Hidden gospel chapter revealed in ancient manuscript study
Scientists from the Austrian Academy of Sciences have made an extraordinary discovery concerning a "hidden" translation of the Gospel, found beneath the official text and deciphered only recently.
The Bible study conducted by Grigory Kessel from the Austrian Academy of Sciences involves a double palimpsest. This technique entails the overwriting of manuscripts that were initially carefully erased, a method previously employed by ancient Romans, among others.
UV light and photography
Kessel illuminated the Bible with UV light and photographed the pages, which enabled him to identify traces of up to four layers of text. While one layer has been preserved to this day, the other three have been removed. The discovery is particularly significant, as the translations of the Gospel involved are among the oldest known, dated to the 6th century AD and originally written in Greek.
An intriguing aspect is the "hidden chapter," an earlier unknown translation of an existing text related to Chapter 12 of the Gospel of Matthew. Syrian versions of the Old and New Testaments date back to the 3rd century and were widely copied in the 6th century. The manuscript Kessel examined originates from the region of present-day Palestine.
The newly discovered translation is also compelling in terms of content, revealing previously unknown interpretations of the Gospel according to Matthew. The oldest known Greek version mentions Jesus gathering grains in a field and eating them. However, in the translation discovered by Kessel, there is additional information indicating that Jesus rubbed the grains in his hands before eating them.
The technique of ultraviolet photography used by Kessel is commonly employed in the study of manuscripts, among other applications. It is instrumental in uncovering content previously "hidden" on palimpsests.
