Scientists say they found a chapter of the Bible hidden under other text for more than a thousand years
Researchers used ultraviolet photography to see a chapter of the Bible that was hidden underneath other text for more than 1,500 years.
Scientists using ultraviolet photography say they have found an old version of a chapter of the Bible that was hidden underneath a different section of text for more than 1,500 years.
Historian Grigory Kessel of the Austrian Academy of Sciences announced the discovery in an article in the journal, New Testament Studies, earlier this year. New Testament Studies is a peer-reviewed academic journal published by Cambridge University Press.
According to Kessel, he used ultraviolet photography to see the earlier text under three layers of words written on a palimpsest, a type of ancient manuscript that people used to write over other words but often left traces of the original writing behind.
Palimpsests were used in ancient times due to the scarcity of parchment. Words would be written on the material repeatedly until several layers covered the hidden words underneath.
The text described in Kessel's discovery is a long unseen version of Chapter 12 in the Book of Matthew that was originally a part of the Old Syriac translations of the Bible some 1,500 years ago, Kessel said in a news release. He said he made the discovery in the manuscript held at the Vatican Library.
The manuscript offers a "unique gateway" for researchers to understand the earliest phases of the Bible's textual evolution, according to the news release, and shows some differences from modern translations of the text.
For instance, according to the release, the original Greek version of Matthew 12:1 — which is the one most commonly used today — says, "At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; and his disciples became hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat." The newly discovered Syriac translation, however, is slightly different. It says, "began to pick the heads of grain, rub them in their hands, and eat them."
Historian Grigory Kessel of the Austrian Academy of Sciences announced the discovery in an article in the journal, New Testament Studies, earlier this year. New Testament Studies is a peer-reviewed academic journal published by Cambridge University Press.
According to Kessel, he used ultraviolet photography to see the earlier text under three layers of words written on a palimpsest, a type of ancient manuscript that people used to write over other words but often left traces of the original writing behind.
Palimpsests were used in ancient times due to the scarcity of parchment. Words would be written on the material repeatedly until several layers covered the hidden words underneath.
The text described in Kessel's discovery is a long unseen version of Chapter 12 in the Book of Matthew that was originally a part of the Old Syriac translations of the Bible some 1,500 years ago, Kessel said in a news release. He said he made the discovery in the manuscript held at the Vatican Library.
The manuscript offers a "unique gateway" for researchers to understand the earliest phases of the Bible's textual evolution, according to the news release, and shows some differences from modern translations of the text.
For instance, according to the release, the original Greek version of Matthew 12:1 — which is the one most commonly used today — says, "At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; and his disciples became hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat." The newly discovered Syriac translation, however, is slightly different. It says, "began to pick the heads of grain, rub them in their hands, and eat them."
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
