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Internet agog over prayer book prophesy


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A photo provided by the National Museum of Ireland showing the ancient book of psalms discovered recently at an undisclosed location.

Ireland's National Museum has dismissed chatter raging on the internet that an ancient religious book found in a bog last week was open at a page that referred to "wiping out Israel".

The Book of Psalms, which is thought to be 1000 to 1200 years old, was preserved in the bog and the National Museum hailed its discovery by a man working with a bulldozer as the country's equivalent of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Since the discovery was made public on Tuesday, the museum has been inundated with calls about the text on the only visible vellum page when the book was found.

There have also been various theories posted on the internet suggesting the visible scripture text has some apocalyptic meaning or is a message from God connected with the current conflict in the Middle East - but it is all based on a misunderstanding.

Revealing the discovery, the museum had said "part of Psalm 83 is legible".

Psalms 83 is titled "A Prayer for the Destruction of Israel's Enemies".

In part it reads:

"For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head.

" They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones.

"They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.

" For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee ..."

However, the psalms are differently numbered in ancient and modern translations and some media coverage referred to a modern version of Psalm 83 that deals with the enemies of Israel cutting it off "from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance".

"The text visible on the manuscript does not refer to wiping out Israel but to the 'vale of tears'," a statement said.

"In the much later King James version (of the Bible) the number of the Psalms is different, based on the Hebrew text and the 'vale of tears' occurs in Psalm 84."

The text about wiping out Israel occurs in the earlier Vulgate version of the Bible as Psalm 82, rather than Psalm 83 as in the King James version, the statement said.

Raghnall O Floinn, head of collections at the Museum, told RTE state radio that it was unfortunate the confusion surrounding the discovery of the ancient book coincided with current events in the Middle East.

He said the museum's marketing department had been "tearing their hairs out" because queries had come "thick and fast".

"They have never had anything like the response from all around the world ... and people reading all kinds of dire meanings into it."

source:AFP

image:A photo provided by the National Museum of Ireland showing the ancient book of psalms discovered recently at an undisclosed location.

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