New Bible chapter ‘containing hidden verses’ is discovered by scientists after it was erased by scribe 1,500 years ago
A NEW Bible chapter that contains hidden verses has come to light after it was erased by a scribe 1,500 ago.
The incredible discovery that dates back to the 3rd century features chapters 11 through 12 from Matthew and is one of the earliest translations of the Gospels.
The page came to light thanks to the use of ultraviolet photography on a manuscript at the Vatican Library.
The hidden text was initially erased by a scribe in Palestine- a common practice at the time as parchment was scarce so manuscripts were often erased and reused.
The extracts come from the Gospel of Matthew, a disciple of Jesus who was a tax collector, which is one of the four gospels of the New Testament of the Bible.
The three other gospels, those of Mark, Luke and John, outline the life of Jesus, and their writings form part of the 27 books of the New Testament.
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The original Greek version of Matthew chapter 12, verse 1 reads: "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."
While the Syriac translation reads, "[...] began to pick the heads of grain, rub them in their hands, and eat them."
The rest of the translation has not been released - meaning countless hidden verses could be revealed later on.
A medievalist from the Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAW) Grigory Kessel has now been able to reveal the lost words and his findings are published in the journal New Testament Studies.
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He said in a statement: "The tradition of Syriac Christianity knows several translations of the Old and New Testaments.
"Until recently, only two manuscripts were known to contain the Old Syriac translation of the gospels."
Claudia Rapp, Director of the Institute for Medieval Research at the OeAW, said: "Grigory Kessel has made a great discovery thanks to his profound knowledge of old Syriac texts and script characteristics.
"This discovery proves how productive and important the interplay between modern digital technologies and basic research can be when dealing with medieval manuscripts."
The books of the New Testament were written in the years after the crucifixion of Christ.
It starts with Matthew’s description of his birth and also contains the letters of the early Church leaders to the early Christians, such as St Paul’s letters.
The New Testament ends with the Book of Revelation, which tells Christians about the end of the world.