A peculiar biblical carving unearthed in Canada, adorned with strange symbols, has left experts baffled as it 'may be linked' to the death of Jesus. The odd rock was discovered in 2018, when a tree fell in the Canadian wilderness near Wawa, a town in northern Ontario.

However, archaeologists have only just deciphered the 255 eerie symbols etched into the rock, revealing them to be the Lord's Prayer. The prayer is inscribed in Swedish and is believed to have been carved more than 200 years ago.

It took scholars seven years to decode the unusual symbols, which are now known to be words from an older version of the Swedish language. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation confirmed the translation as a version of the holy Lord's Prayer, dating back to around 1611, although a version was also republished in the 1800s.

Ryan Primrose from Ontario's archaeology team finally cracked the ancient text, identifying it as part of a Scandinavian alphabet. Mr Primrose now believes the area where the strange carved rock was found was likely used as a sacred outdoor place of worship, though oddly, no other archaeological artefacts have been found nearby.

The rock was brought up from the earth's depths when a tree toppled over seven years ago, and intriguingly, the slab appears to have been 'deliberately buried', according to those investigating the enigma. Retired Swedish professor, Henrik Williams, is also involved in the research into the mystifying old rock, reports .

Henrik told CBC that the runic inscription is a 'rare' find, noting that "someone put all this effort into this particular text and you wonder why".

Even though the rock is about 214 years old, Professor Henrik admitted that its age does not make the puzzle any less perplexing.

Mr Primrose from Ontario's archaeology team expressed his astonishment at coming across one of the most "least expected finds" in his career.

Widely known among Christians, Catholics, evangelists and regular churchgoers, the Lord's Prayer has been identified as the mysterious inscription carved into the stone.

Experts theorise that Swedish workers who settled in the area during the 1800s may hold clues to the enigma surrounding the rock.

But Mr Primose conceded that it's "difficult to tell what's going on", given the absence of other significant discoveries nearby.

The conundrum of the holy prayer on the rock has prompted much speculation about its connection to the crucifixion of Jesus and some consider it a sign in these challenging modern times.