Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1880-04-24
Handwriting of ST. Peter.

LONDON. April s-The British aud Foreign
! Bible Society deny the allegations OF certain
/ Italian papers that they have sent a commits
I sion 10 inquire in;0 the authenticity Of a man-
uscript supposed 10 he written by Peter Tie
I Apostle, or that they have ever offered any
sum FOR lis possession. The allegations sp-
I reared in the Seminara,c aud Fisccola, Pro-
( lestant evangelical journals published at Rome.
and according 10 their statement, was eopie,l
/ 10y them from the Sahaoih, an organ Of the
Jewish country printed at Jerusalem. where
! the manuscript written by the hand Of TIE
Apostle Petes Is said 70 have been discovered.
/ On July Is, 1879, 50 runs the account, there
died n Jerusalem, ia the lloIh year Of bis
age, reputsdly poor man Of The name Of
Core,
! : TIE HERMIT.
Tor CITY, years he had lei the he Of her
nit in grotio at the foot OF the hill cf Geth-
semane, enjoying for the greater part of that
4 pesiod saintly reputation and looked upon
/ by Christians as oue Of tho holiest Of t'en, as
10 outward appearance be was oue OF the
poorest When his death became known.
aud il was ascertaiued that no kins:olk claim
ed his effects aud that he had left no will, tho
/ local authorities took possession Of hIs erotto.
I On entering, they were surprised 10 hnd it
/ furnished with considerable luxury. NagLi-
/ iceul tiger skins were spread over the floor,
I aud the anchoriie's ted was composed OF fcostiy
furs Underneath the skins trap door wa
discovered leading TO ~ underground apart
ment sixteen feet square aud twelve feet high.
| In one corner Of the room stood an iron-bound
oaken chest. With some difficulty it was
broken open, when ont rolled u stream II
/ broad pieces Of various dates, countries and
denominations EDglish soyereiens aud, shil
/ ings. French gold and silver, Turkish sequius
and lle1icau dollars-of total value, as wee
estimated, Of $4,000.
AIMS AND onLATIoNs.
This sum was supposed 10 be tie pr duce
! of the aims aud oblatlons which the holy mau
lad received from the crcdulous faithful during
the half century OF bis sanity secusiOn from
/ the world - the very bottom OF the chest,
where il had been covered over by the her
mt's treasure. still more important find was
made--a packet wrapped up In 81! and almost
rotten newspapers. These papers contained =
splendid and antique Cashmere shaw Of great
value, though somewhat injured by damp
/ Inside the shawl were divers documents from
which il appeared that the deceased ancbonle
was Hebrew, belonging 10 rich family Of
Stockholm. Among these documents was a
! ycluninouS papyrus manuscript, folded Ia
green silk 80 Old that when touched i became
Z dust
plrER TIE FISHERMAN.
The manuscript bore the following insctip-
ton:
Peter the fisherman, disciple Of Jesus the
son Of God, and cOutinuator Of His work.
speaks 10 the people Of the earth who listen 10
the word Of the Lord, according g. the love
aud in the name, OF the most holy God"
Tho subscription ~ the manuscript writ
ten in style equally strange aud elegant
runs thus:
Il, Peter the fisherman, in The name OF
/ God finished the writing OF tho word Of love
in the ti,ieth year Of my age, the third Easter
after tho death of my Saviour aud Master
Jesus G. risi, son Of Mary. 10 the house o.
! Belicil, the scribe, near the temple Of the
Lord"
TIE MANUSCRIPT PRosouSCED AUTHENTIC.
The papyrus u tue manuscript is described
/ as being st:oDg and flexible and the ink very
black, from which it was at rst supposed
that il might be the work Of Core, but scholars
aud experts at Jerusalem. by whom The writ
/ iug las been submitted 10 n searching exami-
nation, are of opinion that 10 man VI lhis
age could write old Hebrew 80 pure 10 style,
with such an intimate knowledge of the mean
ing Of many obsolete words aud so complete
a mastery OF the archaic forms that clafactiz.
ed the literature Of the epoch 10 which tbs
new cpistle purpor,s 10 have been produced
\ further proof Of lis antiquity Is that the
papyrus Of the manuscript has long ceased 90
be made. 10 solve the doubts which remain
cd as 10 the eenuinencss of tic document. thv
account Coca on say that the Bible Society
Of London were asked u scud ont cOmmis-
sion TO look into the matter and deliver j1jg-
ment This yss J1ue, aud after iohg inyesti-
CATION the commission pronounced 10 favor Of
tic authenticity OF Cores pspyrus. They
considered ito fc the yeriiable work Ci the
Apostle Peter Il was added that the phiio-
sophical, pathological, historical and biblical
questions o. which tho aud will give rise can
not isil 70 be Of the highest importance eni
interest. The Sabaolb, 1t appears, did no.
hesiiaie 10 state that there had been q lively
Interchange between the London Bible Society
aud the heirs OF the deceased hcfmit-tle c
Cores Of Stockbolm-wih reference to a falc
oi the epcciOus papyrus, and that aD olIcr 0t
e20, 900 for II has been uDbcsIiatugly refused
At the same time the owners are quite willing
10 consent 10 its reproduction aud translation
doubtless for sufficient consideration, and
the Brothers Abdullab, Of ConstaDiinople.
offered 10 make Photographic fac simile "
the ulanuscripi.