Georgian PM says ruling party Honorary Chair’s “philanthropy” aims to “protect national identity” after “unique” 10th-century manuscript returned to Georgia

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Wednesday said the philanthropic act by Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder and the Honorary Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, to purchase a “unique” 10th-century manuscript by calligrapher John Zosimos at a Christie's auction in London earlier this year and return it to Georgia was aimed at “protecting and preserving the national identity of our country”.

Kobakhidze emphasised the importance of the manuscript by the important calligrapher, author, translator and bookbinder monk.

We are very happy that this treasure will find its place in our country, and I want to congratulate the population of our country and all of Georgia”, he said.

The PM and Government ministers on Wednesday attended a service led by the Locum Tenens of the Patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church to mark the occasion.

Today we celebrate the wonderful event of bringing this magnificent manuscript, the palimpsest, to Georgia and think about our cultural heritage, historical antiquities and their importance. The maintenance and protection of our historical sanctuaries is of great importance. I would like to express my special thanks to Ivanishvili, who enriched our cultural heritage with this acquisition”, Shio Mujiri, the Locum Tenens, said.

The GD press office noted Codex Sinaiticus Rescriptus, a 5th-7th centuries CE manuscript compiled in Aramaic and Georgian languages, would be donated to the Georgian National Museum network.

The palimpsest is overwritten with Georgian text written by Zosimos, and preserved in its 10th-century binding from St Catherine’s Monastery in Sinai, the earliest known signed, dated, and localisable binding. The manuscript will be the only masterpiece of Ioane Zosimos to be kept in Georgia.

The Christie’s auction said the manuscript contained the earliest textual witnesses of the Gospels in an Aramaic dialect nearest to that spoken by Jesus, and was composed “within a living tradition based in the Holy Land”.

Zosimos is known for his liturgical compilations and for composing several hymns dedicated to the Georgian language. His best known hymn was Praise and Exaltation of the Georgian Language, a mystic poem making heavy use of numerological symbolism and biblical allusions.

The manuscript will be displayed alongside other exhibits in the Christian Treasures Hall at the Museum.