The twins Agnes and Margaret Smith, the 'Sisters of Sinai', are best known both for their discovery of the earliest translation of the New Testament gospels into Syriac and for their involvement in the study of Hebrew manuscripts from the Cairo Genizah (see the Lewis-Gibson Collection at the University Library here. One of their lesser known discoveries is the Codex Climaci Rescriptus. Lost texts of Classical Greek literature have (literally) brought to light through renewed interest in the Biblical manuscripts that were recycled in the production of the Codex and the application of Multispectral Imaging. Some of these Greek texts are now being read for the first time in over twelve hundred years. Although this talk will touch briefly on those Greek texts, how they were rediscovered, and the work of Dr Patrick James and others in preparing their first editions for publication, the talk's main focus will be how the twins were brought up by their widowed father to be pioneers among female philologers and lady linguistics and how their legacy continues to yield thrilling discoveries as Ancient Greek and Imaging Science collaborate.

For adults. Pre-book.

This event is part of the University of Cambridge's Festival of Ideas. To find out about more events, see here.

**Booking opens for this event at 10:30am on 24th September.**