ANTIQUITIES: Go Irish! Hymnal 800-1000 AD

Finds like this are fascinating and encouraging to the Body of Christ because of all the bad-mouthing our beliefs receive.

Irish archaeologists Tuesday heralded the discovery of an ancient book of psalms by a construction worker who spotted something while driving the shovel of his backhoe into a bog.

The approximately 20-page book has been dated to the years 800-1000. Trinity College manuscripts expert Bernard Meehan said it was the first discovery of an Irish early medieval document in two centuries.

How does it encourage the faithful? First, by demonstrating that the church goes back a long way, longer than the world wants to admit. Second, it offers hope to researchers and lay people that earlier manuscripts, etc. might still be found (e.g., the Dead Sea Scrolls). Third, the contents might hold a surprise or two. And fourth, it adds credence to our historical claims ... show me one other faith besides the Jews and the Christians who have such ancient evidence for their truth claims.

UPDATE: It occured to me while posting on the Dawn Patrol link above that another benefit may be the age of the psalter. What if it turns out older than the estimate?

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TAGS: Archaeology, Books, Christianity,
Church, Hymnal, Ireland, Religion