In the Vatican in Rome we find one of the most historic libraries in the world. Among other things, it houses the Codex Vaticanus, which is one of the oldest, best-known and most complete Bible manuscripts we have. Now historian Grigory Kessel has made a new discovery in the library. He has actually found a hidden text in the Bible, which is supposed to be more than 1,500 years old. This should be one of the oldest translations of the Gospels, according to a new study. And was discovered using ultraviolet light. Researchers are now working to understand the content. And they can already reveal some details. Hiding under several layers of words Today we know the Bible as one physical book. But actually he is a collection of different works. None of the original manuscripts exist. Only fragments of these should be preserved. And with the help of copies, which are more or less correct, one has managed to give the Bible its current form. The holy book is constantly subject to scrutiny and interpretation. And that is precisely why the unknown text appeared. Grigory Kessel says he found the hidden words on a palimpsest. This is a manuscript that was often used when parchment was both expensive and rare in the past. On a palimpsest, one could simply erase text and then replace it with new words. Nevertheless, some of the original writing can be seen with the help of modern tools. And history has it that there was a scribe in Palestine who, 1300 years ago, removed the now newly discovered text in order to use the sheet again. The new text was discovered in the Vatican in Rome. Photo: Andrew Medichini / AP Small details The unknown text is written in Syriac and is a version of chapter 12 of the Gospel of Matthew. And so far in the work of interpreting the content, the researchers have managed to find different details in the two versions. For example: In the original Greek version of Matthew 12:1, which is the one most used today, it says the following: “At that time Jesus was passing through the grain fields on the Sabbath, and his disciples were hungry and began to gather grain and eat.” And in the “new” Syrian translation, the wording is slightly different: “(…) began to pick grain, rub it in your hands and eat it.” In a press release it is stated that the manuscript is a unique opportunity for researchers to understand the earliest phases of the development of the Bible. Professor at the University of Oslo, Reidar Aasgaard, agrees with this. Give a better picture of our history – This is very exciting, but it is no sensation, he says to news. The professor believes that the find may concern details that may have disappeared from the original Greek text – or that it may be a later addition of text. – The discovery does not make a difference in the meaning of the chapter in the Gospel, but it is still important. We have researchers all over the world who make an effort to find such information, and together you get a more complete picture of history itself, says Aasgaard. He further explains that new technology has led to great progress in this area. – Today, one can more reliably date the various manuscripts made of leather. The use of ultraviolet light also ensures that one discovers new things. Computer technology has also been used to map all the old manuscripts of the Bible. This way you can find out the relationship between them. The professor also believes that the find is important for another reason: namely, very few of the Syrian translations of the New Testament have been preserved. – There have been many in their time, but relatively little has been preserved. This text is, in a sense, a small manuscript of its own, because it is something different from what one already knows. Although these small, newly discovered texts do not make a difference in the actual content of the Bible, they are taken care of. Everything is stored online. – It’s about getting a better picture of cultural history, concludes the professor. Reidar Aasgaard is professor of the history of ideas at the University of Oslo. He is a trained theologian, and has worked as a priest and vicar. Photo: Olaf Christensen
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Found 1,500-year-old unknown Bible chapter in the Vatican – revealed by ultraviolet light – news Trøndelag
