Researchers have discovered a new chapter in an ancient Bible dating back nearly 2000 years, providing fresh insights into early Christianity.
The hidden chapter was revealed through the Sinai Palimpsests Project, led by Grigory Kessel, using ultraviolet photography to uncover a text within a 1750-year-old version of the Gospel of Matthew.
Dating back approximately a century earlier than the oldest known Greek translations, such as the Codex Sinaiticus, this text provides a unique insight into the early Christian scriptures and their transmission.
The Sinai Palimpsests Project is a joint effort between the University of Deodine in Italy and the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna.
This initiative concentrates on generating high-quality images of ancient manuscripts housed at Saint Catherine’s Monastery in Sinai, Egypt.
This monastery, among the oldest continually inhabited Christian monasteries, houses a vast assortment of ancient manuscripts.
Numerous of these manuscripts have deteriorated or vanished over time, and the project aims to safeguard and restore them for forthcoming generations.
During the medieval era, parchment was a prized and costly commodity. Scribes frequently repurposed old pages by washing or scraping off the original text before inscribing new material.
Referred to as the creation of palimpsests, this method served as a pragmatic response to the limited availability of writing supplies.
The initial texts were expunged through methods such as milk and lime solutions or scraping with sharp instruments, resulting in faint remnants that are now detectable through contemporary technology.
The Greek rendition of Matthew chapter 12, verse 1, reads as follows: “At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on the Sabbath, and his disciples became hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat.”
The Syriac version includes, “and began to pick the heads of grain, rub them in their hands, and eat them.”
The discovery of a Syriac Gospel of Matthew version from the 6th century, aided by advanced imaging techniques like ultraviolet photography, reveals new perspectives on biblical translations within Syriac Christianity.
This revelation challenges traditional interpretations, enhancing scholarly understanding of early Christian scriptures and historical contexts.
The manuscript’s dating provides insights into biblical dissemination during a transformative era, highlighting the significance of technological advancements in uncovering hidden texts and expanding knowledge of ancient cultures and texts.
