Ancient Gospel translation unearthed: New insights revealed
Scientists from the Austrian Academy of Sciences have made an extraordinary discovery concerning a "hidden" translation of the Gospel, which was found beneath the official text and has only recently been deciphered.
The study conducted by Grigory Kessel from the Austrian Academy of Sciences focuses on a double palimpsest. This technique involved overwriting manuscripts that had been carefully erased first. Such a method was used by ancient civilizations, including the Romans.
UV light and photography
Kessel illuminated the Bible with UV light and photographed his observations, enabling him to detect traces of four layers of text. One of these layers remains intact today, while the other three were removed. The discovery is particularly significant because the translations of the Gospel from these layers are among the oldest known, dating back to the 6th century AD. Originally, they were written in Greek.
An intriguing aspect is the "hidden chapter," which is a previously unknown translation of an existing text. It pertains to Chapter 12 of the Gospel according to St. Matthew. The Syriac versions of the Old and New Testaments date from the 3rd century and were widely reproduced in the 6th century. The book studied by Kessel originates from what is now modern-day Palestine.
The newly discovered translation is also fascinating in terms of content, offering fresh interpretations of the Gospel according to St. Matthew. The oldest known Greek translation mentions Jesus gathering grains in a field and eating them. In Kessel's discovered translation, it is noted that Jesus rubbed the grains in his hands before consuming them.
The ultraviolet photography technique Kessel used is a common tool in the study of manuscripts, particularly useful for uncovering content previously "hidden" in palimpsests.
