University of Glasgow Recovers 42 Lost Codex H Pages Using Multispectral Imaging
Updated
Updated · Fox News · May 12
University of Glasgow Recovers 42 Lost Codex H Pages Using Multispectral Imaging
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · May 12
Forty-two previously lost pages from Codex H — a sixth-century copy of St. Paul’s letters — were recovered after University of Glasgow researchers identified hidden text in scattered fragments.
Faint mirror-image traces left by medieval re-inking led the team to use multispectral imaging, which revealed “ghost” writing invisible to the naked eye in the palimpsest manuscript.
The recovered material includes ancient chapter lists, more than 70 scribal corrections and annotations from at least 15 later readers, offering evidence of how the text was copied, corrected and studied.
Codex H was disassembled in the 13th century at the Megisti Lavra monastery on Mount Athos and reused in other books; that repurposing helped preserve fragments now dispersed across European collections.
The find adds no new scripture, but researchers say it strengthens evidence from a sparsely documented period between the sixth and ninth centuries and points to wider use of imaging on damaged manuscripts.
How did medieval recycling of a sacred text lead to a major biblical discovery using modern tech?
What secrets of early Christianity do these rediscovered 6th-century biblical pages finally reveal?
Monumental Recovery: 42 Lost Pages of Codex H Reunited and Digitized for Global Access
Overview
In April 2026, Professor Garrick Allen's team announced the recovery of 42 lost pages from Codex H, a sixth-century Greek New Testament manuscript. Originally housed at the Great Lavra Monastery, Codex H was disassembled in the 13th century, and its pages were scattered across European libraries. This fragmentation created a complex puzzle for scholars, who spent centuries identifying and locating the dispersed pages. The recent breakthrough, made possible by advanced imaging technology, not only reunites these lost pages but also offers new insights into early Christian scripture and the challenges of preserving ancient texts.