A recent study reveals a translated “hidden chapter” of the Bible, estimated to be 1,750 years old, according to the journal New Testament Studies. Grigory Kessel of the Austrian Academy of Sciences uncovered this Syriac translation of Matthew chapters 11 and 12 beneath layers of text in a manuscript. Syriac Christianity has various Old and New Testament translations, and until now, only two manuscripts held the Old Syriac translation of the gospels. Kessel’s discovery, now considered the “fourth textual witness,” challenges previous knowledge. The Syriac translation of Matthew 12:1 differs, stating disciples “rubbed [the heads of grain] in their hands, and ate them.” Claudia Rapp from the Austrian Academy of Sciences commended Kessel for integrating traditional expertise with modern technology to reveal this significant find.
