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| - Fact Check: Unrelated video shared as centuries-old manuscript excavated from Ram Janmabhoomi
The script on the alleged manuscript in question is in Hebrew language. Also, no such manuscript has been excavated from the Ram temple site.
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India Today Fact Check
The script on the purported manuscript seen in the videos is in Hebrews. No such manuscript has been found at the Ram Janmabhoomi site.
Ram temple construction is on full swing in Ayodhya and on June 26, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also reviewed a detailed plan, presented by CM Yogi Adityanath, to promote the temple town as a global religious tourism site.
Meanwhile, controversies have also come forth over the Ayodhya land deals.
More recently, a video, purportedly of a centuries-old manuscript, is shared on social media with the claim that it was discovered during the excavation at Ram Janmabhoomi where the construction is underway.
The claim further says it gives proof the site historically belonged to the temple. Some social media users also claimed that the script is in Sanskrit. The Hindi caption to one such video roughly translates to, “Copper-leaf found during excavation at Ram Janmabhoomi site - even after 488 years, the evidence is coming in our favour.”
Here is the video.
The archived version of the post can be seen here.
India Today Anti-Fake News War Room (AFWA) has found that the claim along with the video is misleading. The script on the alleged manuscript in question is in Hebrew language. Also, no such manuscript has been excavated from the Ram temple site.
AFWA probe
With the help of Invid tool and appropriate keywords, we found a better-quality version of the same video uploaded on an Instagram page ‘define.avcilari’ on April 10, 2020.
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The page has not provided any details about the video. But it has posted a lot of similar videos. The page also has images of several ancient-looking coins and ornaments.
According to the page’s bio in Turkish, these images and videos are sourced from multiple social media platforms as part of a hobby.
We also found the same video circulated by multiple social media users as a 1,500-year-old Persian Haggadah, recently rediscovered in Iran.
Closely observing a better clarity version of the video uploaded by ‘define.avcilari’, we noticed Jewish-origin symbols on the vessel and paper seen in the video.
For instance, the first symbol we see while opening the page is the Jewish symbol of light, ‘Menorahs’ and the symbol of the ancient Hebrew Tribe of Judah, Lion.
"Menorahs’ as well as ‘Hamsa' , a palm-shaped symbol symbolising the 'hand of God’, are also visible on the vessel featured in the video.
Taking a cue from this, we contacted a few Hebrew language experts who confirmed to us that the text seen on the paper in the video is in Hebrew and not any Indian language.
Hebrew language experts from Oxford Interfaith Forum also confirmed to us that the text seen in the video is in Hebrew.
Looking at the style of the text and the Hebrew vowel system seen in the text that was only created in the second half of first millennium AD, the experts also noted that the manuscript can be artificial and not an ancient Hebrew scroll.
Thapan Dubayehudi, a Hebrew language expert from the Jewish community, also confirmed to us that the text is in Hebrew. “The text seen in the manuscript is in Hebrew. While it looks like a Hebrew scroll, we cannot be sure how old and authentic it is."
Excavation at the Ayodhya site
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) carried out its first excavation at the Ayodhya site between 1976 and 1977. The second round of excavation happened in 2003.
While pillars, Shiva lingams, and several artefacts in the form of terracotta sculptures were found during the excavation, there is no mention of the discovery of a manuscript proving the existence of the Ram temple.
A video of the sculptures discovered during the excavations of Ram Janmabhoomi can be seen here.
In 2020, remains of ancient temples, pillars, idols of deities, and a Shivlinga were also spotted at Ram Janmabhoomi temple site during the levelling of land for construction of the proposed Ram temple. However, this levelling of land started only on May 11, 2020, while the video in question started circulating on the internet at least a month before the levelling of land.
The same video had also circulated with similar claims in June 2020. The Print, in association with SM Hoax Slayer had fact-checked the claim last year.
Hence, it is clear that the video in question is not related to the Ram Janmabhoomi and the claim is misleading.
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You can also send us an email at factcheck@intoday.com
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