JERUSALEM: Scientists have discovered “two hidden chapters” in a Syriac Bible written 1,500 years ago. Chapters 11 and 12 of the Gospel of Matthew were identified with the help of ultraviolet rays. The scripture was discovered by applying ultraviolet light to an ancient Christian manuscript kept in the Vatican Library.
The Bible is in ancient Syriac. Researchers have yet to reveal its complete translation.
The Greek version of Matthew chapter 12 describes the disciples walking through a grain field on the Sabbath and breaking the Sabbath and eating grain. The account reads, “The disciples were hungry and began to eat heads of grain.”
In the Syriac translation it means “taking the heads of grain and rubbing them in the hands and beginning to eat them”. It is recorded that
Such texts will provide important information regarding the early translations of the Bible, said Dr. Garrick Allen said. This is different from the gospel verse known today.- He said.
Scientists are more excited regarding finding hidden words than differences in translation. This is because ultraviolet rays help in recovering confidential documents. The hope is that the text, which fades with age, will glow under ultra-violet light. Even written words can be recovered in this way. No matter how many times it is reused, the original writing can be recovered from the paper.
The Old Syriac translation is called the Peshitta. This Bible translation has been in use among Syriac Christians since the 5th century. The Syriac translation of the Bible is older than the Greek translation.
