugibe
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
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- September 30, 2026
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from Frederick Zugibe's archived record and the sources above.
1.From which institution did Frederick Zugibe earn his Master of Science degree?
- A.St. Francis College
- B.University of Chicago
- C.Harvard University
- D.Columbia Universitycorrect
Frederick Zugibe earned a Master of Science degree in Anatomy/Electron Microscopy from Columbia University.
Source: Life section
2.What was the primary focus of Frederick Zugibe's PhD thesis?
- A.The Shroud of Turin
- B.The human arterycorrect
- C.Cardiovascular surgery
- D.Forensic pathology
Frederick Zugibe earned a PhD in Anatomy and Histochemistry from the University of Chicago where his thesis was on the human artery.
Source: Life section
3.Frederick Zugibe served as the chief medical examiner for which county?
- A.Westchester County
- B.Dutchess County
- C.Rockland Countycorrect
- D.Orange County
Frederick Zugibe was the chief medical examiner of Rockland County, New York, from 1969 to 2002.
Source: Life section
4.In which city did Frederick Zugibe hold the position of Director of Cardiovascular Research at a Veteran's Hospital?
- A.Haverstraw
- B.Pittsburghcorrect
- C.New York City
- D.Chicago
Frederick Zugibe was formerly the Director of Cardiovascular Research with the Veteran's Hospital in Pittsburgh.
Source: Life section
5.How many autopsies did Frederick Zugibe estimate his office conducted during his tenure as medical examiner?
- A.10,000correct
- B.7,500
- C.12,500
- D.5,000
Upon his retirement, Frederick Zugibe estimated his office had performed 10,000 autopsies during his tenure.
Source: Life section
6.What is the name of the medical syndrome named after Frederick Zugibe and Enid Gilbert?
- A.The Forensic Pathology Disease
- B.The Arterial Storage Disorder
- C.Zugibe-Gilbert Syndromecorrect
- D.Histochemistry Syndrome
A new disease, Glycoprotein Storage Disease, was named the Zugibe-Gilbert Syndrome after being described by Zugibe and Dr. Enid Gilbert.
Source: Life section
7.Frederick Zugibe attended which high school?
- A.Columbia High School
- B.Haverstraw High Schoolcorrect
- C.Chicago High School
- D.Garnerville High School
Frederick Zugibe graduated from Haverstraw High School in 1946.
Source: Life section
8.Which university awarded Frederick Zugibe his Doctor of Medicine degree in 1968?
- A.St. Francis College
- B.Columbia University
- C.University of Chicago
- D.West Virginia Universitycorrect
In 1968, Frederick Zugibe received a Doctor of Medicine degree from West Virginia University.
Source: Life section
9.Which historical/religious topic was a major subject of Frederick Zugibe's research?
- A.The Ark of the Covenant
- B.The Vatican Archives
- C.The Shroud of Turincorrect
- D.The Dead Sea Scrolls
Frederick Zugibe was well known for his research into crucifixion and the Shroud of Turin.
Source: Life section
10.What title was given to the Rockland County Medical Examiner's Office in 2003?
- A.The Zugibe Medical Center
- B.The Zugibe Forensic Research Institute
- C.The Rockland County Forensic Laboratory
- D.The Dr. Frederick T. Zugibe Forensic Unitcorrect
In 2003, Rockland County dedicated the Medical Examiner's Office as the Dr. Frederick T. Zugibe Forensic Unit.
Source: Life section
11.What year did Frederick Zugibe retire from his role as chief medical examiner?
- A.2002correct
- B.2003
- C.1998
- D.2000
Frederick Zugibe served as the chief medical examiner of Rockland County from 1969 to his retirement on December 31, 2002.
Source: Life section
12.Frederick Zugibe investigated a Eucharistic miracle in which city?
- A.Buenos Airescorrect
- B.New York
- C.Jerusalem
- D.Rome
Frederick Zugibe was one of the people investigating the Eucharistic miracle of Buenos Aires.
Source: Life section
13.Which of these books was written by Frederick Zugibe?
- A.The Forensic Autopsy Guide
- B.Anatomy of the Human Heart
- C.The History of Cardiology
- D.Dissecting Death: Secrets of a Medical Examinercorrect
Frederick Zugibe co-authored the book Dissecting Death: Secrets of a Medical Examiner in 2005.
Source: Publications section
14.On what date did Frederick Zugibe pass away?
- A.December 31, 2013
- B.March 31, 2013
- C.May 28, 2013
- D.September 6, 2013correct
Frederick Zugibe died on Friday, September 6, 2013, at the age of 85.
Source: Life section
15.Frederick Zugibe's research on crucifixion was noted for modifying the theories of which individual?
- A.Enid Gilbert
- B.Pierre Barbetcorrect
- C.Dominic Gaziano
- D.David L. Carroll
Frederick Zugibe's research into crucifixion modified the theories of Pierre Barbet regarding the subject.
Source: Life section
16.In what year was Frederick Zugibe born?
- A.1932
- B.1922
- C.1935
- D.1928correct
Frederick Zugibe was born in Garnerville, New York on May 28, 1928.
Source: Life section
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