To receive daily emails from Breaking Christian News to your inbox CLICK HERE


SHARE THIS ARTICLE Printer friendly version of this page

Ancient Version of the Book of Acts is Finally Being Decoded; and There May be a "Bonus Discovery"

News Staff : Jan 26, 2018  CBN News

The manuscript was originally recorded by Coptic monks in Egypt roughly 1,500 years ago.

(Iowa City, IA)—[CBN News] Experts at the University of Iowa are finally able to look at the pages of a badly damaged ancient manuscript that is believed to be the Biblical Book of Acts. (Photo: MS M.910, a Coptic manuscript at the Pierpont Morgan Library, NY/credit: Maria Fredericks/via Making Manuscripts blog)

The manuscript known as M.910 arrived at New York City's Morgan Library in the early 1960s.

Iowa Public Radio reports the manuscript was originally recorded by Coptic monks in Egypt roughly 1,500 years ago.

But researchers had no way of examining the fragile, damaged book, which was sealed together by water and fire damage, until now.

University of Kentucky computer scientist W. Brent Seales and University of Iowa early Christianity scholar Paul Dilley are using the same process that was used to decode the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Their new x-ray images of the manuscript are still being processed and examined.

But it's not just the Book of Acts that's hidden in the previously un-accessed manuscript.

Melville House writes, "It likely also contains another text, and it is this text that has Dilley and other scholars of early Christianity curious, as it could provide another piece in the puzzle of the formation of the New Testament."

Dr. Melissa Moreton, a manuscript historian at the Iowa Center for the Book, wrote a blog post about the codex called Revealing the Secrets of an Early Coptic Manuscript.

She writes, "The manuscript is too fragile to be opened and is unreadable due to the water and heat damage it has suffered. The manuscript is also extremely warped creating wave-like sheets—which is common with water and heat damaged parchment." (Photo: M.910, from the top or bottom [spine to the left] showing the wave-like distortion of the parchment quires/credit: Maria Fredericks/via Making Manuscripts blog)

Moreton helped the team recreate a prototype of the manuscript to help with their project.







SHARE THIS ARTICLE Printer friendly version of this page

To receive daily emails from Breaking Christian News to your inbox CLICK HERE

Other Recent Articles from Breaking Christian News

'Melania' Film a Huge Success, Shocking Hollywood Press on Opening Weekend

Give Him 15: Sanctifying the Night with the 'Big Ben Moment' of Prayer for America

Trump Issues Executive Order to Expedite Rebuilding after Los Angeles County Wildfires

CA, NY Set to Lose Congressional Seats after Mass Migration to Southern States

NYC Democrat Wants Newsmax Banned in Taxis

DHS: 6,947 Criminal Illegal Aliens Released into NY Since Jan. 20, with Thousands More to Come

President Trump's HHS Rescinds Biden-Era Abortion Pill Rule That Forced Pharmacies to Supply It

Shocking Email from Epstein Files Implicates Former US Ambassador, Clintons, Bidens, and More

First Lady: 'Melania' Documentary Movie is 'Emotional,' 'Cinematic'

A Different Kind of Classroom Is Outperforming Expectations

Elon Musk's Warning to Parents: 'Woke Programming Is Everywhere in Children's 'Educational Shows,' Even Peppa Pig

School Fires 'Character Coach' after Atheists Complain

Marine Vet Missionary Killed During Facebook Marketplace Meetup Sent Heartbreaking Text Before Death

Maximum Pressure on Iran as US Military Positions for Strikes

Bill and Hillary Clinton Contempt Vote Set for Next Wednesday

Don Lemon Arrested for Role in Church Service Disruption by Anti-ICE Activists

Nicki Minaj? Creed? Who Will Headline Turning Point USA's Rival Super Bowl Halftime Show?

'Trump Accounts' Savings for Kids: How They Work and Who Is Eligible

Here's Why Many Say the Ilhan Omar Assault Was Staged

VIDEO: Alex Pretti Attacked Federal Agents' SUV 2 Weeks Before His Death



Search the Articles Archives

Keyword:  
Author:  
Words Posted On:  
Day Month Year



Subscribe to
Breaking Christian News


Follow BCN on Twitter
Are You Praying for Our Government Leaders?
BCN Staff

Steve Shultz
Steve Shultz, Managing Editor
Founder and Owner


Aimee Herd
Aimee Herd, Editor


BCN Plus
Are You Praying for President Trump?
 
 

All articles on this site and emails from BCN are copyrighted property of Breaking Christian News. Permission is given to link to, or share a BCN story if proper attribution is given to both the original writer and summarizer of the story. Breaking Christian News 2005-2019. All Rights Reserved.


Breaking Christian News is a division of Elijah List Publications, Inc. All Rights Reserved


Disclaimer: Articles and links, as well as the source articles linked to; do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Breaking Christian News.

editor@breakingchristiannews.com