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About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 19, 1913)
Tl IZ ' OREGON "SUNDAY'. ' JOURNAL. :r PORTLAND. SUNDAY MORNING. OCTOBER "'19.' " I . " V . v. I lift , oSl Vl '6 Y ,&&mei Finding a ... . ; Manuscript in St Luke's V i Oivn , : 1 WWW I, n ri iifirrjiiwittniiT ' : . V'- ' - f. )'.- ' . t i :.v . 'S - .:.:. ,''. ' ' " j . - - f , v ' ' , ",r. ( 4 IAS k Vm OmrrliUaA. till The Spot on Mount Sinajl from r Which Mooes b Reputed to ; Hare ' Delivered tho ' Toft " , Commandments to the Chil . dren of Israel . - , rBZT to the Hoi? Idmthemost Interesting f reglpn V In. .tae . world to Biblical scholars the BlnaiUo ' peninsula. la- one , re spect lit Is even more" interesting ' than the Holy;in for: the wealth of rellcrand, manuscripts i which. It contains nas hardlf been touched by modern .InTestlgators. . ! , An Important moyement has now Aeen' started ': by the universities, - scholars and ' religious , leaders of Violan in Annilnr.t A, . thoroufh j search of the Monastery of St Cathe--; - line, on MOUni ainai, wuero ti u ur , Uered that , the oldest existing Bible manuscripts are to be - found. -; Discoveries already made Indicate with V practical; certainty that ; these manuscripts must be there, but for peculiar reasons very little progress has been v made ; In searching for 4 ' them. During the years mt, 185 J -, and 1859 the German scholar Tlsoh- endorf. spent- much time exploring . the monastery; libnnttt ' Tha monks were then verr almnle ' and hospitable and quite unfamiliar . with the ways of the outside world. They allowed Tlschendorf to do. as " he pleased In the library. He ..nsed this liberty with stupendously prof- . ttable results to himself. He dlscov- r' ' ered the oldest known 1 Greek: mann- , v . script of the Bible," now known as !Why Baby w which I -rHY 'the homaa .race its U-o&e of the . problems that '1 "Up.aaaUt' mitU. MMU.- ;uJ which has found general acceptance : propounded by Dr.-Ernst Wber. ;;Tprove that prlmltlre.manta, hi. to"'pxotect' the,y heart, carried the shield, in his left hand, and the aggresslvs' weapons ; Inths'rlfbt . tw! t 'ft r Sir Daniel .Wilson, however,, ascribes i the r ' HffhthAndftdnesB of the human race to a very, dlff orent . caused The ' centre , of' Speech , inUspheA ; soa, i believes v that (the, movem aaad; hut;woatd' not have; its power of speech O big thart.arm, nerrs. ganglia foiiroli;y;;mateHanyi!mpalrea.,i ' s . are situated near the centres, of speech, have' ; i : Dr.; Wilson's theory that rlghMiandedness , developed: antf matured-along WUpJ.; f rlborne ',?4 the,ne rate of progress as, tofyai German poet of renown?who, suffering great: ' Weords'.; 'dating back to; primitive; tlmesv; 1: 4a? ly; from . writer's cramp at an advanced sge Erchments and the Hgui-es portrayed Ty the fyf. began to .use hJa left hand la ' writing.- He den'-Chaldeans and : Egyptians,- all ' point ;r, fwftg amazed to find, that after the first Inef- to-the fact that even In those 'early days the V fectual attempts to, write with the left-hand raoe was. right-handed,' so that the tendency '. he felt crowding opon him a wealth of imagery towards right-handedness must have .flegoaVJ5iMlda''lethoa of ideas such as he had not .very early. r It'probably sprang into life faltaneously; withthe tendency toward - aat speech ' i U a' Eft A- - 41 v tv. - .,.--!,' il:,;, . 4- - , r ? ', . r ' . . I ' 4 'V , I p Greelc Orthodox Chapel In the Care to Which the Prophet Elijah Is Said to Hare Retreated. Should to UseBoth. .right-handed , I "mere naa poen jnuca uut b. to - teaching children - to use, both . hands.' Originally, in prehlstorlo 1 day s, there were two- cehtres"ot! speech; one 'in neither hemi-; pop v , Is that , sphere- of .vthe -brain. ..Lett-nanaea- cnuaren have their centre ot speech In the right hemi- who-sought, have their centre cl spatoh is. dere,, VSgSg&iSZS&i , toft' speech : centre IS developed at the .ex- pease oi mo, rigui Bpeecu vouvio, can-easily be resuscitated in case of injury to the 'right ' asad;-.ew ' ' 4 There would thus be a- double purpose in 1 leeA1ttiT lih(HTan sa .visiaa sHnt i lSltnrill H.fl. 1&- ; is . in, X-' ft developing both speech , sim-C&s' known - since early 'youth. cohere' 'v J ' to the flow of blood to the ft -!- v'.-;:-o the train induced; bjr ns it si Hands , ana , ituuo, u right hand their oentres. ,to case ot At He ascribed 'this right hemisphere tsnhere ';Sv ej th$ left paay Handwriting and Perhaps Oilier Sacred Relics of Unparalleled ; in the Strangest in Jf 11 tk e World the "Codex einalttcus." By . some' scholars It is dated as early as the fourth century, and -In that case it Is the eldest practically complete man. Qsadpt of tbeBlble. ' It consists of most of the Old Testament, all the New. Testament and "the Epistle of Barnabas." ; This wonderful collection of manu scripts Tlschendorf -carried , away without saying a word to the monks. There are : doubtless collectors to day who would give fl.000,000 for these manuscripts. ? When the monks slowly realised 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 travellers who visited the. outcf-theworld monastery re ported ' that .' the monks were surly end Inhospitable, and would not af ford a reasonable opportunity for an examination of their treasures. Many of these . visitors . reported that -..the " monks were ill-nslng their manu scripts In a deplorable manner, using them as stands for cooking otenslLs ana flower pots. ' - - - Finally, in 1894, two brilliant Eng lishwomen Mrs. Smith Lewis . and, Mrs. Gibsonsucceeded in winning ; the confidence of the monks and se cured permission to make an exam ination of the library. Their search was richly rewarded, for they . dis covered a fourth century palimpsest, manuscript of St Paul's Gospel in eyriac - This Is probably the oldest -known Bible : manuscript, for the Tlschendorf Codex, even allowing it the oldest date mentioned, would barely equal it , - - " - Mrsl 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 con- slderable , staff of trained workers. Although the monks gave facilities . to the two women, they were not witting to admit, any considerable Importance Liorary . ' J v ! . .jsA. - - - - - - i1 Ik? v- if.?., it 'V" 41 it'i.,v.-a .'H . ' ' .... . ""'.'' '' , ;- , a i"r' " .... ,, ... Mount Sinai on Which Tradition Says the -, ; Calf.. An. Ancient Commemorative Chapel Upon the Site Is Shown. , -Copyright-XI1A bjs the Stag Company. Great Britain Eighty Resorted, W The Monastery of St Catherine 1,500 Years and Is Believed to Contain Original Manuscripts of the Bible body of investlkators to the monas tery In' view of their bitter expert; ence of earlier years, "t " t The present movement alms ' to overcome ': the objections er" the ' monks ln a1 friendly, manner. ' The einaitio .Peninsula . is now in : Egyptian territory.- When the neces- -sary funds have . been collected the ' aeslfltance of the Egyptian authort-' ties will be sought in carrying on ' negotiations with the monks. , ; ' j Among1 the moat . precious mans- sorlpts believed to be in the monas tery is the original of the Gospel of St .Luke In the handwriting of the Apostle himself. " This would be in- comparably the most Important Bible manuscript ever discovered. The eyriao copy ox v bu v uuxr s . ucepei : found by the ' two : English women' and at present constituting the oldest known ; Bible 1 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 H1 .11'' Corner, of .the Precious , Any ro the Lef t The Unl et the Foot of Israelites Erected the Golden SV ,J' - fc. '-MttX 1 1 w Vl f at the Foot of Mount Sinai Which Hat Been Occupied for evidence of Kholarly : attainments. len came.thMomedan uouft. Early chronicles state, . that ; the - During the centurleawhen manuscript of St Luke's gospel was tBb followers of the opheroTerran one of the-, treasures given to' the - the- eastern world thls little spot monastery by the Emperor Justinian ; x W out for, Christianity; . in 627 A-D. The buUding contains ' The convent stands at, the. foot of numerous : represenUUons of the ,fJe JnollIltBto -iesfledt-Jshsl-, Musa, AposUe wriUng his gospel, snd these wUch,- aocordin to many suthori anoear to have a' close assoctatlon J the actual mountain wheri with the foundation of the establish ment.' ' '"'J.'. e J , ) The library is . known to contain about 600 ancient volumes filled with - f manuscripts in Greek, Arabic, Syrlao ' and ; other- languages. As vone of these v great . volumes may ' contain hundreds of manuscripts, the wealth i of thS library, can only be 'guessed at . junong . us cnnoauies im m r Tory snclent complete manuscript v of the Psalms,' .written ; on. its . leaves In microscoplo writing. ' W v'iiA':,:' This monastery i is the oldest .con tinuously inhabited x building In ' the world.It was founded by Justinian in about 637 . A. Dv and 1 has been occupied ever since. It Is surrounded by walls thirty, feet high,? and de fended by cannon, for.lt was cut off from the . olvlUzed . world for cen turies. Until ? recently everybody who entered .was hoisted by a rope v m : sal JWcinderf ul Library' in St Cath- Bible ; Manuscripts Than V' Place in the1 World. i - a- -. :V' . Z ' J vw mono wu. . ., iM.The earth on which thd Tegetables had made and burnt it in the Are, of, the .monastery V are grown was and ground it to powder and strewed , brought from .the Holy Land, for, H upon the- water, and made tHe i, there is no soil in the vicinity. ; In children of Israel drink of ltT , , .J& rwS? f?Ww?f e,plirls-The peak where Moses is repute hurC.tha SInaiUo Peninsula to have witnessed this scene is psrt was the refuge of many Christiana, 'of the same group where tha 1-u' . .,.;fleeIng ftoni the Roman-persecuaon.!ef. the chosen-' people recolvri t .Then the church triumphed and for Ten ,' Commandments from 1 . centuries after the founding of the The local traditions n -.!-.' - t monastery it was honored by gifts for all tlicBa c-.-.-'. r:.t rrpm emperors andj kings, ; , ,, f j rcy ' , ;."''.,'.. " : " " . ." 7. .. :' r" . f:.. I " v'v v;,. 37 the Ten Commandments were ;com- mitted to Moses by. the Lord. The site of the monastery, according to this theory, is the spot where Moses delivered the Commandments to the children of Israel. . This is a disputed question, but there la little doubt that it is ah Important: site, for the natives in all ages have revered it Here passed the children of Israel during their forty years' wandering on their way. from Egypt to the Holy Land. - Here occurred the many mir acles and wonderful ' events of. the Exodas4he cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night the feeding ot the people with manna, the miracu lous production of water by Moses, the battle with the Amalekltes, the appearance of the Lord onr the mount the building of the Ark, the worshipping of the golden calf, the budding ot Aaron's rod, the raising of the braien serpent by Moses snd v finally the death of Moses, s. . ; -' The einaitio Peninsula covers about 10,000 square miles, and there was plenty of room for the forty years. wandering. The traveller who sees the land to-day can easily un derstand why; miracle were neces sary to keep the children of Israel alive. It is an exceedingly Darren wilderness, . largely composed ot - rocks, tt only maintains a handful : ot natives, and It Is 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 dear 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 locI traditions. ' There is a oeak called Jahal Ras-es 1 SafBaf, which le said to be the exact -spot from which Moses witnessed . the worshipping of the golden calf t by the children .Of Israel, It' is a .small peak,- giving an excellent view . ot a large plain, which might very . " well have been the place where the J Israelites indulged in their ' Idola- trous festivities, as : described 14 '( Emdus!;l'C;.l5'::iH..VT:i.f;: 4HAnd it came to pass as soon as ; he came nigh onto the camp that be saw the calf and the dancing; and Moses's' anger, waxed hot. , and he v cast tne tables out of his hands snd ' brake them beneath the mount. v as a js . a. . ' AuO U9 IOOK UO Call WhlCO thPV ''ibi v.?'! i