.
What if we knew what those
instrumental in putting Jesus of Nazareth to death thought about 2,000 years ago in one of the greatest and most controversial religious stories
of all time, the crucifixion of Jesus?
In terms of documentation
of an event of incredible magnitude, the absence of information is far more
significant than what is available. Other
than accounts which often don't even agree in the Gospels of the New Testament,
little is documented from that time period.
There were three major
players in the death of Jesus, Caiaphas, head of the Jewish Sanhedrin, the powerful
court of justice in Judaism that legislated for the souls and bodies of men and
the only court able to rule on religious matters.
Pontius Pilate was the
fifth prefect of the Roman province
of Judea during the trial
of Jesus and served under Roman Emperor Tiberius. Also known as Governor of Judea, Pilate is best
remembered as the judge at the trial of Jesus charged with carrying out the
wishes of the Jewish Sanhedrin.
The third major player was
Herod of Antipas, son of Herod the great, the most evil of the kings of the Holy Land. Herod
Antipas was ruler of Galilee and Perea which he ruled as client states of the Roman Empire.
Pilate tried to get Herod
to rule on putting Jesus to death because most of the ministry of Jesus was
spent in the territory
of Herod. Herod is most remembered for being involved in
the deaths of John the Baptist and Jesus.
As spiritual leader of the
Jews Caiaphas had an agreement with Tiberius, Roman Emperor, that the Jews
would pay taxes to Rome as long as Rome let them maintain
their own religion. However, Rome would carry out the executions
ordered by the Jewish Sanhedrin. Both
Pilate and Herod served at the pleasure of Emperor Tiberius.
One little reported fact about all these major players in the trial and death of Jesus is this. Jesus was put to death in 33 AD, Between 36-39 AD, starting three years after the death of Jesus, all of them, Tiberius 37 AD, Caiaphas 36 AD, Pilate 37 AD and Herod 39 AD would all die.
In 1856 a series of
strange events began in a blizzard in Missouri
that would lead deep into the vaults to the Records of the Roman Senatorial
Docket from the time of Tiberius at the Library of the Vatican in Rome and
to Jewish manuscripts at the Mosque of St. Sofia in Constantinople.
The search took until the
end of the 19th century to validate and complete and until 1913 to finally
publish and the results might have revolutionized Christianity and Judaism had efforts
not been taken to discredit and bury the findings for all time.
In spite of the efforts
the record survives and you can judge for yourself whether The Archko Volume records
are the truth. They claim to be the
archeological writings of the Sanhedrin and Talmud's of the Jews and the
official Roman documents made in the courts at the time of Jesus.
In the next few days I
will publish sections including first person accounts from Caiaphas, Pontius
Pilate and Herod of Antipas regarding the death of John the Baptist and the
trial of Jesus. You be the judge.
Today is Chapter 1. of the
book, the astonishing story of how the records were discovered.
THE ARCHKO VOLUME;
OR, THE ARCHEOLOGICAL
WRITINGS OF THE SANHEDRIN AND TALMUDS OF THE JEWS.
THESE ARE THE
OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS MADE IN THESE COURTS IN THE DAYS OF JESUS CHRIST.
TRANSLATED BY
DRS. McINTOSH AND TWYMAN,
OF THE ANTIQUARIAN LODGE, GENOA, ITALY.
FROM MANUSCRIPTS IN CONSTANTINOPLE AND THE RECORDS OF THE
SENATORIAL DOCKET TAKEN FROM THE VATICAN
AT ROME.
PHILADELPHIA:
ANTIQUARIAN BOOK COMPANY.
Copyright, 1913, by
W. F. EANDALL.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
How these records were discovered
CHAPTER II.
A short sketch of the Talmuds
CHAPTER III.
Constantine's
letter in regard to having fifty copies of the Scriptures written and bound
CHAPTER IV.
Jonathan's interview with the Bethlehem
shepherds Letter of Melker, Priest of the Synagogue at Bethlehem
CHAPTER V.
Gamaliel's interview with Joseph and Mary and others concerning
Jesus
CHAPTER VI.
Report of Caiaphas to the Sanhedrin concerning the execution
of Jesus
CHAPTER VII.
Report of Caiaphas to the Sanhedrin concerning the
resurrection of Jesus
CHAPTER VIII.
Valleus's notes "Acta Pilati," or Pilate's report
to Caesar of the arrest, trial, and crucifixion of Jesus
CHAPTER IX.
Herod Antipater's defence before the Roman Senate in regard
to his conduct at Bethlehem
CHAPTER X.
Herod Antipas's defence before the Roman Senate in regard to
the execution of John the Baptist
CHAPTER XI.
The Hillel letters regarding God's providence to the Jews,
by Hillel the Third
CHAPTER I.
HOW THESE RECORDS WERE DISCOVERED.
SOME time in the year 1856, while living in DeWitt, Missouri,
a gentleman by the name of H. C. Whydaman became snow-bound and stopped at my
house several days. He was a native of Germany, and one of the most
learned men I had ever met. I found him to be freely communicative. During his
stay, he told me he had spent five years in the city of Rome,
and most of the time in the Vatican,
where he saw a library containing five hundred and sixty thousand volumes. He told me that he had seen and read the
records of Tiberius Ceasar, and in what was called the Ada Pilati
that is, the acts of Pilate he had seen an account of the apprehension, trial,
and crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth; but said it did not add much to the
commonly accepted teachings of Christianity.
He told me he thought a transcript could be secured. After Mr.
Whydaman's departure, I meditated upon what he had told me of those records,
and thought that if a transcript could be obtained it would be very
interesting, even if it did not add much to the present teachings of Christianity.
So, after some months I set about
tracing up Mr. Whydaman, as the following correspondence shows:
DEWITT, CAKKOLL Co., Mo.,
Sept. 22, 1856.
MR. HENRY C. WHYDAMAN.
DEAR SIR: After you left my house last spring, I kept thinking
of your telling me of reading the acts of Pilate in the Vatican, while at Rome. I want you, if you
please, to get me a transcript of those records, if the cost will not be too
much. Will you please open a correspondence with some of your old friends at Rome that you can rely
upon, and ascertain if it can be obtained ; and if so what will be the probable
cost of getting it ? I shall be much obliged, and will pay you for your trouble
and expense.
Yours in tender regards,
W. D. MAHAN
NEW YORK,
Nov. 12, 1856.
MR. W. D. MAHAN.
DEAR SIR : Your letter as directed to H. C. Whydaman is
received. I will inform you he has returned to Germany. Your letter has been
forwarded.
Yours, etc.,
C. C. VANTBERGER.
March 2, 1857.
REV. W. D. MAHAN.
DEAR SIR : It is with the kindest regards I remembered your
hospitality while with you in America. Be assured,
anything I can do for you will afford me great pleasure. I have written to
Father Freelinhusen, a monk of great learning, at Rome,
who is the chief guardian of the Vatican. I have made the request in
my own name, as I do not think they would be willing for such a document to go into the
hands of the public. When he answers, I will write to you again.
I am, your most obedient servant,
H. C. WHYDAMAN.
WESTPHALIA,
GERMANY, Nov.
27, 1857.
REV. W. D. MAHAN.
DEAR SIR : Father Freelinhusen has answered my letter in
regard to the transcript you want. He informs me that the writing is so fine,
and being in the Latin language, as I told you, and the parchments so old and
dirty, he will be obliged to use a glass to the most of it. He can only give it
in the Latin, as he does not understand the English. He says he will do it for
thirty-five darics, which will be in American coin sixty-two dollars and forty-four cents. If you will forward the amount, I will have the
document forwarded to my brother-in-law, C. C. Vantberger. He will translate it
for a trifle.
I am yours, in tender regards,
H. C. WHYDAMAN.
CHILLICOTHE,
Mo., Feb. 8, 1858.
MR. H. C. WHYDAMAN.
DEAR SIR : Thanks to you for your kindness, and be assured,
if I succeed, I shall ever feel under obligations to you for your trouble.
Enclosed find a check on the Foreign Exchange Bank of New York for sixty-two dollars and
forty-four cents. Please have the work done, and urge Mr. Freelinhusen to have
it a true copy of the original. Send it to Mr. Vantberger, and have him to
translate it into English, and I will pay the charges. He has my address.
Yours, as ever,
W. D. MAHAN.
WESTPHALIA,
GERMANY, June 14,
1858.
REV. W. D. MAHAN.
DEAR SIR : I acknowledge your draft of $62.44. Will apply as
you request.
I am, sir,
H. C. WHYDAMAN.
MR. H. C. WHYDAMAN.
DEAR SIR : I hereby forward to you the transcript as it is
on record in the Vatican
in Tiberius Caesar's Court by Pilate. I certify this to be a true copy, word
for word, as it occurs there.
Yours, etc.,
PETER FREELINHUSEN.
NEW YORK,
April 26, 1859.
MR. W. D. MAHAN.
DEAR SIR : I am in possession of a document from H. C.
Whydaman, with instructions to translate it into English. My charge is ten
dollars. I will expect an answer.
C. C. VANTBERGER.
With this correspondence I received the following document,
and I must confess that, although it js not inspired, yet the words burned in
my heart as the words of Christ in the hearts of his disciples, and I am
satisfied from the spirit it breathes that it must be true. I am aware that
though the Jews were in subjection to the Romans, yet they still held their ecclesiastical authority, and the Romans not only
submitted to their decisions, but executed their decrees on their subjects.
Knowing there was not such a piece of history to be found in all the world, and
being deeply interested myself, as also hundreds of others to whom I have read
it, I have concluded to give it to the public.
Upon getting hold of this report of Pilate I commenced to
investigate this subject, and after many years of trial and the expenditure of
considerable money, I found that there were many of such records still
preserved at the Vatican in Rome and at Constantinople, that had been carried
there by the Emperor of Rome about the middle of the third century. I therefore procured the necessary assistance, and on September
21, 1883, I set sail for those foreign lands to make the investigation in
person.
Believing that no event of such importance to the world as
the death of Jesus of Nazareth could have transpired without some record being
made of it by his enemies in their courts, legislations, and histories, I
commenced investigating the subject. After many years of study, and after consulting various histories and
corresponding with many scholars, I received the assistance of two learned men,
Drs. Mclntosh and Twyman, and went to the Vatican
at Rome, and then to the Jewish Talrnuds at Constantinople. As
a result I have compiled this book, which will be found one
of the most strange and interesting books ever read. It may appear fragmentary,
but the reader must remember that it is the record of men made nearly two
thousand years ago.
It was some time in March, 1856, that my mind was awakened
on the subject of this book, almost incidentally, or it may be providentially,
for He sometimes chooses the weakest things to confound the mighty. The reader
is referred to the correspondence of H. C. Whydaman and myself, as found in
this book. In God's providence sometimes very great effects are produced from very small causes. Mr. Whydaman told me he had spent five years
in the Vatican at Rome, and in looking over the old manuscripts he came across
the records of Pilate made to Caesar, and in those records he saw where a man named Jesus was arrested, tried, and executed ; he
read it carefully and re-read it, and went back and read it again.
This was the beginning of my investigation, and this book is
the product of that investigation. I ask the reader to follow me patiently and
see how I came to get hold of the matter contained in this book.
I wondered how it was that such historians as Philo,
Tacitus, Quintilian, and Josephus had told us nothing or so little about Jesus
of Nazareth. I asked all the wise men and scholars I met, and they did not
know; I then wrote to many scholars in Europe,
and they could not tell me. As I could find nothing very definite from the
outside world, I began to have my doubts, but came to the conclusion that the
question was of too much importance to allow my mind to be fixed without a
thorough investigation. I went to our histories Mosheim, Lardner, Stackhouse,
and others. They gave me no satisfaction, and I thought to myself, Is it
possible that the character of such men as the early Christians, and the
wonderful excitement that they created in their day, could have been passed
over and no records made of them ? When I remembered, too, that the
Roman provinces in that day were prolific with debaters, historians, and
writers on all topics that were brought before them, and that the records of
the courts in those days were more carefully preserved than they are now, and
that even of the trial of Guiteau, who was not half as conspicuous to the
people of these United States as Jesus was to the Jewish nation, there were
hundreds of records made, I came to the conclusion that only Almighty God could establish a cause so universally as the Christian
religion was established in the hearts of the people of this world, and sceptre
them so completely as the sceptre of Jesus governs this world to-day, when they
had comparatively little or no testimony from the outside world.
I consulted our histories in this country, and one said
these records were burned in the Alexandrian Library. I knew the Babylonian
Talmuds were in this library, or at least most of them were, but 1 also knew
that the Talmuds of Jerusalem were not. I
knew that when the Romans conquered the Jews and destroyed their Holy City,
temple and all, all the sacred treasures were taken by the Romans and, I
supposed, preserved.
Another historian says Gregory IX. burned all the sacred
records. I found that this Roman bishop was a strong believer in Christ, as
were all the Catholic Church. They follow not us, and we forbid them. Why
should they burn these records ? There is no Church more strongly in favor of
Jesus Christ ; he is their corner-stone, their foundation rock, their only hope. They have a different way to approach him. This
does not destroy their Saviour; he remains the same, but they have different
ways of using him as their Saviour.
Other historians said the Jews destroyed these records,
although it is strange that the Jews should destroy all their sacred records at
the time, to get rid of an impostor, as they believed him to be. It is more
likely they would have preserved them to vindicate their actions in the future,
provided they should be needed. The Jews were honest in all their dealings with
Christ ; they thought both he and John the Baptist were destroying their
nation, and, as their nation and religion were one and the same, the course
Jesus was pursuing jeopardized all their hopes, religious and political. This
is seen clearly in the defence of Caiaphas, as set forth in this book (see his
defence before the Sanhedrin in regard to his conduct with Jesus). Hence, much of the
prejudice among Protestants against the Jews is groundless. There never was a
people more honest and devoted to their country and their God than the Jews.
Many Protestants in this country, and some preachers among them, think that the more they denounce
the Jews and Catholics, the more they serve God. The Jews were wrong in
rejecting Jesus Christ as their Saviour, and so are those who reject him now ;
but when a man reads this book he will come to the conclusion that the Jews had
a better reason for rejecting Christ than men have today, and would it be right
to abuse all who refuse Christ as bad men ? It is still more intolerable for
the members of one denomination to abuse those of another because of not worshipping
Christ as they do. A difficulty I met in
consulting scholars on this subject was the claim that the Roman monks had
forged many manuscripts regarding Jesus Christ, in the middle ages. Now they
may have forged some things to sustain their peculiar views and doctrines,
something to sustain their Church ; but there is nothing in this book to sustain Catholicism, and if every
word of it was forgotten it would add nothing to that Church more than to any
other Church. Then I remembered the Vatican library was one of the most extensive in the
world ; it has cost millions of dollars. How did those forgers know that I or
any other man would come there and pay them a few dollars to get a transcript of those records ? It
certainly would be a very poor speculation.
Another objection was that the manuscripts had been searched
for by scholars and could not be found. So I set myself to work, and after
investigating all the authors in this country, and writing to many scholars in Europe, and getting books from libraries in the old
country, thus sparing no pains or expense, I could not find or even hear of a
man who had ever investigated this subject. I found that Dr. Tischendorf
made some investigation in these ancient manuscripts, but he was looking for
the manuscript of the Scriptures, and might have seen many such things as this
book holds and never have noticed them, just from the simple fact that he was
not looking for them. He was looking for something else. In the investigation
of such subjects a man must have but one thing in his mind, and he must be
posted beforehand to know how and where to look, for the field is too large to
make his business general. I now challenge any scholar to show me the man who
has made this his special business, and made the effort that I have on this
particular subject. I am sure there is none.
The next great difficulty that I encountered was this: Could
such manuscripts exist so long? I found by investigating that Ptolemy, King of
Alexandria, presented seventy books to Ezra, which he refused to place in the
Holy Canon, and it came very near bringing on a bloody war. Again I found that
Serenus Samnaticus, who was the teacher of M. Antonius Africanus, son of
Gordianus the Great, when he died, left his library, consisting of sixty-two
thousand volumes, to his student. This was in 236 A.D. I also remembered that
the works of Homer were more than five hundred years older than Christ, and that
we had the laws of Shammai, Abtalian, and the works of the Hillels all before
us; and if Tischendorf, in the convent of St. Catherine, could find slips and
pieces of the Septuagint that were declared at Leipsic to be of the fourth
century, I thought there might be a great deal more somewhere in the vast
libraries in those old countries that have thousands of years the advantage of
America. The literati could all tell how the manuscripts of the Church might
be, and were, preserved ; but the records of its enemies, even the records of
courts and crowns they could not see into.
Now the reader must remember that there never was anything
that created so much excitement in the land of Judea
as the preaching of John the Baptist and Christ. This will be readily
understood if we take into consideration the structure of the Jewish
Commonwealth. The great Sanhedrin legislated for the souls and bodies of men;
that is, their religion and their politics were one and the same
thing. In the capitulation made with Augustus Caesar it was understood and
agreed that the Jews were to pay a tax to the Romans, but the Romans were not
to interfere with the Jewish religion. This took the executive power out of the
hands of the Jews and put it into the hands of the Romans. This is the reason
Jesus was sent to Pilate to be executed. The Romans had to carry out and
execute the decisions of the Jewish courts on all Jewish questions. This is the reason Herod Antipas was tried by
the Roman Senate: he had executed John the Baptist without a trial. Then we see
why the Jews and Romans worked together on all questions of law; hence the
great excitement of both nations. This is the reason why Pilate made his report
to Caesar.
Now I say no event creating so much excitement could take place
without more or less record being made of it; for if the Scripture is true and
I believe it is there never was a man on earth who had so many followers in so
short a time. Caiaphas says Jesus had been preaching three years, and he then
had more followers than Abraham. This causes me to say again that if the New
Testament records are true, then the historical items contained in this book must be true; and if these items, or items like
them, be not true, then the items of the New Testament are not true; that is,
no man dare to say these are the identical items, but items like these, and why
not these? They came from the right place. The parchments and scrolls upon
which they are written are such as were used in those days, but to say these
are the same is to say what no man dare to say. The time has been too long and
the distance to the place where the records are kept is too great for all men
to make the examination for themselves, hence I ask all to consider this
question fairly.
Let me invite the attention of the reader to the known
histories in this country. Dr. Rashi, D.D., who wrote in Paris in the twelfth century, says in Vol.
III., page 190, that in the formation of the ancient libraries there were men
appointed called " baalie suphoths," which means " book
-compilers." The business of these men was to take the sheets of parchment of the various authors and pin their dates
together, bind them in bundles and have them bound with clasps between cedar
boards. This was a trade, and it required the best of scholars to do it. They
were called baalie suphoths. We find that the works of Philo were compiled by
Pseudonymaus Joseph Ben Gorion, A.D. 150. This Ben Gorion was a Jewish rabbi, a Pharisean doctor. Josephus was
compiled by Ekaba, another Jewish doctor, at the close of the second century;
and so with all the historians who lived near the Christian era. Josephus was
published in book-form by Havercamp, in Amsterdam,
in 1729. Now all he had to guide him was what Ben Gorion had said. So it is
with Philo,
which was put in book form by Mangey, in London, in 1742 ; all he had was what Ekaba
had pleased to compile of his works, and, as there was deadly hatred between
Jews and Christians at that time, it is most reasonable to believe that those
compilers would leave everything out that would favor the Christians. It was
to their own interest at that time to bury the very name of Christ in eternal
oblivion; and this is the reason that all the historians who lived and wrote in
those days are made to say so very little about Christ or his followers.
Now in looking over the histories we find comparatively
nothing said about Jesus Christ. Such a thing could not be if the New Testament
is true. No man could make me believe
that such events occurred as are recorded in the Scriptures without accounts of
them being made in the State records and by the public writers of that day.
Although I have had this thrown in my face so often by infidels, I never saw
the reason till I commenced this investigation; and if any man will take the pains to examine
this question he will find that all the sophers, or scribes, were Pharisees;
they were the doctors, lawyers, orators, poets, and statesmen of the times. The
Hillel and Shammai schools made more scholars than all the world besides in the
last days of the Jewish Commonwealth. Almost every nation under the sun patronized these schools.
Now, being satisfied that I was on the right track the next
thing was to find out what had become of the original manuscripts. Had Rothgad,
Havercamp, and Mangey destroyed the manuscripts when they were done with them ?
This I knew could not be, from the fact that these parchments were either in
the hands of government or individual libraries, and they could not destroy them or take them away; and I knew if
these manuscripts had been kept till 1754 they must be in existence yet. Only a
few years ago there were one hundred and twenty-eight volumes of manuscripts
presented to the British Museum, which were looked upon with interest, and,
while I am writing this, there comes to my hand a dispatch from Vienna to the London
Times. I will give it in full, as I think it will be beneficial to the reader.
The dispatch is as follows :
"Ancient Manuscripts. The sifting and arrangement of
the papyrus collection bought by Archduke Rainer have led to further
interesting discoveries. Of the hieroglyphic, hieratic, demotic, and Coptic
papyri, about twenty date from the pre-Christian period. Among these is one nearly three thousand
years old, in the hieratic letter, containing the representation of a funeral,
with a well-preserved sketch of the deceased, some hieroglyphic legends, and a
demotic papyrus on the subject of mathematics. Much more numerous are the Coptic documents, about one thousand
in all, mostly letters and legal documents of the period from the sixth to the
tenth century of our era. There are some important papyri containing
translations of the Bible in the central Egyptian dialect, of which there have
hitherto been found but few specimens ; and a leaf of parchment
from an old octavo edition of the book of Ruth, in the
Sahidi dialect.
" Among the Greek papyri is a hitherto unknown speech
of Isocrates, one of the finest specimens of Alexandrian caligraphy. Another
fragment has been found of the book of the Thucydides manuscript, previously
mentioned. Portions, also, have been discovered of the Iliad, and a paraphrase
of the Fourth Book. Then a metanvia has been found dating from the beginning of the fourth century, being thus
one of the oldest Christian manuscripts. The collection contains many
well-preserved documents in an almost continuous series of the Roman and
Byzantine emperors, beginning with Trajan and ending with Heraclius.
" There are also documents in the Iranic and Semitic
languages. The former are written on papyrus, parchment, and skins, and among
them are two fragments which, it is believed, will furnish the key to the
Pehlewi language. Among the Arab papyri twenty-five documents have been found
with the original leaden seals attached. They begin with a fragment of the
fifty-fourth year of the Hegira. Another
is an official document of the nineteenth year of the Hegira, appointing a
revenue collector. Perhaps the most
valuable part of the collection is one hundred and fifty-five Arabian
documents, on cotton paper, of the eighth century, which is about the time of
the invention of this material by the Arabs, to the year 953. Many thousands of manuscripts have
still to be deciphered."
In the early centuries there was a good deal of what is
known as the " Apologetical Writings." I made it my business to
examine these writings, and found them to be a defence of Christianity. The
first of this form of writing was presented to the Emperor Adrian by Quadratus,
in the year 126 A.D. A portion of this we find in Eusebius, page 93. There was another by Aristides, at about the same time.
These two authors are found only in fragments, preserved by other historians,
and their writings are mainly pleas for clemency for those who professed Christianity
and were being persecuted.
Justin Martyr also wrote twice on this subject once to the
Roman Senate and once to Antonius. These were published in English by W.
Reeves, in 1709, at Leipsic.
Tertullian wrote two volumes, and Vincentius wrote a
commentary on them. These are found at Paris.
They are very valuable works perhaps the most valuable of the ancient writings
from the fact, recorded in them, that the Christians, in giving reasons for
asking favors, refer to the records made by the Jews and Jewish writers as well
as the reports of the Roman officers who were the governors of Judea at that time; and of course their reference to
these records demonstrates that the records were there.
In Tertullian, Vol. II., page 29, Vincentius says the Christians'
argument was based on the doctrine of the Bible, showing that the God of the
Christians could save, and referred the pagans to the many instances where he
had interposed and saved, when none but a God like the Christians' God could
save. For, said they, what can a God made of wood or brass do in time of danger? They had no power to put forth
and exert themselves to save. Vincentius says the pagan would answer that these
images were the representations of their gods ; that these gods of wood and iron,
had invisible spirits that exerted as much power as the God of the Christians.
Vincentius says he did not see much difference in their doctrines when they got to understand each other.
I remember that, while on the ship, we had an Irish priest
on board, and in conversation one day while asking him about many things in the
Catholic Church I inquired why he had a crucifix hanging in his room. Said I,
" You do not think there is any virtue in that image of brass?"
" No," said he, " no more than there was in the serpent of brass
that Moses made and placed on a pole. There were no healing virtues in that
brass, but the bitten Isrealite believed in the command, which belief or faith
controlled his action and produced obedience; hence he was healed." And so,
he said in this case, he no more believed there were any saving qualities in
that image than I believe my mother's picture could be to me a mother.
Let the reader refer to the first centuries and mark what a disputation
there was in the ancient church about pictures. May we not flow back into it? And as this subject of picture-worship created so much
dissatisfaction in the first centuries it may do so again.
While investigating this question I found that Arcadius, the
eldest son of Theodosius the Great, succeeded his father to the throne in A.D.
395, and divided the Roman Empire into what was known in that day as the
Eastern and Western Empires.
Arcadius chose the Eastern and fixed his seat of government
at Constantinople, and made his brother Houorius Emperor of the Western, fixing
his seat of government at Rome.
It was not long until their jealously was kindled, which resulted in hatred and
terminated in a war which finally proved their overthrow. In reading the
Ante-Nicene Fathers, published in Edinburgh
in twenty -four octavo volumes, in Vol. XII., page 114, it is said that the
beginning of this war was on account of Honorius wishing to have his young
princes educated at Constantinople free of charge, giving as his reason that
the great library there had once belonged to Rome. When his brother Arcadius refused he
tried to get the library divided, and Arcadius refused this also. They then went to war, and while the two
brothers were thus engaged Alaricus engaged the Western Empire
and overthrew it. In hunting through this vast library of books I found what
was called the Homilies of Clementine ; Vol. XIII., page 194 ; there were the
Apochryphal Gospels, Acts and Revelations, with all the writings of the
Apostolic Fathers, including the laws of the High Priest, the laws of the
Temple service, the Records of the Sanhedrin, giving the Jewish laws and
customs for hundreds of years, with all the treaties and records of the courts.
Now my idea was that if these records were found in the
library of the Vatican at Rome and in the Seraglio and Atmedan libraries at
Constantinople and Alexandria,
so these men could get them nearly three hundred years ago, why are they not
there now ?
Dr. Isaac Wise, who is President of the Hebrew School at
Cincinnati, and, by the way, one of the best Hebrew scholars in America, in his
History of the Commonwealth of Israel, frequently quotes from the Talmuds and Sanhedrin,
giving reference to the various circumstances, and often gives the name of the
scribe who did the writing; and so I find these records have always been in the
hands of the Jewish rabbis, and you need not tell me these things have been
only produced by the later Jewish nation, for we find quotations made at the
time and by the men who lived in the days of Christ. Those quotations
correspond with other history we have of the same events, and the only
difference is that the Jewish rabbis put a different construction on those
events from what the Christians do. This is the great difficulty,
after all ; like a celebrated lawyer, after reading this book, told his friend
it convinced him of the truth of the facts in the Scriptures, but it did not
convince him of its spiritual definition. This is the final point of
importance, when the soul is lost or saved that is, to take the facts of the
Scriptures and yield to them as spiritual truth. Colens the First, who
was an Epicurean philosopher, wrote a treatise against Christianity and was
answered by Origen. This work is in eight volumes. It was published in Paris, by Vallart, in
1746. In this work the disputants appealed alternately to these writings, to
the reports made by the Romans, and show clearly that the whole of the Jewish
doctrines, records and all, were then in possession of the Romans.
Nero refused to believe in these things, which he might have
done if he had taken the pains to look into those sacred treasures of learning
that were on file in the Senate chamber; but Origen says Nero was only moved by
ambition, with the love of destruction before his eyes. He never stopped to
consider nor consult the opinions or wishes of others. Here, again, I found an
unintentional reference to these things. Now the reader must remember that the
records were there at that time, for no one disputed the fact ; but in proving
the unnecessary hostility of Nero, Origen makes mention of these other facts, showing the records to be in the city of Rome, how they came
there, and what they taught; that is, a part of these records were brought from
Jerusalem and were the writings of the Jews and the Romans who had been
officers in the Jewish kingdom by Roman authority, and these were Roman
officers, which made them a part of and responsible to the Roman government.
Can any intelligent man believe that these men would have been allowed to
transact the business of the Romans and no records be made of it in the
archives of the government ? Such a thing is most absurd. The reader will bear
in mind that government among the Jews, Greeks, and Romans was much more
strictly administered than in this country, and all such records as referred to
the actions of the courts and the government officers had to be preserved. I
now ask the attention of the reader to the investigation of the preservation of the
sacred parchments from which come our Bible.
First, to the works of Benjamin Kennicott, D.D., entitled
Veins Testamentum, published in England
in 1780. This is only a little more than one hundred years ago. We find that he
got from the Codex of Hillel six hundred manuscripts. When did this Hillel live
? The author of the Codex lived about one hundred years after the Christian
era. Dr. Kennicott also got sixteen manuscripts from the Samaritan Pentateuch.
Then I ask attention to John G. Rosenmueller, of 1736, at Leipsic, to his
Librarium, five volumes, also his Scholia Testament, all from manuscript. Then
to Brian Walton, D.D., born at Yorkshire in
1600, who published his polyglot Bible from manuscript (Hebrew). Because these
are given to us by great men, and they suit our notions, they are never doubted;
and it is too apt to be the case in our ad captandum, we are not likely to
investigate as closely as we should. And, again, we are apt to be more inclined to investigate
those things that are suited to our tastes and interests; but while certain things
are interest forget that there are other
things equally interesting to others ; and while we may be
interested only in the sacred histories that make for our peace, and although
the testimony of our enemies may not be very pleasant to hear, we should
remember that the salvation of others may depend on such testimony.
We should not be opposed to any evidence that may give
strength to any subject and thereby redound to good in a general way, specially
if this evidence does not have a tendency to weaken our faith. It is so with
this book; it cannot weaken the faith of the Christian who has believed without
foreign testimony, but brings strong corroborative testimony to enable others who are less credulous than we to
believe. Hence in the examination of the various versions of the Bible and of
the manner in which they were dug up out of the old manuscripts, from the
rubbish of the ancient world, difficulties are encountered, and others may not believe as readily as we
do. Duranzo, a Greek historian, who wrote thirty-six volumes in Constantinople at the close of the seventh and the
beginning of the eighth century, in referring to the prosperity of the city and
nation, says, in Vol. XIII., page 54, that Constantinople enjoyed educational
advantages over all other cities, and that this was due, to some extent, to the
fact that the Christians, under the instructions of their Emperor, had gathered
and brought there literature from all parts of the world, and it was the great
seat of learning of the world. On page 128 he refers to a war that was carried
on about the great library that had been brought there by the Roman Emperor
when he embraced Christianity. Again he says, that when Mohammed locked up the great library he excluded the learned and with them the
wealth of the city. In Vol. XIV., page 17, in speaking of the battle of Tanze,
he says it was fought over the sacred books that had been deposited there by
the ancient Christians. From these indirect references I discovered there must
be great deposits of sacred literature in these old libraries. These histories are in the Paris library for the inspection of anyone.
Notwithstanding the art of printing has a tendency to do
away with and supersede the written Scriptures, yet there are many valuable
manuscripts in existence, some of which are of great value in the
interpretation of the Scriptures.
First, the Hebrew manuscripts. These are either rolls
designed for the use of synagogues, or square manuscripts, designed for private
use. The former are all on parchment and written with the greatest care and
accuracy. The others are written on vellum or paper.
Dr. Kennicott says all that are now to be had were written
between the tenth and fourteenth centuries. Of course these were written from
the originals; how often they have been rewritten in fourteen hundred years we
cannot say, but we know there are many opportunities for change. These
manuscripts have been collated by Dr. Kennicott and De Rossi, and amount to 1135 ; but it is more than
probable that as the Jewish rabbis did this work they may have left out many
things that appeared to them contrary.
The next are the Greek. Of these manuscripts immense numbers
still exist. Dr. Holmes has collected 135. Some of these are preserved from the
fourth century. Of course, these are not the records that were made when the
events they record took place.
Now, reader, our present Bible comes from these manuscripts.
The first English Bible was published by J. Wickliffe in 1360, just ninety
years before printing was invented. The first Bible printed in our language was
by William Tindall, assisted by Miles Coverdale, in 1526. When Tindall was
executed for heresy by the Catholics, his works were continued by Coverdale and John Rogers. This book was
suppressed time and again, and reprinted by different parties until it went
through twenty-two different editions. The last was that which proceeded from
the Hampton Court
conference in 1603. There were so many errors in the Bishop's Bible that King
James's Bible was put on foot and printed in 1611. Now suppose we consider the many
Bibles published by different sects, nations, and individuals, and all coming
from these Hebrew, Greek, and Latin manuscripts. The reader must know that the
manuscripts have gone through many hands. This we know from the fact that we
find Bible manuscripts still in existence, and from these we find Greek
manuscripts, Samaritan manuscripts taken from the Hebrew, the Spanish
manuscripts, the German manuscripts, the Italian manuscripts, and many others.
The reader is referred to the Bodleian Library in the British
Museum, and to the libraries at
Leyden, Paris, and Rome. We also have some in America, at Philadelphia, in the libraries of the Quakers
and in the library of the Antiquarian Society.
The manuscripts of the Hebrew Bible were compiled in the
second century. But they never were translated till A.D. 607, by Bishop Adhelm,
under the direction of King Alfred. There were a number of parts of these
Hebrew manuscripts translated in the second century in the Arabic language. It
was printed for the Propaganda at Rome,
in 1671, in three volumes. The Armenian version was made in the fourth century
of the Christian era by Miesrob and Isaac, and printed at Amsterdam by Uskin, an Armenian bishop, who
was charged by his enemies with following the Vulgate. It was printed at
Constantinople in 1705 ; at Venice
in 1805. The Coptic New Testament was published by Wilkins at Oxford, 1716.
The Vulgate is an ancient manuscript, taken from the Hebrew
and translated into the Latin in the second century; also one of the Greek and
one of the Syriac. These are all of the same date. This Vulgate in the Latin
was used in Africa. The Church at Rome was under Greek
control at this time and rejected the Latin Vulgate, and used what was called
at that time the Vedus Latina, or old Latin. This is the history of Tertullian,
Vol. I., page 202.
In the fourth century Jerome tells us there was another
translation of the Vulgate, under the instruction of St.
Augustine, and St. Jerome
recommends this in the highest terms. About the fifth century there was another
translation made, which is called the Codex, in the Latin language. There was
one at Alexandria, one in the Vatican, and one at Sinai. Parts of
these are preserved in the British
Museum. They were
presented to King Charles by Cyril Lucar, who was patriarch at Constantinople
and had been patriarch at Alexandria,
and brought these books with him. The Codex of Sinai is in the Greek, and is
the same that Dr. Tischendorf found and was declared by the scholars of Leipsic
to have been written in the fourth century.
In the year 748 of the Roman Empire and 330 of the Christian
era Constantino the Great removed his seat of empire from Rome
to Byzantium,
and took with him all the records of the Christians to that city, as will be
shown in a letter from him in this book in regard to having the Holy Scriptures
in manuscript, and having fifty volumes bound and kept on deposit. When
Mohammed took possession of Constantinople he
had too much respect for these sacred scrolls to let them be destroyed, but had
them all nicely cased and deposited in the St. Sophia Mosque. History informs
us of the dreadful struggle that took place between the Greeks and Romans over
the sacred parchments in the days of the Crusades; and it seems to us that Divine Providence has
had something to do with the preservation of these sacred writings. These scrolls look
more like rolls of narrow carpet wound round a windlass than anything else. But
as I have described them elsewhere I will not attempt a further description
here.
Another question arises in the mind of the reader, and that
is : How was it possible for these writings to be preserved so long ? I answer
that there are many works much older than these in existence. Homer is 900
years older. Why not these ? Another reason why these writings have not been
brought before the world is that no man has searched for these chronicles as I have done. After getting hold of Acta
Pilati as I did, accidentally, I made the investigation of these questions my
special business for ten years corresponding with many historians and scholars,
sending for all the books that could instruct me on these great questions,
engaging two expert scholars, Drs. Mclntosh, of Scotland, and Twyman, of England,
and going to the city of Rome, paying our way
through the Vatican, and
then to Constantinople, where we examined
those ancient records, sparing neither time nor expense to acquire a knowledge
of them. Then it may be asked again :
May not I be deceived? May not these men have imposed upon
me? To this I would say: That is impossible. Then it might be argued: Might
not these writings have been manufactured to make money out of? If so, it was
a poor business, for this is the first and only book ever produced from them.
It certainly was a bad speculation on their part. But one says: Did not Gregory IX. burn twenty cartloads of
these Talmuds? Who says so but a Jewish rabbi? If he did, they were the
Talmuds of Babylon, and not those of Jerusalem? There is no
body of Christians stronger adherents of Jesus Christ than the Roman Catholics.
Why should they want to burn the Talmuds of Jerusalem, which were so full of the doctrines and historical events that are
so near and dear to them? No man can go into the Vatican
library without a guard over him, who watches him closely, so that he cannot
move a leaf or change a word or letter of anything that is there. If they will
not consent to even the slightest change, it is not probable they would burn
their works. Men from all over the world are there. Often when we crossed the
Tiber, before it was fairly light, there were a thousand strangers between us
and St. Peter's gate, waiting to be admitted at the opening of the gate that
leads into the Vatican.
One more evidence to the reader : There are at least five
hundred quotations made from the Sanhedrin and Talmuds of the Jews by men who
have denied their existence. Now I call attention to history, and I will give
the name and page, so that all can read for themselves.
First : Rabbi Akiba, a reformed Jewish priest, Vol. I., page
22, quotes from Celsus, an enemy of the Church. He says there was a dreadful
earthquake at the time Jesus was crucified, and that the mist that arose from
it covered the earth for three hours. On page 28 he says that Jesus was the son
of Mary; that he was the founder of the sect called Christians. On page 48 he says Jesus was crucified on the
eve of the Passover. He gives extracts from the apostles, and never denies in a
single instance, but admits their genuineness. He quotes the books, and makes
extracts from the names they bear. He makes particular mention of his incarnation, of his being
born of a virgin, of his being worshipped by the Magi; of his flight into Egypt; of the
massacre of the infants of Bethlehem.
On page 52 he speaks of his baptism by John and the descent of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove, and of the voice that was
heard out of heaven. He speaks of the miracles done by Jesus, and never doubts
the facts in any instance, but attributes them to the art of necromancy he had
learned in Egypt.
But did the reader ever hear of a thaumaturgist producing a descent of the Holy
Spirit or causing voices to be heard from the heavens? Such absurdities are not
spoken of except when they are urged against the Christian religion.
Aretas, one of the kings of Arabia,
who was a philosopher as well as a king, in speaking of the laws of nature
(Vol. VII., page 14), says that Jesus of Judea was a philosopher above the laws
of nature; that he controlled all the elements of nature with almighty power;
that the winds, thunders, and lightnings obeyed him; and speaks of these facts
as being so common that it would be folly to dispute them.
Justin says, in Vol. II., page 42, that the several Roman
governors in their respective provinces made reports of the important events
that occurred in their jurisdiction, and they were spread on the senatorial
dockets at Rome.
We find in this same work, page 128, that he appealed to Antoninus and the Senate for
clemency for the Christians, and after referring to their many virtues, and to
Christ as their leader, added : " And that these things are so, I refer
you to the records of the Senate made by Pontius Pilate and others in his
day." The learned Tertullian, in his Apology for Christianity, about the
year 200, after speaking of our Saviour's Crucifixion and
Resurrection, and his appearance to the disciples, and ascension into heaven in
the sight of the same disciples, who were ordained by him to spread the gospel
over the world, thus proceeds : " Of all these things relating to Christ,
Pilate himself, in his conscience already a Christian, sent an account to
Tiberius, then Emperor." The same writer in the same apology thus relates
the proceedings of Tiberius on receiving this information : " There was an
ancient decree that no one should be received for a deity unless he
was first approved by the Senate. Tiberius, in whose time the Christian name
(or religion) had its rise, having received from Palestine,
in Syria,
an account of such things as confirmed the truth of his (Christ's) divinity, proposed to the Senate that he
should be enrolled among the Roman gods, and gave his own prerogative vote in
favor of the motion; but the Senate, without whose consent no deification could
take place, rejected it because the Emperor himself had declined the same
honor. Nevertheless, the Emperor persisted in his opinion, and threatened punishment to the accusers of the
Christians." Search your own commentaries (or public writings), you will
there find that Nero was the first who raged with the imperial sword against
this sect, then rising most at Rome
(Horn's Introduction, Vol. I., page 82).
Now, I would ask, if there were no such records there, would
these men have made such appeals ? And
if they were there, could such things be forged and palmed off on the Roman
Senate ? It seems to me to ask the question is enough. Now, if any man will
trace out these things he will find that I have as much reason for believing
the genuineness of the contents of this book, as I have to believe the genuineness
of the Scriptures, looking at the question from a human standpoint. First, you
must know that the manuscript from which this book was taken has not gone through
so many translations nor been put in so many different languages, from the fact
that it is not to be found in another language ; and, secondly, there was no
necessity for it, and as to this being forged there was no occasion for that,
from the fact it favors no religious denomination, it ad-
vocates the tenets of no religious sect. Now I am convinced
there was such a man as Herod Antipater, and I know that he could not kill all
the male children in a city without giving reasons for it, and there must have
been more or less record made of it. I am convinced there was such a man as
Herod Antipas, and I know he dare not behead such a man as John the Baptist is represented to be, without
a trial, without having to account to some court. I know that Pilate was a
Roman officer, and his actions were watched closely and all his public acts had
to be recorded upon the Roman dockets.
I do not see why these records should have been destroyed. I
am convinced the Jews at that day were looking for a Redeemer, and when the
great excitement was reported at Bethlehem
it would be not unreasonable that the Jews should make an investigation of the
matter; and, again, I know if the Scriptures are true Mary was subject to the
death-penalty unless she could satisfactorily prove her innocence.
I was convinced the Jews must have looked into this matter, and that it would
be found recorded somewhere. I knew that if there were such a man as they
represented Jesus to be, he could not be tried in the high priest's court and condemned to death, and
executed by the Roman authorities, unless there were some record made of it by
both the Jews and Romans. Here we have the whole of these records, and why are
they not true ? They comport with the Bible; they are just the records we should
expect from the Scriptures; they were made or dated at the right time ; they
came from the place where these records were made ; they were written in the
same language that was used at that time. Now, if all this is so, why are they
not true ?
I offer this book to the public feeling assured it can do no
harm to anyone or to any church, but that it will be read by thousands with
great interest, and will convince the infidel of the truth of the Scriptures.
As Dr. Miller observed: " This book never was needed until now, and it is
like all God's providences, always brought out at the right time." Another minister wrote to say he " was more
than delighted;" it was like calling up the dead; all the circumstances of
Calvary were brought vividly before him, and when he read Caiaphas's second
report he both wept and rejoiced. Such is the testimony of almost everyone who
reads it.
In an extract from a private letter to the Brunswicker Dr.
Rubin says: " I saw, while in the Vatican
at Rome last week, Dr. W. D. Mahan, of Boonville,
Mo., Drs. Mclntosh and Twyman, of Scotland,
with a number of clerks, both readers and scribes, going through these old
manuscripts and scrolls that have been lying there for hundreds, yea, thousands
of years ; they seem to be men of great age and learning, and well qualified
for their business. They were going next week to Constantinople
to go through the records of the Sanhedrin and the ancient Talmuds of the Jews.
Their object is to bring out a new book as a supplement to Ada Pilati. I am
satisfied, from the character of the men and the nature of the book, it will
prove to be one of the most interesting books ever presented to the Christian
world, from the fact that all the works on archaeology have been written in such a style that but very few could read and understand
them."
CONSTANTINOPLE,
TURKEY, October
16, 1883.
To THE PEOPLE OF NORTH AMERICA.
DEAR FRIENDS : I take pleasure in addressing you this
letter, as I feel assured I am doing a good work for my Father who is in heaven.
Then, friends, permit me to say to you that I was introduced to my friend, W.
D. Mahan, of Boonville, Mo.,
by my friends of Leipsic, Germany. I engaged to meet him in
Paris, France, and when he showed me his plans and the subjects that he wanted,
and showed me his notes of reference, the names of others, and books that he
had been hunting for ten years, I became satisfied that if we could succeed he
would bring out one of the best books ever offered to the Christian world
except the Bible. We repaired to the Vatican at Rome, received permission to
examine the greatest library in the world, and to my astonishment the first
thing we called for was brought to hand in a short time. I mean Pilate's
reports, which were more than satisfactory. The next were the Senate's records
respecting the investigation of Herod Antipater's conduct at Bethlehem, and Herod Antipas on various
charges (one of which was the execution of John the Baptist), the Hillel
letters, and the Shammai laws. We then proceeded to Constantinople and went through the records of
the Sanhedrin and Talmuds of the Jews that were carried there and preserved by Constantine in the year
337. Here we found Melker's letter (who was priest at Bethlehem at the time that Jesus of Nazareth
was born) in respect to the prophecy concerning the birth of Jesus, which is very
deep and profound. Next we came upon the report of Gamaliel, who was sent by
the Sanhedrin to interrogate Joseph and Mary concerning the child Jesus,
which will prove to be one of the most interesting subjects that was ever read
by man. Then the next thing we found was
the report of Caiaphas to the Sanhedrin. When read it will awaken the minds of
men and give a very different view of this matter to what we have had. After we had finished the report, Brother
Mahan insisted that we should unwind the scroll further, and in doing so we
found his second report, which caused us to weep like children, and we both
thanked God that we continued the search. We also found many strange historical
items, such as will be of great interest to the world at this time. And as Brother
Mahan is going to publish his book in America, I can most heartily
recommend it.
M. MclNTOSH.
MARKET PLACE, CITY
OF HOME, ITALY.
DEAR WIFE: It seems long since I left home, but God is here
as well as in America,
and it is my chief delight to report you and the children to his throne of
mercy daily. I was landed at Marseilles, France, after twelve days out from New York. We had a
splendid trip, all but the first two days. We left New York in a gale, and I" must confess
I was very much alarmed ; it seemed to me the water was much higher all around
us than where the ship was. That made it more frightful, for it looked as
if the ship sunk or was sinking for the first two days. She was sometimes on
her end, then on her side, and then would seem to turn almost over; but every
tilt she made I prayed St. Peter's prayer. I think I did more praying the first two days
than I had done in two years. But the second day I began to cast up my accounts,
not with my Maker, nor with my creditors, but with my stomach. I was awful
sick.
Captain Stikes said the storm in starting out made it much
worse on us than it would have been if the weather had been clear and calm, but
the third day the sea began to calm, and so did my stomach. I was able to go
out in the evening, but we were still going up hill; we had no further trouble
all the way, but after three or four days it looked as if I would never get
enough to eat. Our fare was poor, much more so than on the English line; so I
was told by men that had travelled both lines. I shall return by another route.
I met Dr. Mclntosh at St. Elgin waiting for me. He is one of the nicest old men
and one of the finest scholars I ever met. I feel ashamed in his presence, though
he is so grand and noble he can hide my own defects from me better than I can
myself. He was very much surprised when I showed him my notes of reference. He
did not see how I could get hold of these things so far away. We found Dr.
Twyman and his men at the Vatican,
and we are working bravely. The very first thing the guard brought was Aeta
Palati; the Doctor was delighted when he saw it. We have two guards; one brings
the articles as we call for them; the other sits and watches to see that the
books and parchments are not mutilated. Today was the day of the Pope's holy
auditory. We were taken in by the guard, and I must confess I never had such feelings in all my life. The
room is, I suppose, three hundred feet or more square; there must have been ten
or twelve hundred in the congregation, all men, mostly priests and officers.
The Pope is a venerable old man. I saw nothing different in his dress from any other priest;
nothing gaudy about him. He sang the mass in the pure old Latin language; his
voice was clear and sweet. After he was through quite a number of the priests
came and knelt at his feet. He laid his hands gently on each of their heads and
pronounced a blessing, but they did not kiss his great toe. I never saw as
solemn a congregation in my life; in fact, it would be impossible for a man to be otherwise in that room. The dome of this room
surpasses all the sights my eyes ever beheld; it contains hundreds of windows
in the form of eyes with golden lids and lashes, all emitting rays of light of
various colors. They seemed so natural I thought I could almost see them wink.
They are to represent the all-seeing eye. These eyes are the light of the room.
The scene of magnificence beggars description. There are too many things to be
described. A man will have a higher appreciation of the Catholic Church, where
he sees her enthroned in the hearts of this great church, and I shall ever have
a different feeling toward them from what I have had. We have all the
text-books we need, Buxtorf, Gesenius, Laportees, and others. We will get
through in the Vatican
in a few days. We will leave Dr. Twyman and three clerks here, as we find the
Hillelite letters and Shemiate and Abtalian laws here in book-form. They will
translate such parts of them, as we want and send them to me; they will come in
a roll. If they come before I get home, take special care of them. Dr. Mclntosh
and I, with one clerk, will go to Constantinople
in a day or two. The Doctor has been there, and he thinks he will find all that
I want in the St. Sophia Library. He says the
twenty cartloads of Talmuds that history tells us were burned by Gregory IX.
were the Talmuds of Babylon, but the Talmuds of Jerusalem are all safe, and so
are the records of the Jerusalem Sanhedrin; that these documents were carried there
by Constantine.
If so, that is all I want. The Doctor thinks it will be one of the most
important books ever brought before the public, except the Bible, as it would
give the pros and cons of the outside world at that time. But I have so many things I would like to say
and it is now after 1 o'clock A.M. As to home affairs, I am too far off to say
anything more, besides I have all confidence in your judgment. I think now that
I will be at home by the 10th or l1th of December, and I shall write no more
unless something happens. May God bless you ; farewell.
W. D. MAHAN.
COLUMBIA,
Mo., January 25, 1887.
This is to certify that I am well acquainted with the Rev.
W. D. Mahan, of Boonville, Mo. I have known him well for a number of
years, having spent several months at his house at different times. I was at
his house in Boonville, Mo.,
shortly after his return (as he then stated to me) from Rome
and Constantinople. I gave him some assistance
in recopying some of his manuscripts for his book. I saw, examined, and to some
extent assisted in arranging the various subjects and chapters in his book.
Judging from the handwriting of said manuscripts, there must
have been two or more persons engaged in writing them, as there was a distinct
difference in the handwriting. I was impressed at the time with the belief,
from the writing and spelling, that the parties were of foreign birth and
education.
I have no interest in this matter, and make the above
statement at the request and in justice to the Rev. W. D. Mahan, as an old and
valued friend.
J. B. DOUGLASS.
Personally appeared before me, a notary public, within and
for the county of Boone, and State of Missouri, General J. B. Douglass, to me well
known, and made affidavit to the foregoing certificate.
Witness my hand and notarial seal hereto affixed at Columbia, Mo.,
this 25th day of January A.D. 1887.
FRANK D. EVANS,
Notary Public.
State of Missouri, County of Cooper, ss.
Be it known that on this, the 12th day of January, A.D.
1887, personally came before me, the undersigned, clerk of the Circuit Court
of Cooper
County, in the State of Missouri, John S.
McFarland, well known to me to be a reputable citizen of the city of Boonville,
Mo., who, being by me first duly sworn, on his oath says : I have been
personally acquainted with Rev. W. D. Mahan for sixteen years or more, and have
always found him to be honorable and trustworthy, and a very useful minister in
the Church to which he belonged. To my knowledge he was for some time previous
to 1883 engaged in preparing himself for a trip to Europe, and that in the fall
of 1883 he took leave of his family and friends and started for the cities of Rome
and Constantinople to investigate those old
records that he said he had found was there on archaeology. After he had been
gone some time his wife received a letter from him dated at Rome, Italy.
I did not see the postmarks on the letter, but understood it was from Rome.
After some months Mr. Mahan returned and brought quite a lot
of manuscripts with him, some of which he read to me, and which were very
interesting. These are as near the facts in the case as 1 can remember at this
time.
JOHN S.
Subscribed and sworn to before me, on this the 12th day of
January, 1887.
Witness my hand and official seal.
CHARLES A. HOUK,
Clerk of Circuit
Court of
Cooper County.
Mo.
By H. A. HUTCHINSON.
State of Missouri, County of Cooper, ss.
Be it known that on this 12th day of January, A.D. 1887,
personally came before me, the undersigned, clerk of the Circuit
Court of
Cooper County,
in the State of Missouri,
R. W. Whitlow and W. G. Pendleton, composing the firm of Whitlow &
Pendleton, real estate and loan agents, of the city of Boonville, in said
county, who, being by me first duly sworn, on their oaths say : We have known
the Rev. W. D. Mahan, of Boonville, Mo., for a period of more than ten years.
He came to our office in the fall of 1883 and told us he was going to Rome with
a view to collect materials for a book which he intended to write, and that he
had not sufficient money to defray the expenses of the trip; at his request we loaned him two hundred dollars. Shortly
afterward Mr. Mahan disappeared from Boonville, and it was a considerable while
before we again met him here at Boonville, when he informed us he had made the
trip to Rome, Italy, during the time of his
disappearance. A letter purporting to have been written by the said Mahan to his wife from Rome, Italy, was published in a newspaper at Boonville, Mo.
Soon after Mr. Mahan reappeared at Boonville he published and circulated his
book. Of course we did not follow him to see him at Rome, but the foregoing are the facts within
our knowledge.
R. E. WHITLOW,
W. G. PENDLETON,
Attorneys-at-Law.
Subscribed and sworn to before me, on this the 12th day of
January, 1887.
CHARLES A. HOUK,
Clerk of Circuit Court, Cooper
County, Mo.
.
