Ancient bones said to belong to St Nicholas, the fourth-century saint who inspired the legend of Santa Claus, may indeed be from the Father Christmas himself, Oxford scientists have found. The results suggest that the bones could in principle be authentic and belong to the saint.
The remains of St Nicholas, one of the most revered Orthodox Christian saints, have been held in the Basilica di San Nicola church in Bari, Italy since 1087 AD. Over the years relic fragments have been acquired by various churches around the world, calling into question how the bones can all be from the same person.
Using a micro-sample of bone fragment, Professor Tom Higham and Georges Kazan, from Oxford University in the UK, have for the first time tested one of these bones. The radio carbon dating results pinpoint the relic’s age to the fourth century AD – the time that some historians believe that St Nicholas died (around 343 AD).
“Many relics that we study turn out to date to a period somewhat later than the historic attestation would suggest,” said Higham.
“This bone fragment, in contrast, suggests that we could possibly be looking at remains from St Nicholas himself,” he said. St Nicholas is thought to have lived in Myra, Asia Minor, which is now modern day Turkey.
According to legend, he was a wealthy man who was widely known for his generosity, a trait that inspired the legend of Father Christmas as a bringer of gifts on Christmas Day. Believed to have been persecuted by the Emperor Diocletian, the saint died in Myra, where his remains became a focus of Christian devotion.
His remains are said to have been taken away by a group of Italian merchants and transported to Bari, where the bulk of them sit to this day in the Basilica di San Nicola.
Adapted from www.telanganatoday.com
1) Indicate whether the following statements are true or false and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.
a) The results have already been taken as definite.
b) Oxford University tested all the bones for this study.
c) St Nicholas was thought to be unselfish.
d) St Nicholas' remains were transported to Italy in first place.
2) Choose and write the most suitable answer (a, b, c or d) according to the text
1.- These bones....
a) have been at the same place for long.
b) have been in different churches over the time.
c) have been sold many times.
d) have been recently acquired by Bari Basilica.
2.- Relics...
a) and history dates are usually coincident.
b) always match the period they study.
c) and history dates may sometimes differ.
d) can never date history dates exactly.
KEY
Indicate whether the following statements are true or false and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.
a) FALSE: “The results suggest that the bones could in principle be authentic and belong to the saint.”
b) FALSE: “Using a micro-sample of bone fragment, [Professor Tom Higham and Georges Kazan, from Oxford University in the UK, have for the first time tested one of these bones.]”
c) TRUE: “he was a wealthy man who was widely known for his generosity”
d) TRUE: “His remains are said to have been taken away by a group of Italian merchants and transported to Bari, where the bulk of them sit to this day in the Basilica di San Nicola.”
Choose and write the most suitable answer (a, b, c or d) according to the text
a) have been at the same place for long.
c) and history dates may sometimes differ.
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