Irish bog psalter

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An early mediaeval Christian psalter (prayer book) was discovered in a bog in July 2006, in the townland of Faddan More in north County Tipperary, Ireland^[1]. It is estimated to have been in the bog for between 1,000 and 1,200 years, but the book itself has yet to be formally identified, named or dated by Irish archaeological authorities. This discovery was hailed by the National Museum of Ireland as one of the most significant Irish archaeological finds in decades.^[2] An expert who was called in to advise on the discovery said that he believes the psalter is the first discovery of an Irish early mediaeval manuscript in two centuries.^[3]

1 Description
2 Discovery
3 Misreported prophecy
4 See also
5 References
6 External links

The book is written in Latin on vellum pages and extensive fragments have survived. Early research shows that the approximately 20 recovered pages are those of a slim, large-format book with a wraparound vellum or leather cover (like "a very thick wallet in appearance") from which the text block has slipped. It is believed to have been made for and belonged to an ancient Irish Christian monastery.^[4] ^[2] Low oxygen levels in the bog provide unusual preservation conditions, and bogs were often used by Irish monks as hiding places for valuables in the face of Viking raids. In addition to low oxygen levels, sphagnum moss, of which the peat bog is composed, produces an antibiotic substance called sphagnan that binds with proteins on the surface of microorganisims, immobilizing them. Its highly reactive carbonyl groups can alter chemicals and nutrients that would otherwise decompose organic matter. And above all the sphagnum moss causes organic material to undergo chemical changes itself that make it impervious to rot.^[5]

It was uncovered by bulldozer driver Eddie Fogarty,^[1] a worker extracting peat with a backhoe. Dr. Patrick Wallace, director of the National Museum, praised Fogarty for immediately having covered the book with damp soil, as exposure to dry air after so many centuries of dampness might have destroyed it. The book is being stored in refrigeration at the National Museum. Identifying the safest way to pry open the pages without damaging or destroying them could take months, and conservation work could take two years. A team of archaeologists continues to explore the site. The area around Faddan More Bog is rich in mediaeval history. Monastic foundations such as Lorrha and Terryglass in Co Tipperary and Birr and Seirkieran in Co Offaly are located nearby.^[1]

The bog is owned by local brothers Kevin and Patrick Leonard. Six years before the psalter find, a leather satchel was found that, by radiocarbon dating, was estimated to originate from between the seventh and ninth centuries. Additionally, in recent years two ancient wooden vessels were also found in the same bog.^[1]

When found, the book was opened to a page displaying Psalm 83 (in the Septuagint numbering), which corresponds with Psalm 84 in the Masoretic numbering used in most English-language translations.^[4] Due to confusion regarding differences in numbering the Psalms, some news sites implied that the Psalter was open at the Masoretic Psalm 83. That psalm contains such lines as "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"; this reference to the attempted destruction of Israel connected the find in some people's minds with the contemporaneous 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict. The matter was clarified by the director of the National Museum of Ireland, who pointed out the difference in Septuagint vs. Masoretic numbering and that the displayed psalm contains no reference to the destruction of Israel.^[6]