The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1893-07-29
OLDEST BOOK III THE WORLD.
1t II Not the Dihle. rs Many My
Think, According 10 n Writer.

Baltimore American: J. II. Mitcbnler, in
knowledge for June. gives an interesting nc
count Of the oldest book IN the world. Many
will suppose that the Bible Is meant, but
the most orthodox have never claimed that
the earle. books of the Bible were written
prior to the exodus from Egypt, while the
"Papyrus Prisse' was written at least
1900 years before Moses was born, and
many years before the occurrence Of the
Noachian deluge. The book was discovered
by q Frenchman named P.isse at Thebes.
and presented to the Bibliothelue Rationale
in Paris. 1t was taken from u tomb in
which was found the mummy Of one OF the
Entews Of the eleventh, or first Theban,
dynasty, which would prove that the man
uscript was written at least prior TO $500
b.. G.; but the book itself furnishes internal
evidence OF the date OF its COMPOSITION, and
contains extracts from u work that was
much older. 1t was complied by the l'refect
This potentatc was the last but one OF the
fifth dynasty, SO that the book must have
been written about 1850 3. C., or consider
ably more than 5000 years ago.
The precepts of ltah-hotep, which give the
title to the book, are preceded by passages
from an earlier work written by kakimna,
built about $3.50 Is. C., which would make
Il dui Il IN e aceard;"e now 9" ~. 5,S'9 ", years nn,o 9ld, an,s.
an.I" as sofns', s,fil q be slne on the e" cTeation Of
Adam in the Garden of Eden, OF al least
his fall from grace. The book is written in
F f1eaei'c by AM Il. Sis p nHa ,n '5an Easiish 'n SS
Prof. Osgood. Its main value is not as 4
literary curiosity, but for the insight II
had been reached by man at that early pc
riod in the history of the human race. Its
W writer. ptahihotep, was a Prefectwa place ace
ancient Egyptian kings It was second only
to that OF the king-the same office which
was held by Joseph, the son OF Jacob, dur;
Ing thu the B laftel p%rfhs a pr ct sis S Saree a sort ss t0' Sf
l'ooh-Bah,. or treasurer, secretary OF state
and chief justice of the supreme court rolled
into one, so that what is said in the hook
must be accepted as authoritative, SO far
TT The Ell book e;n %ps . ,n some theories he nsS,o concerning M!
Elections, for they are found here, Invested
Of all rubbish, several thousands OF years
before the advent Of the Greeks, who were
thought to have originated them. Its whole
and would be creditable to a moral writer
In the nineteenth century. 1t deals with in
diyiduaI s conduct bo and the sd EGyern nnS;,ian 81 a a9e
urged ito labor at all times to be true gen
tlemen,. lest from their own defects OF char
1ste 1ay they =, s ,hs sn 3he as'h Esiny g s'Y be- w seen
ened." Numerous illusions are made TO tile
Supreme Being, and they are always In the
eIaimed by gon archaed Resiisas' that Mn't the aA Religion
Of the Egyptians was monothcistic, and that
only among the ignorant classes We're birds
and beasts and images-which were intended
by the religion as types Of certain OF Gods
attributes-worshiped as gods. Moses, who
was really q prince in Egypt so lar as his
social standing went, was educated by the
priests, and Of course, well understood the
monotheistic character Of the Egyptian re-
ligion; but he saw that the masses Of the
people had SO prostituted their religion that
he was anxious to get the Hebrews as Tar
away from their perniciops example as pos.
in the age of Ptah-hotep. the writer Of this
born, there had been no such perversion OF
the great lawgiver Of the lsraeiites. u.s
not an isolated example Of culture and
scholarship. 1t was the perfectly natural
outcome OF a civilization which was scarcely
inferior to that Of a century, ago, ana whlch
could boast Of magnificent libraries, "a PEG;
pie highly instructed in all the, arts OF
peace, q state carefully organized, q me,
| rarchy firmly founded, Ininutely divided. ana
organized even to the smallest external
matters, a universally diffused system o.
writing and the common use OF P1npyrus.ln
! short, a civilization which In all essential
points has already attained its 1ull matn'
| rity, and only by close Investigation Is lur'
Their development in some directions discov:
ered.' And all this was many HUNDREDS OF
| years before Abraham. under the guldance
| Of the Lord. became an exile from MS couh'
try and settled in the plain of Mamre.