Thursday, March 28, 2024

Ultraviolet Light Reveals Hidden Bible Passage After 1,500 Years

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Ultraviolet (UV) light has revealed a hidden passage more than 1,500 years old.

The surprise discovery occurred as Austrian historian Grigory Kessel evaluated a 6th-century translation of the gospel. Though damaging in careless hands, experts use UV photography to tell antiques' age, repairs and authenticity.

Fox News has more on the potentially groundbreaking find, first reported in the New Testament Studies academic journal:

Kissel said that they found an ancient version of Chapter 12 in the book of Matthew in the Bible that had been hidden beneath a section of text for over 1,500 years. His discovering is one of the earliest translations of the Gospels, first created in the 3rd century and copied in the 6th century.

“This discovery proves how productive and important the interplay between modern digital technologies and basic research can be when dealing with medieval manuscripts,” Claudia Rapp, director of the Institute for Medieval Research at the Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAW) said in a press release.

Kessel shared that he used ultraviolet photography to see the earlier text under three layers of words written on a palimpsest, an ancient manuscript previously written on that people have scraped off and reused multiple times.

Kessel said, in the press release, that the manuscript gave a “unique gateway” to researchers uncovering ancient Syriac translations.

He explained the find will help researchers understand the beginnings of Biblical evolution, adding, “It shows some differences from modern translations of the text.”

The text is a more extended version of Chapter 12 in the Book of Matthew from a Syriac translation of the Scriptures.

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Patrick Houck
Patrick Houck
Patrick Houck is an avid political enthusiast based out of the Washington, D.C. metro area. His expertise is in campaigns and the use of targeted messaging to persuade voters. When not combing through the latest news, you can find him enjoying the company of family and friends or pursuing his love of photography.

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