Jesus Statue’s Secret 240 Yr.Old Hiding Place

The Church is known to have its secrets, with hidden meanings, concealed messages and puzzles that almost no one could solve. So imagine the surprise when restorers in Spain discovered a secret document concealed in a very unlikely place — the butt of a statue of Jesus.According to the restoration company Da Vinci Restauro, a time capsule was found in a statue of Christ crucified, called Cristo del Miserere from the church of Santa Águeda in Sotillo de la Ribera. The message was discovered in the hollowed out portion of the wooden figure when they took apart a removable piece that covered the statue's backside.

Following an examination of the two-page note, it was confirmed to have been written by an 18th-century Spanish priest. The note contains information about life at that time.

The 240-year-old document was written in 1777, by Joaquín Mínguez, a chaplain of the Cathedral of the Burgo de Osma, where the statue of Jesus was previously housed. While he did not reveal any hidden secrets or detail a map to religious treasure, Mínguez offered a glimpse into the Spain in which he lived.

Documenting that King Carlos III was in power at the time, he lists names of various aldermen, significant events that took place, crops cultivated in the region (wheat, rye, barley and oats, and wine grapes), common diseases (such as malaria and typhoid fever) and popular forms of entertainment (such as cards, ball games, and bar games).