Difference between revisions of "Spirit of Orthodoxy Choir"

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An '''[[Early Middle Ages|early mediaeval]] [[Christianity|Christian]] [[psalter]]''' (prayer book) was discovered in a [[bog]]  in July 2006, in the [[Ireland|Irish]] [[Midland Region|midlands]]. It is estimated to have been in the bog for between 1,000 and 1,200 years, but the book itself has yet to be formally identified, named or dated by Irish archaeological authorities.  This discovery is hailed by the National Museum of Ireland as one of the most significant Irish [[archaeology|archaeological]] finds in decades.<ref name=RTE>[http://www.rte.ie/news/2006/0725/manuscript.html Ancient manuscript discovered in the Midlands] - RTÉ News</ref> An expert who was called in to advise on the discovery said that he believes the psalter is the first discovery of an Irish early [[Middle Ages|mediaeval]] [[manuscript]] in two centuries.<ref>Bernard Meehan cited in the [http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/psalms-emerge-from-irish-bog/2006/07/26/1153816254848.html Sydney Morning Herald]</ref>
 
  
==Description==
 
The book is written in [[Latin]] on [[vellum]] pages and extensive fragments have survived. Early research shows that the approximately 20 recovered pages are those of a slim, large-format book with a wraparound vellum or leather cover ("[like] a very thick wallet in appearance") from which the text block has slipped.  It is believed to have been made for and belonged to an ancient Irish Christian monastery.<ref name=NPR>[http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5584495 Ancient Psalms Found Preserved in Irish Bog] - NPR</ref> <ref name=RTE/>
 
Low oxygen levels in the bog provide unusual preservation conditions, and bogs were often used by Irish monks as hiding places for valuables in the face of [[Viking]] raids. In addition to low oxygen levels,
 
[[sphagnum]] moss, of which the peat bog is composed, produces an antibiotic substance called sphagnan that binds with proteins on the surface of microorganisims, immobilizing them. Its highly reactive carbonyl groups can alter chemicals and nutrients that would otherwise decompose organic matter. And above all the sphagnum moss causes organic material to undergo chemical changes itself that make it impervious to rot.[http://www.slate.com/id/2146638/]
 
  
==Discovery==
 
It was uncovered by a worker extracting [[peat]] with a [[backhoe]]. Dr. Patrick Wallace, director of the National [[Museum]], praised the finder for immediately having covered the book with damp soil, as exposure to dry air after so many centuries of dampness might have destroyed it.  The book is being stored in refrigeration at the National Museum. Identifying the safest way to pry open the pages without damaging or destroying them could take months, and conservation work could take two years.  A team of archaeologists continues to explore the site.  The exact location of the find has not been disclosed while this continues.<ref>[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=397827&in_page_id=1770 'Miracle' discovery of 1,200-year-old psalms]: [[Daily Mail]], [[July 26]] 2006</ref>
 
  
==Misreported prophecy==
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[[Category:OrthodoxWiki]]
When found, the book was opened to a page displaying [[Psalms|Psalm]] [[s:la:The_Old_Testament_%28Vulgate%29/Psalmi#83|83]]  (in the [[Septuagint]] numbering),  which corresponds with [[s:en:Bible_%28King_James%29/Psalms#84|Psalm 84]] in the [[Masoretic Text|Masoretic]] numbering used in most English-language translations.<ref name=NPR/> Due to confusion regarding differences in numbering the Psalms, some news sites  reported that the Psalter was "prophetically" open to a reference to the destruction of [[Israel]] and connected the find with the current [[2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict]]. The [[matter]] was clarified by the director of the [[National Museum of Ireland]], who pointed out the difference in Septuagint vs. Masoretic numbering and that the psalm in question  contains no reference to the destruction of Israel.<ref>[http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/front/2006/0728/1153813832813.html Museum plays diplomatic role on psalm's 'warning to Israel' - Irish Times]</ref>
 
 
 
==References==
 
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Revision as of 12:32, August 10, 2006

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