Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-09-22
OUR LONDON LETTER.
THE STORY OF THE SHAPIRO
MANUSCRIPTS.
A Clear and Tmpudent Forgery-Gernan
and british scholars-rext OF the
Ten Commandments.
spsrla. corre. ponaencs Of tho oalellc.

a COPY oil the tfAIETTE just recclNei Ny
me that you mention the Shapiro
Manuscripts which for n while did
really stir up quite "a little fiutter OF
excitement among biblical scholars
and church people generally. was
Just on the point OF writing you all
about the business, thinking II would
also interest Texas church people, but
before got nay notes or the subject in
readiness the bottom OF the whole
thing fell out and thought it hardly
worth while Ia write YOU the parlicu-
lars. since though YOU have heard
generally about il, p,rhap- you VIII
not Object tu near more. II Stems that
one NiT. Sbapirl, who j. "a
bap.izei 1cgy, came here bringing WITH
him what rurpog,cl u bc IN viiglnsl
manuscript ui tine book 81 DtutefO a.
omy, which he claimed va. found
wrapped about mummy recently
found, and was of greet value ~ Ia
many particulars il varied fr)n the
authorized version " this book of the
old Iest8meut. He claimed that the
writing was several thousand years
old, and that il WAS in fact the most
reliable rendering Of Deuteronomy in
existence He deposited the manu-
script in the British museum, and
with apparent fairness invited Orien-
tai scholars generally, and Egyptolo-
gisls particularly, to examine it. AS
his object WAS 10 sell it to the govern
ment at very large price, for the gov
eminent really wished To secure il, ii
genuine. it was placed in the hands of
the celebrated De. Ginsburg by Mr.
Bond, the principal librarian o the
museum, for investigation. That you
may understand the real Significance
of The whole matter, here baud you
one extract from the manuscript ~
translated by DR.. Ginsburg, which
doesn't quite read like the old Ten
Commandment that were taught to
me when was child. / have inst
been comparing this with the 5th
chapter Of Deuteronomy, and can now
etsily un ierstani why biblical schol-
slelt so much anxiety Oh hesubject.
According to the Shapiro version:
"And the Ievites shall stand before
Mount Gerizim and shall speak and
shall say with loud voice, Blessed be
the man who loveth God our God and |
boweth down 10 Him only and serveth |
Him only, and all the people shall |
answer and say Amen. Blessed be tbs |
man that halloween the seventh day
and resteth thereon and all the people |
shall answer and say Amen. blessed |
be the man that avengeth not nor
beareth any grudge against the person
OF his brother and all the people shall |
answer ami say Amen. Blessed be the
man that detileth not the wife of his
nelghh0r and all the people shall an
swer aud say Amen. Blessed be the
man that oppresseth not his neighbor
and all the people shall answer and
say Amen. Blessed be the man that
sWeareth not BY my name falsely aud
Nil the people shall answer and say
Amen. Blessed b. the man that
dealcth not falsely nor ieth against
his neighbor and all the people shall |
answer and say Amen. Blessed be the |
man that setteth not his eye ,p,n his |
neighbours goods, and nil the |
people shall answer and say !
Am II. Blessed be the man that |
IoSSth his neighbour, and ali the peo-
pie Shall answer and say Amen. |
the man that contirneth all .
the words OF this law to do them and |
MI the people shalt answer aud aay |
Amen AMI ye shall answer further !
ana say with II lou1t yoee, Behold If |
thou shalt hearken diligently unto the |
voice OF Thy God 10 observe and 10 do |
al Ills commandments, then all these
blessings shall come on thee blessed
mon SHAT be in the cit and blessed
'hou shali he In the field Blessed
,i,alt 90 thy basllet and thy store.
lbitsSed shah be the fruit of thy body
wa me lfuit of thy ground, the in
',e"se OF my Kline aud the tiocks of thy
'heep BLESSED shalt thou be when
'llou CONTEST Ia and blessed shalt thou
% when hou goest out. Thy God
'hall cause thine enemies to be snit-
en before thy face. God shall COM
nand tie blessing upon all the works
u my hand. God shall establish thee
IN molly people unto himself, and all
ne people 81 the earth shall see and |
'hait be afraid of thee. God
'hall open unto thee the heaven
siEc the rain unto thy
ana IN Ills season and thou shalt lend
INTO many nations and thou shalt moi
bo'row aud thou shalt be above and
,uou smart not be beneath. F.. =. And !
'ne iieVites shall turn their faces to-
Mo,us mount Ehal and shall answer
NV, NJ, say with loud voice cursed be 1
', wy man that maketh any craven or
ihulteh image the work OF the hands of .
the craftman, and ali shall nnsv.n, ar,i
say Amen Cursed he the man dat
doetll any work on the seventh DIV ~ /
proane IL and all the penple shall /
answer aud say Amen. Cursed be he !
mat setteth light by his father and !
mother and all The people shall answer
lnd say Amen Cursed he he thai
miteth his neighhor secretly and Mi I
ne people shall answer and say Amen
Jufsed ho The man that approacheth
o any that is near OF Kin IN
lin or TINT committeth adultery
Win the wife Of his neighbor or thaf
iath intercourse with any manner of
IsusIs and ali the people shall answer
ha say Amen, Cursed be he ,hnt
en9Velh his neighbours landmark and
W 9'le people shah answer md saw
NhiSh, Cursed be the man thnt
Weaivth 10y my name falsely and iii
nc people shall answerand say Amen
-piFyu be ne that taketh reward 10
'NH Mise testimony against his neirh.
'H a'lu TIE people shall answer and
,N Amen tursod Toe the man that
seth ~ his eye 10 his nclphhoris wifs
y 10 ms daugnter orr his maih..ar-
Iaht or oanythtH that's his ana III
ne pesple oi'ssli answerand say Amnn
"a Ne the man that hain,h ~,
< ',a III {. ~ us heart aud Az the people
nan answer and say Amen. (nrlnn
- ane man that coniirmeth not All he
words OF this law 10 do them nnJ Iii
he people shail answer and So
lnlcn. ' say
! 80 n - lr.ueIc was, II this was proven /
~ ~ ! geheine manuscript as old as IL i
ha, ' ,nn 20 oe' then il was evident :
ocn me-, ,ne o. James version OF this was !.
liVurTect nhd II This nlnnh ~, - - ;