Austrian scientists unveil a 6th‑century gospel hidden in palimpsest
Scientists from the Austrian Academy of Sciences have made an extraordinary discovery involving a "hidden" translation of the Gospel, found beneath the official text and only now deciphered.
The Bible study, conducted by Grigory Kessel from the Austrian Academy of Sciences, involves a double palimpsest. This is a type of overwriting done on manuscripts that were first carefully erased. This technique was employed by, among others, the ancient Romans.
UV light and photography
Kessel illuminated the Bible with UV light and photographed what he saw, enabling him to detect traces of four layers of text. One of these has been preserved to this day, while the other three were removed. The discovery is particularly significant, as the translations of the Gospel associated with these texts are among the oldest known, dating back to the 6th century AD. They were originally 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 Syrian versions of the Old and New Testaments date from the 3rd century and were extensively copied in the 6th century. The manuscript Kessel studied originates from the area of present-day Palestine.
The newly discovered translation is also captivating in terms of content, revealing previously unknown interpretations of the Gospel according to St. Matthew. The oldest known Greek translation mentions Jesus gathering grains in a field and eating them. In the translation discovered by Kessel, it is noted that Jesus was rubbing the grains in his hands before eating them.
The technique of ultraviolet photography, employed by Kessel, is commonly used in the study of manuscripts. It aids in discovering content previously "hidden" in palimpsests.
