San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-09-24
A PAPYRUS MANUSCRIPT.

Dis coyery in Egypt OF IAN Ancient
Copy OF the Old Te stameRt.
| London, Sept. l7.-At the Interna-
tional Orientist Congress held in this
| city most interesting document was
submitted by Prof. Hechler, chaplain
of the British Embassy at Vienna, a
distinguished orientalist. The doeu-
ment referred to is pspyrns manu-
script discovered few months ago in
Egypt, and is supposed oy some su-
thorities to be the oldest copy extapt
of porto Of the Old Testament books
of Zlchariah and Malachi. These
pages of papyrus when intact, were
about 10 inches high and 7 inches
wide, each containing twenty-elght
lines for writing, both sides of the
sheet being used. The complete line
contains from fourteen to seventeen
letters. The sheets are tDund together
in the form of a toe k, in a primitive
though careful manner. with cord
and strips of old parchment. The
Greek Of this document is written
without intervals between the words,
q ustom observed both in old Greek
and old Hebrew manuscripts. The
papyrus Is in fair preservation, and Is
believed to date from the third or
fourth century. 1t thus ranks in age
with the oldest Greek manuscripts of
the Septuagint version of the old
Testimenr in London, Kome and st
Peters burg.
The differences In thes papyIus
tend to the conclusion tibet it was
copied from some original Septuagint
Bible, which twas first translated
about the yesa $50 B. G. for the use of
til: Hellenistic Jews in Egypt, who
having gradually forgotten the He
brew tongue and learned to speak the
Greek. The first examination has
shown that 1t hasseveral new read.
ings which surpass some of the other
Septuagints texts In clserness of ex-
preston and simplicity of grammar.
It woold also appear that it was copied
from another Septuagint Bible and
was not Written, as was frequently
the case, from dictation. A second
scribe has occasionally corrected some
mistakes of photography made by the
oopyitt. These are, still to be dis
tinguished by the different color of
the,ink, This manuscript is deemed
of sue Importance that the Times de-
| voteb three. Xuarters of full page to
printing facsimilies of two of the an
| Client sheets and translation of the
| contents. The pages presented were
from Zscharish, vii 2 6 and rs proDt-
ed in the Times read ::as follows, the
subject matter becoming divided in
verses, as does not appear In the orig
inal.
| 2. Nations roundabout, and i'm Ju-
des there shall be a serpe against Jer..
usalem.
8. And it shall come to pass in that
| day will make Jerusalem q stone
| trodd endowu TO all the nations, every
one tramples omit, hooking, is mock.
ed, and there shall be gathered to-
gether againsti it all the nations of the
earth.
4. In that day, saith the Lord AL.
mighty, L will smite every hori
| with amaxemeut and his rider with
| madness; but upon the house of Judea
I will open mine eyes and all tt Q
horses of the nation will smite with
blindness.
s. And the captains of thousand, of
Judea shall say in their hearts. We
shsll find for ourselves the iDhabi.
tants of Jerusalem in the Lord AL
mighty, their God"
Tin that day 1 will make the cap
tains of thousands of Judea a fire.
band among wood and as D torch of
fire In stubble, and they devour on
the right hand and on the left all the
nations roundabout; and Jerusalem
shall dwell again by herself)
7. Aud the Lord shall save the tents
of Judea as at the beginning: that the
boast of the house of David shall not
magnify itself and the pride of the IL
haDitants of Jerusalem against
Judea.
s. And 1t shall come to pass in that
day that the Lord shall defend the
inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the
weak ones among them shall in that
day be as David.
A comparison of these verses with |
the verses in the latest version of the |
Old Testament will show q consider |
able divergence of language.
Prof. Hechler, in his remarks upon |
this invaluable manuscript, said it
was sincerely to be hoped that this
most valuable papyTus of the Bible,
probably the oldest now known to |
exist, would soon be published in fac
simile, for the careful examination of
biblical scholars. He added In con-
clusion, that 1t was the pressing duty