# AI deciphering of the Vatican Borg manuscript

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/ai-deciphering-of-the-vatican-borg-manuscript
> Updated: 2026-08-31T13:58:41.000Z. Sources: 4. Developments: 2.

Researchers using machine learning have successfully deciphered the ‘Borg cipher’, a 408-page manuscript held in the Vatican Library that has remained unreadable for over 400 years. The document features 34 obscure symbols and Roman letters, and was believed to contain secret medical remedies intended to protect practitioners from accusations of witchcraft.

Initial findings from the decoding process have revealed thousands of unusual historical treatments, such as the use of fermented nutmeg or high-quality red wine to combat dysentery. Professor Beáta Megyesi of Stockholm University described the process as “detective work” that provides access to a lost historical world. The breakthrough highlights the potential for artificial intelligence to decode the estimated 1% of archival materials worldwide that may be partially or totally encoded.

## Timeline

### 2026-08-31: AI deciphers 400-year-old Borg manuscript in Vatican Library

Artificial intelligence and machine learning have enabled researchers to begin deciphering the 400-year-old Borg manuscript, revealing centuries-old secret medical remedies hidden in cryptic symbols.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/ai-deciphers-400-year-old-borg-manuscript-in-vatican-library

### 2026-08-29: AI deciphers 400-year-old Borg cipher in Vatican Library

Using machine learning, researchers have deciphered the 400-year-old Borg cipher in the Vatican Library, revealing secret medieval medical remedies.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/ai-deciphers-400-year-old-borg-cipher-in-vatican-library

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Cite as: AI deciphering of the Vatican Borg manuscript. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/ai-deciphering-of-the-vatican-borg-manuscript