12 April 2023 , 09:59
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A missing chapter of the Bible has finally been found after 1,500 years.
Secret verses, which had apparently been erased by a scribe when it was being written, have now been recovered from the 3rd Century manuscript being housed at the Vatican Library.
The chapters 11 through to 12 of Matthew is one of the earliest translations of the Gospels.
The disguised verses were found with the help of ultraviolet photography, which showed that the text had been erased - a common practice due to the scarcity of manuscript paper at the time.
In the original Greek translation of Matthew's chapter 12, verse 1, the tax-collecting disciple of Jesus wrote: "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."
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However, the translation in Syriac is different, saying: "[...] began to pick the heads of grain, rub them in their hands, and eat them."
It was a section of Matthew's gospel (Getty Images/iStockphoto)At present, this is the only segment of the recovered text released to the public, which suggests the Vatican may choose to release more at a later date.
Grigory Kessel, a medieval historian at the Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAW), revealed the lost words in the New Testament Studies journal.
In a statement, he wrote: "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.
The director of the Medieval Research faculty at the academy Claudia Rapp 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 gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John detail the story of Jesus' life.
They form the core of the 27 books of the New Testament. - which were written in the years after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
Matthew's section begins describing the birth of Christ and also includes early correspondence between Church leaders and Christians.
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On Good Friday last week, eight people were nailed to crosses in the Philippines as part of a gory re-enactment of Christ's death.
The real-life crucifixions in the farming village of San Pedro Cutud in Pampanga province north of Manila resumed after a three-year pause due to the coronavirus pandemic.
About a dozen villagers registered but only eight men participated, including 62-year-old sign painter Ruben Enaje, who was nailed to a wooden cross for the 34th time in San Pedro Cutud.
In a news conference shortly after his brief crucifixion, Enaje said he prayed for the eradication of the Covid-19 virus and the end of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which has contributed to gas and food prices soaring worldwide.
"It's just these two countries involved in that war, Russia and Ukraine, but all of us are being affected," said Enaje, who appeared to be well and showed his two bandaged hands to journalists.
The father of four said he wanted to end his extraordinary penitence because of his age but would decide with finality before Lent next year.
While the pain from the nailing was not as intense as anticipated, he said he always felt edgy before each crucifixion.