Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 January 1913 — PAPYRI TAKEN FROM EGYPT [ARTICLE]

PAPYRI TAKEN FROM EGYPT

Most Nearly Perfect Rolle Ever Found Unearthed Near Temple of the Ptolemies. London.—The numerous large and valuable rolls of historical papyri recently discovered by Robert De Rustafjaell, F. R. Q. 8., have now been brought to England. Mr. De Rustafjaell has allowed an Inspection of the rolls, which are certain to create considerable interest tn the sctenflflc world. They were unearthed by a fellah while sinking the foundation of his mud-hut near a teihple of the Ptolemies in Upper Egypt, and are of the Greco-Egyptian period. There are, seventeen of them. They are about twelve inches wide, all plosely rolled, and some are as much as four inches in diameter. The size of the largest probably will be found to be about fifty feet, which would be a record length for a roll of papyri. The rolls probably are the most nearly perfect ever found. “It should be borne in mind.” said Mr. De Rustafjaell, “that Manetho. the Greek historian, who lived probably about the time that these manuscripts were written, gave us a history of Egypt and the only framework we possess of the order and number of dynastic reigns. “With the discovery of the Rosetta Stone we obtained the long-lost key to the language of ancient Egyptians We think that We are justified in anticipating further and possibly more startling revelations from these manuscripts." Mr. De Rustafjaell had the good fortune about four years ago to light upon the find of papyri which were published in an Interesting book called “The Light of Egypt" At the time they were popularly referred to as “Further New Sayings of Christ?' One volume only, however, dealt with

the subject. It proved to be Saint Bartholomew’s apocryphal narrative by Christ o’s his descent into hell. This is the only authentic literature extant on which the Litany is based in the passage -referring to the descent into hell.