Scholars get look at ancient text

Scholars get look at ancient text
Modern technology enhances papyrus.

Published Friday, June 2, 2006

ATHENS, Greece (AP) - A collection of charred scraps kept in a Greek museum’s storerooms are all that remains of what archaeologists say is Europe’s oldest surviving book - which might hold a key to understanding early monotheistic beliefs.

More than four decades after the Derveni papyrus was found in a 2,400-year-old nobleman’s grave in northern Greece, researchers yesterday said they are close to uncovering new text - through high-tech digital analysis - from the blackened fragments left after the manuscript was burnt on its owner’s funeral pyre.

Sections of the mid-fourth century B.C. book, a philosophical treatise on ancient religion, were read years ago but never officially published.

Now, archaeologist Polyxeni Veleni believes U.S. imaging and scanning techniques used to decipher the Judas Gospel - which portrays Judas not as a sinister betrayer but as Jesus’ confidant - will considerably expand and clarify that text.

"I believe some 10 to 20 percent of new text will be added, which however will be of crucial importance," said Veleni, director of the Thessaloniki Archaeological Museum, where the manuscript is kept.

"This will fill in many gaps. We will get a better understanding of the sequence, and the existing text will become more complete," Veleni said.

The scroll, originally several yards of papyrus rolled around two wooden runners, was found half burnt in 1962. It dates to around 340 B.C., during the reign of Philip II of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great.

"It is the oldest surviving book, if you can use that word for a scroll, in western tradition," Veleni said. "This was a unique find of exceptional importance."

Greek philosophy expert Apostolos Pierris said the text might be a century older.

"It was probably written by somebody from the circle of the philosopher Anaxagoras, in the second half of the fifth century B.C.," he said.

Anaxagoras, who lived in ancient Athens, is thought to have been the teacher of Socrates and was accused by his contemporaries of atheism.

Last month, experts from Brigham Young University in Utah used multi-spectral digital analysis to create enhanced pictures of the text, which will be studied by Oxford University papyrologist Dirk Obbink and Pierris.