Mauro Perani, professor of Hebrew at the University of Bologna, said experts and carbon dating tests dated the scroll as having been made between 1155 and 1225.

The University of al-Qarawiyyin in Fez, Morocco, was originally founded as a mosque in 859 AD. According to Guinness World Records, it is the oldest higher learning institution in the world.

Since its founding in the Middle Ages, the University of Bologna has shaped the academic world and left an indelible mark on higher education, research and the endless quest for knowledge.