An Austrian scholar has reportedly translated a “hidden chapter” of the Bible that is estimated to be 1,750 years old, according to a study that was published last month in the journal New Testament Studies.
The Syriac translation of Matthew chapters 11 and 12 was examined using ultraviolet photography by medievalist Grigory Kessel of the Austrian Academy of Sciences beneath three text layers in a manuscript.
Kessel said, “The tradition of Syriac Christianity knows several Old and New Testament translations.
Up until recently, the Old Syriac translation of the gospels was only known from two manuscripts.
An obscure chapter of the Syriac translation of the New Testament was discovered by medievalist Grigory Kessel of the Austrian Academy of Sciences using a UV light.
Paper was frequently used as a substitute for parchment during the Middle Ages when manuscripts were destroyed because it was a scarce resource. A scribe in Palestine is said to have destroyed a manuscript containing a Syriac text around 1,300 years ago as a result of this absence, according to Phys . org.
After what is believed to have been its creation in the third century, the text was copied in the sixth century.
It is said that in 1953, academics were already familiar with the disputed document. However, it was digitalized in 2020 after being discovered in 2010. Following that, the images captured under natural and ultraviolet light were added to the Digital Vatican Library.
Only two manuscripts still exist that contain the Old Syriac translation of the gospels. The British Library in London houses one, while Mount Sinai’s St. The world’s oldest continuously operating monastery is Catherine’s Monastery.
By utilizing imaging techniques to find deleted texts from manuscripts in the St. The collection of Catherine.
Now known as the “fourth textual witness,” Grigory Kessel’s discovery is regarded as significant. ”.
Under three text layers, it was found.
According to Phys .
org, Matthew chapter 12, verse 1 is translated from the original Greek as follows: “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 recently discovered Syriac translation, however, reads, “[…] began to pick the heads of grain, rub them in their hands, and eat them. ”.
Kessel’s findings were praised in a statement by Claudia Rapp, director of the Institute for Medieval Research at the Austrian Academy of Sciences.
Grigory Kessel’s “profound knowledge of old Syriac texts and script characteristics,” which resulted in this significant discovery, was praised by Rapp.
The author went on to say that this outcome shows the benefit and efficiency of combining fundamental research with modern digital technology when working with medieval texts.
