Ancient discovery: Lost pages of the New Testament reveal letters of the Apostle St. Paul
Researchers recently recovered lost manuscripts of the letters of St. Paul after they were disassembled at the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, Greece, in the 13th century.
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Researchers with an international team of academics have recently recovered 42 lost pages from early New Testament manuscripts of St. Paul.
University of Glasgow researchers recently recovered lost manuscripts of the letters of St. Paul after they were disassembled at the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, Greece, in the 13th century.
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Since then, the surviving fragments have been scattered across libraries throughout Europe.
The New Testament is a collection of religious and historical accounts by those who knew Jesus Christ personally or followed him.
New imaging technology helps recover 42 lost pages of the New Testament. ( Damianos Kasotakis / University of Glasgow)
The university research team, led by Professor Garrick Allen, explained that the manuscripts themselves had already been re-inked over time, an important starting point for experts.
"The chemicals in the new ink caused ‘offset’ damage to facing pages, essentially creating a mirror image of the text on the opposite leaf – sometimes leaving traces several pages deep, barely visible to the naked eye but very clear with the latest imaging techniques," Allen told FOX News Digital.
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Using new imaging technology, researchers employed multispectral imaging to process the "ghost" text that no longer appears to the naked eye.
Researchers at the University of Glasgow use new imaging technology to recover pages of the New Testament. ( Damianos Kasotakis / University of Glasgow)
This allows experts to retrieve multiple pages of information from every single physical page.
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"The book was re-inked in its entirety at some point in its working life, meaning that someone rewrote over the existing text...in an attempt to keep the book usable for a new generation," Allen told FOX News Digital.
The Apostle Paul, circa 1617. Found in the Collection of Museo del Prado, Madrid. Artist Reni, Guido (1575-1642). (Fine Art Images/Heritage Images / Getty Images)
Essentially, the New Testament is a bridge from the Old Testament.
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The words of the Old Testament had come true, and the Messiah, Jesus Christ, had come.
The other writers of the Gospel and New Testament include Saint Mathew, Mark, Luke, John and the Apostle Paul, all of whom played a vital role in the creation of these texts, which demonstrate, through their personal accounts, the life of Jesus Christ.
Saint Seine church, Stained glass, The life of the apostle Saint Paul, Paul traveled to many cities to teach about Jesus, Corbigny, France. (Godong/Universal Images Group / Getty Images)
They tell stories and quote scriptures in these historical contexts, all for the purpose of showing that Jesus freed the world from sin, giving a detailed account of his death and resurrection.
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Thanks to dedicated preservation, we have stumbled upon a glorious new piece of evidence from these sacred scriptures, and we offer the opportunity to enhance our understanding of the readings.