Latest news with #LordsPrayer
Daily Mail
16-06-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Mysterious carving with biblical message linked to Jesus' crucifixion found in North America
Archaeologists have deciphered 255 ancient characters that were etched into a stone more than 200 years ago. The runic inscription, carved into bedrock, was first uncovered in 2018 after a fallen tree exposed the writing, which is arranged in a square formation. Ryan Primrose, an archaeologist and the director of the Ontario Center for Archaeological Education, has now revealed that the symbols spell out the Lord's Prayer in Swedish. The prayer, also known as the 'Our Father,' is a central Christian prayer attributed to Jesus in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke that was written sometime after his crucifixion. Primrose, who has been analyzing the artifact since its discovery, determined that the characters were Nordic runes, part of Futhark, a writing system used in Scandinavia in past centuries. He and his team were surprised to find this ancient script in the Canadian wilderness, but later learned that the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) hired Swedes in the 1800s to work at trading posts, suggesting that this may be when the carvings were made. Due to the lack of artifacts around the site, Primrose believed the site was used as a place of worship. The carved slab was found near the town of Wawa, located about 155 miles from the nearest US border crossing in Michigan. In the 1800s, the HBCa British fur trading enterprise, was rapidly expanding its operations across North America, from the Pacific Northwest to the Canadian Arctic. To keep these trading posts staffed, HBC frequently recruited workers from European countries, including Sweden, Norway and Denmark. The Scandinavian workers were mostly stationed at trading posts in Canada's interior or Pacific Northwest. The characters were written inside a square, also carved in the rock, measuring three feet by four feet. Also included was an image of a boat with 16 people drawing around it, which may have reflected the Swedes who traveled to Canada hundreds of years ago. Primrose said that the slab appeared to have been intentionally buried. 'There were ruins covered by about six inches of soil,' he told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). The wear of the stone suggests it could be as old as the 1600s, but experts only have the evidence of Swedish speaking individuals being in the region some 200 years ago. Henrik Williams, an emeritus professor at Uppsala University in Sweden, was sent images of the symbols who was disappointed that it was not an ancient artifact. 'Any runic inscription is rare, he told CBC. 'Someone put all this effort into this particular text and you wonder why. The mystery does not decrease just because of its age.' Primrose said he did not want to release the information publicly until he was completely sure about the translation of the symbols. 'This is certainly among the least expected finds I have encountered in my career,' he said. The Lord's Prayer appears in two places in the New Testament. The first is in Matthew 6:9-13 during the Sermon on the Mount and again in Luke 11:2-4 when a disciple asks Jesus how to pray. The prayer is a short, powerful summary of Christian beliefs and expresses key themes, honoring God's name, asking for God's will to be done, requesting daily bread, forgiving and being forgiven, and avoiding temptation. For the first few centuries of Christian practice, the Lord's Prayer was taught to converts and frequently recited in communal worship and private devotion. It became a central part of Christian liturgy across traditions, Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant, and was often called 'the perfect prayer.' It was then translated into countless languages and incorporated into church services and daily prayers around the world. The prayer etched in the stone in Canada was the Swedish version, which featured the Norse linguistic heritage. While the Bible was translated to Swedish in 1541, scholars chose to transcribe the Lord's Prayer into runes as a way to celebrate or connect with their Scandinavian past.
Telegraph
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Lord's Prayer ‘more recognised than famous Star Wars phrase'
The Lord's Prayer is more widely recognised than one of the most famous phrases from Star Wars, according to a poll. The survey of 2,000 adults, commissioned by the Church of England, also suggested that the prayer is better known than the national anthem and Shakespeare's 'To be, or not to be' line from Hamlet. It found that 80.3 per cent of respondents correctly identified 'Give us this day our daily bread' as being from the prayer, which is also known as the Our Father. The figure is just above the 79.9 per cent who recognised 'May the force be with you' as a recurring phrase in the Star Wars series of science fiction films. Meanwhile, a total of 89 per cent said they had heard of the Lord's Prayer, including 88 per cent of respondents who identified themselves as having no religion. The Archbishop of York, the Rt Rev Stephen Cottrell, said the findings suggested that the prayer continued to 'resonate with people of all faiths and none'. He said: 'These results reflect what we've been hearing across the north of England through our Faith In The North initiative, which invites people to explore the Lord's Prayer. 'In a world of shifting cultures and changing circumstances, the Lord's Prayer remains a steady guide – perhaps never more so than now.' The archbishop added: 'Lines like 'Give us this day our daily bread' speak powerfully to today's challenges, reminding us to seek sufficiency, not excess, and to consider what 'enough' truly means.' Researchers also found that 73 per cent of those polled recognised 'To be, or not to be' from Hamlet, while 63 per cent correctly matched the lines 'Happy and glorious, long to reign over us' to God Save the King. Around one in six identified 'Never in the field of human conflict, was so much owed by so many to so few' as being from Winston Churchill's wartime speech to MPs in 1940. More than half recognised 'You'll never walk alone' as a line from the song of the same name by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, as popularised by Gerry and the Pacemakers and Liverpool Football Club. The least well-known of the seven extracts presented to respondents was 'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times' from Charles Dickens 's A Tale of Two Cities, which was only matched by 39 per cent. Polling firm Savanta carried out the survey between May 23 and 26 on behalf of the Church.
The Sun
06-06-2025
- General
- The Sun
Brits recognise extract from the Lord's Prayer over famous line from Star Wars, reveals poll
AN extract from the Lord's Prayer is more recognisable than a famous line in Star Wars, according to a poll. More people also identified Jesus Christ 's ancient teaching than the national anthem. 3 Some 80.3 per cent knew ' Give us this day our daily bread ' is from the Lord's Prayer, also known as the 'Our Father'. It beat the 79.9 per cent recognising ' May the Force be with you ' from the Star Wars films. 'To be or not to be' from Shakespeare play Hamlet was identified by 73 per cent. Some 63 per cent matched 'happy and glorious, long to reign over us' with God Save The King in the Church of England's poll of 2,000-plus people. The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, said the findings suggest the prayer remains a "steady guide" and something which continues to "resonate with people of all faiths and none". Mr Cottrell is leading a "tour" of events at churches and cathedrals across the north of England as part of his Faith In The North initiative, with a focus on the prayer. He said: "These results reflect what we've been hearing across the north of England through our Faith In The North initiative, which invites people to explore the Lord's Prayer. "Lines like 'Give us this day our daily bread' speak powerfully to today's challenges, reminding us to seek sufficiency, not excess, and to consider what 'enough' truly means." Scottish Star Wars superfan's dream comes true after coming to rescue of show 3 WHAT ARE THE WORDS OF THE LORD'S PRAYER The contemporary Lord's Prayer reads as follows: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and for ever. Amen.
