Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 293, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 December 1913 — SEARCH MTSINAI for ORIGINAL GOSPEL [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

SEARCH MTSINAI for ORIGINAL GOSPEL

EXT to the Holy Land the most interesting region in the world to Biblical scholars is the, Sinaltic peninsula. In one respect it is even more interesting than the Holy Land, for the wealth of relics and manuscripts which it contains has hardly been touched by modern investigators. An important movement has now been started by the universities, scholars and religious leaders of England to conduct a thorough

search of "the Monastery of St. Catherine, on Mount Sinai, where it is believed that the oldest existing Bible manuscripts are to be found. Discoveries already made indicate with practical certainty that these manuscripts must be there, but for peculiar reasons Very little progress has been made In searching for them. During the years 1844, 1858 and 1859 the German scholar Tlschendorf spent much time exploring the monastery library. The monks were then very simple and hospitable and quite unfamiliar with the ways’ of the outside world- They allowed Tlschendorf to do as he pleased In the library. He used this liberty with stupendously profitable results to himself. He discovered the oldest known Greek manuscript of the Bible, now known as the '/Codex Sinalticus.” By some scholars it is dated as early as the fourth century, and in that case It Is the oldest practically complete manuscript of the Bible. It consists of most of the Old Testament, all the New Testament and “the Epistle of Barnabas.” This wonderful collection of manuscripts Tlschendorf carried away without saying a word to the monks. There are doubtless collectors today wh i would give >1,000,000 for these manuscripts. When the monks slowly realized that they had been robbed of one of the most precious possessions in the religious world, they became very angry, and their anger lasted a long time. For years travelers who visited the out-of-the-world monastery reported that the monks were surly and inhospitable, and would not afford a reasonable opportunity for an examination of their treasures. Many of the?e visitors reported that the monks were ill-using their manuscripts In a deplorable manner, using them as stands for cooking utensils and flower pots. Finally, in 1894, two brilliant Englishwomen— Mrs. Smith Lewis and Mrs. Gibson —succeeded In winning the confidence of the monks and secured permission to make an examination of the library. Their search was richly rewarded, for they discovered a fourth century palimpsest manuscript of St. Paul’s Gospel in Syriac. This is probably the oldest known Bible manuscript, for the Tlschendorf Codex, even allowing it the oldest date mentioned, would barely equal It. Mrs. Lewis and Mrs. Gibson found that in order to put the library In thorough order and reveal even superficially all that it contained would require the labors of. a considerable staff or trained workers. Although the monks gave facilities to the two women, they were not willing to admit any considerable body of investigators to the monastery, in view of their bitter experience of earlier years The present movement alms to twsrcome the objections of the monks in a friendly manner. The Sinaltic Peninsula is now in Egyptian territory. When the necessary funds have been col- / lected the assistance of the Egyptian authorities will be sought in carrying on negotiations with the monks. Among the most precious manuscripts believed to be in the monastery is the original of the Gospel of St. Luke In the handwriting of the apostle himself. This would be incomparably the most important Bible manuscript ever discovered. The Syriac copy of St. Luke’s gospel found by file two English women and at present const!•luting- the oldest known Bible manuscript contains evidence that it was translated from a Greek original in the library.

Scholars hold that the original Gospel of St Luke was in Greek. The apostle was a physician of Greek descent, and his gospel gives evidence of scholarly attainments. Early chronicles state that the manuscripts of St. Luke’s gospel was one of the treasures given to the monastery by the Emperor Justinian in 527 A. D. The building contains numerous representations of the apostle writing his gospel, and these appear to have a close association with the foundation of the establishment. The library is known to contain about 500 ancient volumes filled with manuscripts in Greek, Arabic, Syriac and other languages. As one of these great volumes may contain hundreds of manuscripts, the wealth of the library can only be guessed at. Among its curiosities is a very ancient complete manuscript of the Psalms, written on its leaves in microscopic writing. This monastery is the oldest continuously inhabited building In the world. It was founded by Justinian in about 527 A. D., and has been occupied ever since. It is surrounded by walls 30 feet high, and defended by cannon, for it was cut off from the civilized world for centuries. Until everybody who entered was hoisted by a rope over these walls. The earth on which the vegetables of the monastery are grown was brought from the Holy Land, for there is no soil in the vicinity. In the first few centuries of the Christian church the Sinaltic Peninsula was the refuge of many Christians fleeing from the Roman persecution. Then the church triumphed and for centuries after the founding of the monastery it was honored by gifts from emperors and kings. Then came the Mohammedan outbreak- During the centuries when the followers of the Prophet overran the eastern world this little spot held out for Christianity. The convent stands at the foot of the mountain called Jabal Musa, which, according to many authorities, is the actual mountain where the Ten Commandments were committed to Moses by the Lord. The site of the* monastery, according to this theory, is the spot where Moses delivered the Cbmmandments to the children of Israel., This is a disputed question, but there is little doubt that it is an important site, for the natives in all ages have revered it. Here passed the children of Israel during their 40 years' wandering on their way from Egypt to the Holy Land. Hebe occurred the many miracles and wonderful events of the Exodus—-the cloud by day and the pillar of Are by night, the feeding of the people with manna, the miraculous production of water by Moses, the battle with the Amalekl’tes, the appearance of the Lord on th-« mount, the building of the Ark. the worshipping of the golden calf, the budding of Aaron's rod.

the raising of the brazen serpent by Moses and finally the death of Moses. The Sinaltic Peninsula covers about 10,000 square miles, and there was plenty of room for the 40 years’ wandering. The traveler who sees the land today can easily understand why- miracles were necessary to keep the children of Israel alive. It is an exceedingly barren wilderness, largely cpmposed of rocks. It only maintains a handful of natives, and it 14 believed that the number has hardly changed since prehistoric times. Though barren, the land is very picturesque, and the red mountains rising abruptly into the clear sky are wonderful. Nearly all the sites mentioned in Exodus and the other books of the

Old Testament are identified by the monks and by local -traditions. There is a peak called Jabal Ras-es-Safsaf, which is said to be the exact spot from which Moses witnessed the worshipping of the golden calf by the children of Israel- It is a small peak, giving an excellent view of a large plain, which might very well have been the place where the Israelites indulged in their idolatrous festivities, as described in Exodus: “And it came to pass as soon as he came nigh unto the camp that he saw the calf and the dancing; and Moses’s anger waxed hot, and he cast the the tables out of his hands and brake them beneath the mount. “And he took the calf which they had made and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder and -strewed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it.” . The peak where Moses is reputed to have witnessed this scene is part of the same group where the leader of the chosen people received the Ten Commandments from heaven. The local traditions assigning sites for all these ancient occurrences seem very reasonable. •

Monastery of st. Catherine

PHOTOS COPYRICNT BY UNDERWOOPX UNDERWOOD

Spot on Which Moses Read Ten Commandments