Multi-Spectral Imaging (MSI) is a non-invasive imaging technology that captures photographs under multiple wavelengths of light, ranging from ultraviolet through visible to infrared. By analysing these images through specialised software, MSI enhances or reveals sections overwritten or erased in manuscripts. This method has a proven track record in cultural heritage projects, such as recovering the lost texts of the Archimedes Palimpsest and enhancing legibility in the Codex Sinaiticus and Dead Sea Scrolls.

In addition to enhancing legibility, MSI helps identify material usage patterns linked to specific engagements, such as wear from careless handling, intentional erasures, or devotional gestures. This is vital in projects such as ours, where understanding the materiality of usage marks reveals how manuscripts were used, altered, and preserved over time. As such, MSI offers a deeper interpretation of manuscripts’ evolving cultural and devotional contexts.