New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-05-02
THE NE Y-FOUND GOSPELS.
A CHAT WITH THEIR DISCOvERER.

II Is no; often thpt the Biblical Injunction Ia
scarcl the Scriptures" has been carried ont In tine
face of such difficulties rs must have attended ih'
recent discovery of the pulimp'"st containing IA
~yrac text OF Gospels by Mrs. Lewis. in III" Con-
vent Of ST. Katha.inc on Mount sinai. What those
difficulties were Mrs. Lewis wa, good enough 10 "N'
plain to Il rcprcscu OF I'll" i. James Gazette
who give, The following account Of The conversation
What Is "A pallmps.St 90 inquired for ihc hlisht
figure clad IN deep mourning and III" soil voice
that welcomed me, urged M" TO confession "i a"J'c'
4 palimpse,, Is manuscript whose original con,
tent, have been partially caocd that the v"llum might
lie written upon again. This was frequently done III
ancient days when venm was scarce. and The syriac
Gospels We have Just discovered cnse IN polhi'
The thick. black writing ycn SEE in the photosrnph
was written the Gospels In Us. ana Is y Srri',
Ii was only 10y observing the word 'ENaneciiuh'',
family inscribed At the top Of The p"g'' nc linz, .,
text Of the Gospesa gncss which upon 'Aahi'''uo''
proved 10 be- correct IL, documents.
How did you obtain access 20 in" o'd "o'"'"'"'''
well You See hut for that difficulty this discovery
TlSchcndorl who failed to return the Mss lem MN
hv the monks. has rendered them very 'uHpi'iou Va
strangers who desire 20 cNamtr their library. I'M
another obstacle was encountered by former travellers
They almost I'll nnacquain'eh WIN nl9''i, ~, nr
and / peak Nucrtly. as we'll Hebrew ana :lramc'
Professor Palmer had seen thu text Of ~" ,%NP PR
i" @ max Rc nS ialrs had been unable on yl H.
1899 10 do more thar transcriie the 'Ap"lotN VI
hri-tidpS' which lie nau nl'HulH'u III INV ''
This was suppose. your first visit to sna an y,,,
"Ol no. ] was there lHsi year. ana ihch SUI
coded in winring the confidence Of the monks. VINO
allowed me to take over 1000 pho,orrapin o W.
pampecs took letters OF inrG sro and 70 cnronsM
enough. little book had written year, ago %l and G
travels in Greece had beer trans ',o "ram n
had fncn into the monks, hand. and rs harI pc ot
10 have written about the nativ" places OF som" Oh
them. they hello ont to me- cordial rgn, nam" Of ,our
DO they at all appreciate the importance VI S""'
diScoVory?' =. ,,.. ,,o, ,.-ro.
rant anchores. rs most travellers suppose, . ny ua'
sar of the convent writes articles for the hhehh ~
reviews. For hours together they wond hrin o Wh 'n
palimpSest that | might obtain COCO h'-'.,', WY"
/ had made certain Of my discovery ! ,cn' WOO ~
Professor Harris who "m o cr%smE % by h
r,fa-alI 0r,trae Syrlac scholars We divided me
day into three watches from II to oc'21k-n ,n,
we're forty days at h-all working Turing sh on I,'
weeks we used to start at a. m. and wo'k on ~
long as the light lasted sleeping in tents in The con
vent garden as TO be independent Of 'n''' s""'
4 very different atmosphere from this M d'no'
cam scrfcly describe the purity and bIiGhtnc's
Of the air and the brilliant sunshine which hrlpra
writing Indeed if the light had been less Favorable"
our task would never have been accomplished. H VIII"
Wn"cnm harmless chemical preparation for hrlnelr
ont oil writing Al first ! was aifau , ,ho "'' hs
would no, permit me TO use Il. but after ihry hni
M ynar cmpoyed on another Ms. without cr'rm"n
they loon d Ta account for the of the Ms
Doub,lcss when 50 many e the converts T which
existed In that region were d.sirOH'i h "' In
IL was taken To -. Katharine> Tor sai''F, u, III ~,
fortress built by the Emperor Justinian III the NJ"
century" ,,,,, .or
" DO yon anticipate that much rcig''n' COZ"
1roversv will ariee Of your discovery
some discussion j.. Of coursn. in"Nitabl" II wy
turn on the last twelve verses OF ~ MHrk ''NP'i
dou,t These verse, were present in The iml"rl"r'
rortlons Of the -viac text. Transcribed bN anon
Coaston. and generally called The Curetohah. u,
i'm The palimp>cst discovered fh"N ar" hiun""'"N
absent The importance of the Syr1c text al''S TOE
The fact 81 syrilc having been IN" popular speech VI
Palestine in the time Of ChnSt., .
Did you find travelling difficult or dangerous IN
Syria?" ! inquired. passing - Il Higher topic go
Not the least. We had excellent drnGoniHS w
10th orr journeys-iha T.. my sister Mrs GIBSON ana
nv self We mounted cam"lS at Su'z. ana VIC
r>, three days were spent I'm crossing the desert nnl
aI,out the same time in travrrSing the rocky lim"
stone region around sinai. Water has 10 be- 'arrl"i
for transit hut at III" convent there are bcanll'"I
springs. Danger Their" + II mo. TIL" I"ionln, are
friendly and consider til"t women can travel NJ ne
with greater security in Mahomc'an than IN 'hri,,
ian Countries cur dragoman always Insisted on al
th. money and vamabc> being put into oar i'nt al
night the plea that NJ one would ever cream q
pilIaging woman's tent
Il, sides her hooks If travel in Pilcsn" "Tec" ana
Cvprn. Mrs Lewis has recently published u biography
Of her late husband. The Rev = : Lewis. ior "'N-
one wears librarian OF CJrpnS Christi 'olloge. cam
bridge In that library the collection ~ anci"ut Ms
is large and valuable. and there Mr. Levi, frSi he"
gan to Interest herself In the study and care Of literary
relics. -,
Lewis - inquired. 10 PIT Il FINISHING lonoh oi IN
uuisitiVencsS caechsm. TIL III" result of our
laloIs is given 10 the world YES. Ana lli"l. Nh'
added with the tone Of IN" genuine explorers hunger
In her voice" then may possibly start again