Computer miracle, or Satan's tech support?

From The Guardian:

A demon lurking in the corner of a precious 17th-century Armenian gospel has reappeared centuries after he was deliberately scraped from the page by pious readers.

The creature is no longer visible to the naked eye, but once vied with the angel opposite him for the souls being weighed in the balance on judgment day, captured in the superbly illustrated gospel made by the renowned Armenian manuscript scribe, illuminator and theologian, Mesrop of Xizan, almost 400 years ago.

 Hidden devil is revealed using hyperspectral imaging process. Photograph: Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford

The demon will be revealed again by David Howell, head of conservation research at the Bodleian library in Oxford, using hyperspectral imaging as part of an exhibition of Armenian treasures. Opening on 23 October, it will mark the centenary of the attempted genocide of the Christian minority under the Ottoman empire, which scattered surviving Armenian families and their possessions across the world.

The Bodleian, one of the largest and oldest university libraries in the world, began collecting Armenian manuscripts in the 17th century, but many of the pieces are far older, including an 11th-century manuscript copy of John Chrysostom’s commentaries, and the only known copy of the first book printed in Iran, a book of psalms dating from 1638.

Another item on display, a matchbox-sized prayer book printed in Venice in 1831, has lengthy notes in frequently incorrect Mandarin, written in minute script by a former owner, the orientalist Solomon Caesar Malan who left his collection to the university. On one page he wrote “this is the wrong prayer”.

The exhibition will span more than 2,000 years of Armenian culture. Richard Ovenden, the director of the library, said the exhibition would have many objects of exceptional beauty.

“The Bodleian Libraries is honoured to take part in the commemorations for the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide by helping to share the history and culture of the Armenian people,” Ovenden said.