The award was won by the project team for the restoration of the manuscript of the Psalms of the Prophet David in the Coptic Museum, which is the oldest complete copy of the Book of Psalms and was found during the eighties in a cemetery in Beni Suef governorate dating back to the fourth century AD, and it was placed under the mummy of a child in poor condition, according to Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
One of the greatest discoveries
Sherine Lyon, General Manager of the Restoration Department at the Coptic Museum, talks about the tribute to Sky News Arabia, saying: “It was a pleasant surprise for the work team. Many centuries due to its importance, as it is considered one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the twentieth century.
Lyon adds to “Sky News Arabia”: “The manuscript was shown for the first time inside the Coptic Museum in 2006 and remained inside a glass window for many years until I submitted an official request in 2019 to form a committee of specialists headed by Dr. Hamdi Abdel Moneim, Director of the Museum of Islamic Art Restoration, In order to determine its condition and the extent of its need for restoration, and during the examinations, we found many damages to it.
And the supervisor of the project to restore the manuscript of the Psalms of David goes on: “The manuscript was untidy, consisting of 151 psalms on 244 pages made of expensive deer parchment. Other parts, such as the edges and the heel of the manuscript, are eroded.
accurate task
Lyon confirms to “Sky News Arabia” that the work team immediately engaged in a delicate task to restore the Psalms of David without the use of foreign expertise, noting that the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities provided the materials required to work on the manuscript, and the first step was with softening the papers by scientific methods inside laboratories. Restoration of the Coptic Museum to get rid of the state of drought
The Director General of the Restoration Department at the Coptic Museum recalled the following steps to restore the Psalms of David:
– We treated the adhesions resulting from the leakage of enzymes from the head of the child in the cemetery on the manuscript
– We completed parts of the damaged pages with a type of Japanese paper known in the world of restoration, as it is suitable for the parchment used in the manuscript.
– We worked on rearranging the pages again after seeking help from experts in the ancient Coptic language, such as Dr. Malak Nashi.
– The team indulged in restoring the cover of the book and restoring some of the shrunken pages to their normal sizes before they were damaged
Lyon explains that the psalms are in very good condition after the completion of the restoration operations, and there is nothing left but to record and document the experience after its success, noting to “Sky News Arabia” that the manuscript will be ready for display again inside the Coptic Museum next March with the availability of an interactive screen. In order for the audience to know the details of the copy in a clear and distinctive way.
whole island
In Alexandria, too, there was great joy within the project team for the rescue excavations of the Matouh site in Al-Amriyah, to win the award for the unprecedented efforts that took place during the excavations in the Mariout region in December 2021 until March of the following year, and their discovery of an entire underground island dating back to the Roman era.
Muhja Ramadan, head of the Tibet Matouh excavation mission, told Sky News Arabia: “We are happy to crown our efforts with this important award in the world of archaeology. The region, but we did not give up in addition to working in the harsh cold weather and rain during the winter period
And Ramadan continued: “I did not forget the moment we discovered a pottery workshop, which led us to a pottery-burning kiln with a unique architectural style that was not abused by thieves. Then, with the completion of the excavation, the rest of the island appeared to us, which we expect to be a center for the manufacture of wine that is distributed on the islands.” The Mediterranean and the cities of the ancient world
first born
And she added: “The feeling that passes through our hearts after finding a new archaeological discovery is similar to the feeling of a mother holding her newborn for the first time, so shouts of happiness arose around while more spaces were found on the discovered island, such as large-sized housing units, places designated for prayer, and also a workshop.” for the textile industry and a cemetery with a distinguished design, and preliminary studies indicate that it belonged to the ruler of the region.
“We also discovered a number of artifacts of statues in the worship areas of the island. Our trip was full of amazing surprises, and we feel proud that the work team contributes to writing a new page of history in Egypt, especially Alexandria,” concludes the head of the Tibet Matouh excavation mission.
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