Medieval book of psalms discovered in bog
The fragments of a book of psalms, which could be 1,200 years old, is undergoing examination by experts from the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin.
The find was made last Thursday when a worker spotted something in the bucket of his bulldozer on a bog in the south midlands. Museum officials were unwilling to reveal any further details of the site last night and are conducting excavations to determine if further artefacts might be found.
From preliminary examination of the fragments, it has already been confirmed that the Latin scripture includes Psalm 83 which, ironically in the current political climate, speaks of God’s enemies plotting to wipe out Israel.
The first details of the find emerged on the same day that a Supreme Court ruling upheld legislation giving local authorities greater freedom in relation to national monuments, following an appeal against the 2004 law and ministerial decisions surrounding Carrickmines Castle in Co Dublin.
The discovery of the Psalter or Book of Psalms has already been hailed by experts as the greatest find from a European bog and has been likened to the Irish equivalent of the Dead Sea Scrolls. National Museum of Ireland specialists said the manuscript may have been lost in transit or dumped after a raid – possibly 1,000 to 1,200 years ago.
“In my wildest hopes, I could only have dreamed of a discovery as fragile and rare as this. It testifies to the incredible richness of the Early Christian civilisation of this island and the greatness of ancient Ireland,” said museum director Dr Pat Wallace.
Mr Wallace also revealed that the person who brought them to the museum’s attention had previously found an early medieval satchel in the bog.
The pages appear to be those of a slim, large format book with a wraparound vellum or leather cover from which the book block has slipped. While part of Psalm 83 is legible, the extent to which other psalms or additional texts are preserved will only be determined by painstaking work by a team of invited experts.
Dr Bernard Meehan, head of manuscripts at Trinity College Dublin, said it was the first discovery of an Irish early medieval manuscript in two centuries. “Initial impressions place the composition date of the manuscript at about 800AD,” he said.
