Medievalist discovers lost fragment of 1,750-year-old Bible

Austrian Academy of Sciences researcher Grigory Kessel made an amazing discovery while studying an ancient Syriac translation of the Bible - he managed to find a previously unknown fragment of sacred scripture. This information was distributed by The New York Post.

During careful analysis, it was established that the 1,500-year-old ancient manuscript conceals a real treasure - a lost chapter of the Bible. The uniqueness of the find lies in the fact that the text was hidden under three layers of later inscriptions, making the document an extremely rare double palimpsest.

To reveal the hidden text, Kessel applied a comprehensive approach. First, the ancient source was examined using ultraviolet photography and modern technological methods. Then the medievalist conducted a detailed analysis of the text of the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 12.

The find is particularly valuable because until now, the scientific community was aware of only three versions of this chapter. The fourth translation discovered by Kessel dates back to the third century CE and was copied in the fourth century, making it the oldest of all known versions to date.

Claudia Rapp, who holds the position of Director of the Institute for Medieval Research at OeAW, emphasized the importance of modern technologies in such research. According to her, technological progress significantly accelerates and simplifies the process of scientific research and discoveries, making them more effective, reports The New York Post.

Parallel to this discovery, German scientists are conducting research on an amulet found during archaeological excavations in Frankfurt am Main. Specialists suggest that this artifact may significantly revise the modern understanding of the history of Christianity.