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The Newly Found Oldest Gospels, and What They Really Mean
1 r-,
Unknown Words of the Saviour and Other Remarkable
Variations from the Authorized Version in the Recently
Acquired Egyptian Christian Manuscript, Believed to
Date from the Second Century and Now in America.
By Prof. Clifton Harby Levy,
The Di.tlngul.hed Expert In Bible Exege.le.
T HE discovery just announced of a new
version of the four Gospels s the most
irnnortant event to the world of btbll-
. 1 £5, that has occurred In many years.
Ca ™e S "ew manuscript contains Important
variations from the vers o,^of
whic B h bl U Cnerlllv ZnXTly American
the Auostle" after the Resurrection, it con
tains considerable variati ““ S r '™ 1 “ K U flnh U < t hap-
the dooI of Bethesda. ,
1 cannot help feeling that still more im
portant additions to, and variations from, the
orthodox Gospels will be found when th s
manuscript is thoroughly analyzed. It *-
certain now that there were many ver#1 °"®
of the Gospels current in the days of.the
earliest Christians, and it is probable when
we have discovered, collated and thoroughly
examined a number of them or fragments o
them we shall have a fuller and better con
ception of the life of Jesus of Nazareth than
we have ever had before.
The newly discovered manuscript was pur-
cblsed by M, Charles L. Fr«r the noted
collector of Detroit, to be presented to the
Freer Collection in Washington. Facsimile
copies of it have now been distributed to the
leading libraries of the world through the Uni-
versity of Michigan.
The manuscript is of Egyptian Christian
origin. It was purchased from an Arabian
dealer in antiquities in Cairo, as long ago as
December 19, 1906, but in order that rash ex
pectations might not be raised, its complete
publication has been delayed until now, when
the text Is offered In facsimile, together with
a scholarly analysis, by Professor llcnry A.
Sanders, of the University of Michigan.
In point of antiquity alone. It is very re
markable. Internal evidence Indicates that
it cannot be later than the fourth century,
which makes it as old as the famous Vatican
Codex, long known as the oldest manuscript of
the Gospels. On the other hand, there are
grounds for giving it a somewhat earlier date
than that claimed for the more recently dis
covered Sinaitlc Codex. This was at one time
credited to the fourth century, but scholars
are now inclined to date it as early as the
second century.
The Freer manuscript is apparently a copy
of a version of the four Gospels which was
current In Egypt in the second century. Closo
investigation shows that while it was a copy,
it was an early copy. It must be remembered
that many of the first Christians fled to Egypt
after the death of Jesus, because It was so
near Palestine, and that great Christian colon
ies grew up on Egyptian soil. This gives es
pecial value to the Freer Gospels, for they
.■ome as close to the very period of the life
rind activity of Jesus ns anything that we
• k.rr in"’i'dlnr the famous “Login,” dis
covered in 1897. The fact that this manu
script is not later than the fourth century,
and is a copy of a still earlier original is
the important fact to those who want to come
as close to contemporary testimony concern
ing Jesus and his work as is possible.
The manuscript is remarkably well pre
served, and very legible. It was written,
with the exception of one smalt section, and
a number of notes and corrections, by a sin
gle scribe, which helps to give it authenticity.
It is in Greek of a style that appears to be as
early as the second century.
Later the manuscript, written on goatskin
and sheepskin, was bound between heavy
boards, upon which are the portraits of the
four evangelists. On the front panel wore
the pictures of Matthew and John (John's pic
ture has been almost entirely obliterated),
and on the back panel were Luke and Mark,
the name of Mark running down the side of
the panel. Something of the original coloring
of these paintings still remains, and they are
most curious and Interesting specimens of
early Christian portraiture.
The main interest, however, lies in the text
Itself, and its variations from the received
text In the accepted versions of the Bible.
The order of the books is different from that
in our versions. Here it is Matthew, John.
Luke and Mark, while in the ordinary Bible
the order is Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
In John, for instance, in that famous pas
sage about the Fool of Bethesda, the Freer
manuscript has “Bethsaida," and also has the
words “Waiting for the troubling of the
water," and docs not mention the angel.
In Luke, chapter 1. verse 28, “Blessed art
thou among women,” Is omitted. In chapter
ii. 14. the hymn' of the angels has a peculiar
addition, reading: “And on earth peace among
men, in whom He is well pleak':d ”
In chapter vi, 1, the phrase, “the second Sab
bath after the first," Is not found. The omis
sion is particularly Interesting because this
has always been a difficult passage to explain.
In the later chapters of Luke It Is especially
notable that the newly found manuscript
omits all mention of the "bloody sweat," and
it also omits the saying attributed to Jesus in
the King James version: “Father forgive them,
for they know not what they do." In chap
ter xxiv, 36, is a reading found in no other
manuscript, ancient or modern: “Be not afraid.
Feace be unto you!"
The differences from existing versions are
greatest in Mark. In chapter 1, verse 27, the
exclamation of the people at the miracles per
formed by Jesus appears for the first time in
these words: "What is this new, this authori
tative teaching, and that be commandeth even
the unclean spirits and they obey him?"
In chapter ix, verse 24, is a variation, possi
bly due to an error of the copyist, for It ap
pears: "The spirit of the child," instead of
"the father of the child,” as in the King James
or authorized version.
The most important and Impressive addi
tions to the Gospels are found in the last chap
ter of Ht. Mark. After that upbraiding of the
Apostles, found in all the versions, are verses,
' tund nowbqre else, reading:
And they excused themselves saying
that this age of lawlessness and unbe
lief is under Satan, who through the agency
of unclean spirits, suffers not the true
power of God to be apprehended.
For the cause, said they unto Christ,
reveal now at once Thy righteousness.
And Christ said unto them: “The limit
of (he years of the power of Satan is not
fulfilled, but it drawoth near (corruptions
In the text).
"For the sake of those that have sinned
was I given up unto death, that they may
return unto the truth and sin no more, but
may inherit the spiritual and incorrupti
ble glory of righteousness in heaven.”
When this passage is read side by aide
with the authorized version of the last chap
ter of Mark, the importance of the differences
Is easily appreciated. The new manuscript
leads us to tlie fair supposition that many
versions of the Gospels were current among
and accepted by these, the earliest Christians.
The scholar, studying all the different ver
sions. tries to ascertain which comes nearest
to the true account, and welcomes the light
that appears from any side. We want to
know the truth, and to learn if we can, pre
cisely what Jesus said and did, and what has
been falsely attributed to Him by those who
copied or edited the Gospels. It Is admitted.
that all of the manuscripts now known to
exist are copies, and that no one has as yet
discovered any original manuscript of any
part of any one of the Gospels as it came from
the hand of Matthew, Mark, Luke or John.
In fact it has been stated, and is believed by
some authorities, that Matthew- originally
wrote in Hebrew, or at least in Aramaic, the
Hebrew dialect of that time, but not a verse
has ever been discovered in that tongue.
Every discovery made in Egypt heightens
the hope that the next may be one of these
original manuscripts, but In the absence of
these originals, the scholars of the world seize
upon each new copy that is brought to light
and compare it with all others, to ascertain
if there is anything in it that has not ap
peared before.
The Freer Gospels, though only just put into
our hands, seem to offer a rich field for in
vestigation, and already a very different pic
ture of that last great scene with the Apos
tles is presented. It Is a wide variant upon
the accepted account of what occurred after
the Ressurrection. The fact seems clear that
a large number of followers of Jesus must
have believed in this other version, and for that
reason, if for no other, it is of considerable
value to those who wish to understand what
the first Christians believed.
It should not be forgotten that when the
earliest Christians emigrated from Palestine
they probably took with them all of the notes
and manuscripts in their possession. The
best proof of the activity of the Christians of
this period in Egypt is the extent of their set
tlements in that district known as the Fayum,
which is being so fully explored by the Egypt
Exploration Fund and other searchers for early
Christian documents.
The dry soil of Egypt has served as an ex
cellent preserver of the old documents, and
whether found in graves or ruins of ancient
monasteries, they are generally decipherable
and of untold value.
No one can as yet rightly estimate the full
worth of the "Logla," found in this district in
1897. To these were added In 1903, other valu
able utterances, in the shape of additional
"Logla" and the fragment of a lost Gospel,
consisting, unfortunately, of only fifty lines,
many of which were unreadable. Another
fragment of a Gospel was found in 1907, con
sisting of but one leaf of a lost manuscript.
It is plain, therefore, that In these almost
complete four Gospels brought to light by Mr.
Freer, we have the greatest Christian discov
ery since the finding of the Codex Slnaiticus
by Tlschendorf, in 1844-1859, which he re
covered from the waste heap of the monastery
on Mount Sinai. Some authorities hold this
In higher esteem than the Vatican manu
script, saying that it is earlier than the fourth
century, to which it is usually assigned. This
would make It only the contemporary of the
Freer manuscript, so the value of this new
American discovery can hardly be exaggerated.
Considerable further study may be required
to show other new versions contained In the
Freer manuscript, and all over the world the
work of examination is going on, for Mr. Freer
has sent to the leading libraries of the United
States and Europe the 435 copies of the fas-
simlle edition, and the explanation by Dr.
Sanders.
The portraits of the evangelists, which are
also printed in their full colors with the manu
script, are of untold value in tracing the tra
ditional lineaments of these great teachers.
The outline of the features of Matthew are
still plain and agree perfectly with the earliest
portraits found In Egypt and in Byzantine
paintings.
In the introduction to the work Professor
Charles H. Morey, of Frinoeton University,
presents a special study of theBe portraits, in
which, while lamenting the loss of the pic
ture of John, he says: "The color scheme,
drapery and attitude of the figure of John
must have been, as the remaining fragments
show, practically identical with that of Mark.
The traces of color In his hair show also that
he was white-haired, or gray-haired, like
Mark.
“We have in these two panels definite por
traits of the four evangelists that should be
of value to the student of coptlc Iconography.
This Is particularly true of the figure of Mark,
whose current type in Byzantine art Is that
of a man in the prime of life, of black hair and
a full round beard."
Professor Morey points out that Josef
Strzygowski, the leading authority on this
period, whose work, "Orient Oder Rom”
(Orient or Rome), is accepted as the work
on the subject of early Christian art, recog
nized the existence of . the Paul type in Coptic
(Egyptian-Christian) art. It shows gray hair,
head slightly bald and pointed beard. This
portrait on the cover of the Freer manuscript
Is the first published document to establish
definitely the Coptic version of St. Mark's
features. WC have every reason to believe
that it is an authentic portrait.
In connection with this discovery, it is in
teresting to repeat the other new words of
Jesus found in Egypt in recent years. The
eight Logla, or sayings, discovered in 1897
are as follows:
1. . . . and then shalt thou see clear
ly to cast out the' mote that is in thy
brother's eye.
2. Jesus saith, Except ye fast to the
World, ye shall in no wise find the King
dom of God; and except ye make the
Sabbath a real Sabbath, ye shall not see
the Father.
3. Jesus saith, I stood in the midst of
tin \\ oi ld and in the flesh was I seen of
■mi 1 I found al! men drunken, and
none found I athirst among them, and my
... fciievetn over the sons of men, be-
e they are blind in their heart, and
c not. . . .
4. . . . poverty . . .
5 Jesus s'-its wherever there are two,
they are not without God. and wherever
there is one alone, I say, I am with him.
Raise the stone and there thou shalt find
me. cleave the wood and there am I.
6. Jesus saith, A prophet is not accepta-
, *n country, neither doth a
physician work cures upon them that
know him.
7. Jesus saith, A city built upon the top
of a high hill and established, can neither
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, 11 it A 4 * m*t > it/ft ft ■:
vkw fftto.//?
2 ' ~ ,4-
Facsimile of a Page of the Newly Found
Manuscript Consisting of St. Mark, Chap
ter xvi., Verses 12 to 17, containing th= new
words of the Saviour to the Apostles.
fall nor be hid.
8. Jesus saith. Thou hearest with one
ear (blit the other ear hast thou closed).
The "sayings” found in 1903 were prefaced
by the following introductory statement;
These are the (wonderful?) words
which Jesus the living (Lord) spake to
. . . and Thomas and he said unto
(them) every one that hearkens to these
words shall never taste of death.
1. Jesus saith, Let not him who seeks
. . . cease until he finds and when he
finds he shall be astonished; astonished
he shall reach the kingdom, and having
reached the kingdom, he shall rest.
2. Jesus saith (ye ask? who are those)
that draw us (to the kingdom of) the king
dom is in Heaven? . . . the fowls of
the air and all beasts that under the
earth or upon the earth and the fishes of
the sea (these are they which draw) you
and the kingdom of Heaven is within you
and whosoever shall know himself shall
find it. (Strive therefore?) to know
yourselves and ye shall be aware that ye
are the sons of the (Almighty?) Father;
(and?) ye shall know that ye are in (the
city of God?) and ye are (the city?).
3. Jesus saith, A man shall not hesitate
. . . to ask concerning his place (in
the kingdom. Ye shall know) that many
that are first shall be last, and the last
LUKE
MARK
St. Luke (on the Left) and St. Mark (on the Right) on the Back Cover of
the newly found Gospels. These Are Considered Authentic Likenesses of the
Evangelists, Copied from Pictures Made in Their Lifetime.
first and (they shall have eternal life?;.
4. Jesus saith, Everything that is not
before thy face and that which is hidden
from thee shall be revealed to thee. For
there is nothing hidden which shall not be
made manifest nor buried which shall not
be raised.
5. His disciples question him and say,
How shall we fast and how shall we
(pray?) . . . and what (command
ment) shall we keep . . Jesus
saith ... do not ... of truth
. . . blessed is he.
The fragment of a lost Gospel which was
discovered in 1903 contained originally about
fifty lines, but many of them have perished
and others are undecipherable. The transla
tion, as far as it can be made, is as follows:
1-7. (Take no thought) from morning until
even nor from evening until morning either
for your food what ye shall eat or for your
rainment what ye shall put on. 7-13. Ye
are far better than the lilies which grow
but spin not. Having one garment what
do ye (lack?). 15-15. Who could add to
your stature? 15-16. He himself will
give you your garment. 17-23. His disci
ples say unto Him, When wilt Thou be
manifest unto us and when shall we see
Thee? He saith, When ye shall be stripped
and not be ashamed. . . . 41-46. He
said, The* key of knowledge ye hid, ye
entered not in yourselves, and to them
that were entering in, ye opened not.
The second Gospel fragment discovered in
1907 "consists of a single vellum leaf, practi
cally complete except at one of the lower
corners, and here most of the lacunae admit
of a satisfactory solution." The translation
is as follows;
. . . before he does wrong makes all
manner of subtle excuse. But give heed
lest ye also suffer the same things as
they; fo~ the evil doers among men re
ceive their reward not among the living
only, but also await punishment and much
torment. And He took them and brought
them into the very place of purification
and was walking in the temple. And a
certain Pharisee, a chief priest, whose
name was Levi, met them and said to the
Saviour, Who gave thee leave to walk in
this place of purification, and to see these
holy vessels when Thou hast not washed
nor yet have thy disciples bathed their
feet? But defiled Thou hast walked in
this temple, which is a pure place, wherein
no other man walks except he has washed
himself and changed his garments, neither
does he venture to see these holy vessels.
And the Saviour straightway stood still
with His disciples and answered him, Art
thou then, being here in the temple, clean?
He saith unto him, I am clean; for I
washed in thq pool of David and having
descended by one staircase, I ascended by
another, and I put on white and clean
garments, and then I came and looked
upon these holy vessels. The Saviour
answered and said unto him, Woe ye blind,
who see not. Thou has washed in these
running waters wherein dogs and swine
have been cast night and day and hast
cleansed and wiped the outside skin
which also the harlots and flute-girls
moint and wash and wipe and beautify
for the lust of men; but within they are
full of scorpions and all wickedness. But
I and my disciples who thou sayest have
not bathed, have been dipped in the waters
of eternal life which come from . . .
But woe unto thee . . .
It will be seen that we have now a large
body of material dating from the earliest days
of the Church which may considerably change
■our ideas of sacred history.
The Portrait of St. Matthew on the Front Cover of
the New Gospels. The Figure of St. John by His
Side Is Practically Obliterated.
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How Police Graft Supported Napoleon’s Splendor Napoleon’s Minister of Police
J OSEPH.FOUCHE, Duke of Otranto, Minister
of Police under the great Napoleon, is
credited with being the craftiest police
official in history. He developed the system of
collecting graft from criminal and semi-crim
Inal resorts to a high degree of perfection.
Many of his methods are revealed in an in-
teresing book called “Memoirs Relating to
Fouche.' just published by Sturgis & Walton,
New York. At a moment wnen tne relations of
New York police officials with the criminal
classes are under investigation, this book is of
especial interest. From the bock it appears
that all the splendor of Napoleon’s court, of
his family and generals was maintained by
criminal graft.
By JOSEPH FOUCHE
Napoleons Minister of Police.
LL the prisons of State were at my
orders, as well as the gendarmerie.
The delivery and the indorsement of
passports appertained to my department. 1
was in charge of the watching of foreigners,
emigres, and of those pardoned by amnesij
In the principal cities of the Empire I estab
lished general eo:nmissar> ships wnich spread
over the whole of France, and principally over
our frontiers, the network of the police
My police acquired ;;o great it n me throng!
out society that some went -o far us to elan.,
that ] had among my secret agents lime
nobles of the ancient regime, with the title of
prince, and who daily came to bring me the
result of their observations.
f confess that such an establishment was
costly; It absorbed several millions, which
secretjy came from the taxes levied on gamb
ling. on the evil resorts and on the delivery of
passports.
Everything has been said against gambling;
but on the other hand, wise and practical
minds are forced to agree that in the present
state of society the legal taking advantage of
vice is a bitter necessity. The proof that
people should not attribute all Us odium on
the governments of the revolution is that even
to Utis day gambling is a part of the budget of
the old government restored.
Since it was an inevitable evil, it was as well
' > regulate it, so that, at least, we might corn
tiol the disorder.
Under the Empire, whose establishment cost
nearly four hundred thousand millions, since
there were thirty households to fit out with
tna.i ities and highnesses, it was necessary to
organize gambling on a much larger scale, for
it was not only intended to remunerate my
changing phalanxes of observers.
1 appointed as administrator of gambling
Ferrein the i ! ,er. who already had its fram
ing, an i who. aft-r the coronation, extended
his privilege o\ er till the larger cities of the
Empire, in consideration of a payment of four-
tcett millions and of three thousand francs a
day to the minister of police: all of which,
however, did not remain in my bands.
Ali those c.i-monts nr an taint- ase power did
not expire uselessly in my office. As i was
kept informed of everything, I had to gather
the public complaints to point out to the chief
of State the discomfort and sufferings of the
State.
I, therefore, shall not conceal (hat 1 could
work on the fears or terrors which besieged
more or less constantly the master of un
bounded power. Being thoroughly informed
ot conditions I could make claims, censure, de
claim for all France.
In this respect, how many ills have I not
prevented? If I have been unable to reduce,
as 1 should have wished, the general police to
u simple bugbear, a magistracy of protection,
I have at least the satisfaction of being able
to affirm that 1 have done more good than
harm; that is to say, that I have prevented
more harm than I have beeit able to do good,
having almost always had to fight against the
prejudice the passions and the outbursts of the
min ster of police.
During my second ministry I governed much
more by the power of display and of dread
than by coercion; I had revived the old police
maxim, namely: That three men could not
come together and speak indiscreetly of public
affairs without it being made known to the
minister of police.
It is certain that I was artful enough to give
out and to lead people to believe that wher
ever four people assembled, there could be
found it) my pay eyes to see and ears to hear
No doubt such a belief was due to corruption
; :.d to the general degradation; but on the
other hand, how many evils, regrels and tears
had it not spared?
It was in my office that the more important
affairs of which I myself held the threads were
settled. Of course, I had hired spies In all
ranks and in every class: I had some among
both sexes, remunerated at the rates of one
thousand and two thousand francs a month,
according to their importance and services. I
personally received their reports in writing,
with a signature agreed upon.
Every three months I sent my list to the
Emperor so that there might not be useless
repetition, and also so that the nature of the
services at times permanent, often temporary,
might be rewarded either by positions or by
presents.
As to the police abroad, it had two essential
objects, namely: To keep watch over the
friendly powers and to excite the governments
who were hostile to us. In both cases it was
composed of individuals bought or pensioned
close to each government and in every import
ant city, independently of the numerous secret
agents sent to all the countries, either by the
minister of foreign relations or by the Em
peror himself. I also had spies abroad.
It was, moreover, in my office tnat all the
foreign gazettes prohibited in France came;
and where their contents were scrutinized and
the objectionable passages referred to me.
Through these means I held the most im
portant threads of outside politics, and I pre
pared with the head of the government a re
port by which that of the minister of foreign
relations could be checked or balanced. Thus
my powers were far from being limited to
espionage.
Many plots were concocted against Napo
leon on the Continent, but without success.
Agents were sent from London to sound Paris;
some were send to sound me.
Imagine the English Cabinet falling into the
snare of our police, even after the mystifica
tions of Drake and of Spencer-Smitlp; imagine
Lord Howdck, Minister of Foreign Affairs,
sending me an emissary trusted with secret
instructions and bearing a letter addressed to
me enclosed in the knots of a cane!
In the letter this minister asked me for two
passports, left blank, for two merchants
charged with opening mysterious negotiations
with me. But his emissary, having imprud
ently disclosed himself to the agent of the pre
fecture, Periet, base instrument of all this
machination, Vitel's cane was opened, and
when the mission and the secret were known
this unhappy young man could not evade the
death penalty.
It was impossible for such an affair not to
leave some suspicion in Napoleon's mind: he
must at least have inferred that the idea pre
vailed abroad that it was possible to attempt
to intrigue with me and that I was the sort of
man to listen to everything, reserving my de
cision according to the times.
This went so far that a few months after the
death of Vitel, having taken from my desk a
sealed letter addressed to me and marked per
sonal. I opened it and found it so pressing that
anted t'te private audience asked of me for
the next day.
This letter was indorsed with an assumed
name, but very well known among the emigres,
and I really believed that the signer came from
the person who wished to make disclosures to
me.
But what was my surprise when this auda
cious man, gifted with a persuasive tongue, con
fessed his fraud and dared declare himself to
me as the agent of the Bourbons and the envoy
of the English Cabinet. In a glowing and
rapid statement he established the frailty of
Napoleon’s power, its imminent decadence (it
was at the beginning of the Spanish war), and
its inevitable downfall!
Proceeding, he finally begged me in the in-
’erest of France and the peace of the world
to join the good cause, to turn the nation away
from the abyss all guarantees imaginable
were offered me. And who was this man?
unite Dache, a former captain in the royal
navy.
"Wretch that you are!” I exclaimed, "it is
under cover of such subterfuge that you have
gained admittance to my office.”
“Yes,” he replied, “my life is in your hands,
and if necessary, I shall willingly sacrifice it
for my God and for my king!”
“No,” I answered, “you are seated at my
hearth, and I shall not violate the hospitabC^
of adversity; for, as a man, and not as a majw
trate, I may pardon the intemperance of yjft
frenzy and your senseless overtures. I
you twenty-four hours to go away from Paris;
but I declare to you that strict orders will be
given so that, after the lapse of that time, you
shall be arrested in whatever place you may
be found."