The record-union., 1894-06-22
THE PROPHET ISSA."
Story Told in the Unknown Life of
Jesus Christ"
The Russian Traveller. Nicolas Noto-
witch, Discovers an Ancient Manu-
script In a Buddhist Monastery.

A book which is creating considera-
BILE sensation in Europe is 1.-The I'm
known Life OF Jesus Christ" by the
Russian traveller, Nicolas Notovitch, in
which he publishes the biography of
'The Prophet Issa," claimed to have been
discovered by him in a Buddhist monas-
terry in Thibet. When on visit to one
of the numerous monasteries Notovltch,
IN conversation with a Lama learned
Of the Prophet Issa. who is worshiped by
the priests as one of the incarnations OF
Buddha, but of whom the common peo-
pie know very little. After investiga-
ton he succeeded in discovering the biog-
raphy of this prophet in the great monas-
terry Himmis, in the surroundings OF Leh,
the capital of Ladak. The breaking of
his foot compelled him 10 make pro-
longed stay III this monastery, and the
| Lama finally complied with his wishes
! by communicating to him 1ssaS Dlog-
raphy from TIVE large scrolls made up OF
| leaves which had turned yellow from old
! age. The Pail text was translated by an
| Interpreter, Notovitch carefully writing
down the contents. The story Oh the
book is substantially as follows;
| The earth trembled and the heavens
wept over the great crime committed IN
Israel. There the great and just lssa was
tormented and killed, in whom dwelt the
| soul OF the universe. Merchants coming
| from Israel relate about this event as fol-
| lows: Israel inhabits fertile country
! which gives two harvests i'll the year and
feeds many nerds. But Israel on account
of sins, caused Gods anger. God pun
| lShed them Dy making them slaves to the
rich and powerful Pharaos who rule
over Egypt. The Israelites were treated
in Egypt worse than the animals. They
! had to do hard labor, their bodies were
covered with wounds, and they had not
sufficient FOOD To satisfy their hunger.
Then they remembered their God, and
prayed to Him for mercy. Now, there
was ruling one Pharao renowned for his
many victories. his great riches and the
great edifices he had erected. He had
TWO sons. the name OF the younger be-
| ing Mossa. This MoSSa learned many
sciences from the wise men OF Israel.
Mossa was very popular in Egypt for the
| Kindness and pity he showed 10 ali the
suffering. When Mossa saw that the Is
raelites, in spite of their hard chaStlSe-
ment, did not give up their God for the
worship OF the gods OF Egypt, which were
made by the hands of man, he, too. be-
came a believer in the invisible God of
AMI begged OF him TO mitigate the lot Of
the unhappy people.
But Pharao WaXed angry and increased
the hardships OF the lsraelites. Then
there came the pestilence, which de-
stroyed many men and cattle. Mossa
presented himself again before Pharao.
| SAYING that il was the God of Israel who
thus sent punishment over Egypt.
! Whereupon PharaO ordered Mossa to
| lead the slaves of Israel lar away and to
| found city, where he should live with
them. So Mossa left Egypt with all the
| Israeiites ana brought them to the coun-
try which they had forfeited on account
OF their sins. There ne gave them laws
| and taught them 10 pray to God, the in
visible and all-mercitul Creator. After
! Mossa's death Israel became powerful
and lived long time in great happiness.
| Later, however, Israel forgot their God
and His commandments, so that they
brought again Gods punishment upon
themselves. Foreign armies invaded the
country, and finally there came heathens
from the country OF RomeleS; they SUBJ
jected the Israelites, placed their Captains
as Governors over them, compelled The
Inhabitants to sacrifice to the heathen
gods, killed the children and carried
many men and women into slavery. Then
Israel wept and lamented and prayed TO
God TO pardon.
III ILdt Lilu0 tdiu6 bu0 luOkl0ub WulCu
| God has chosen to reincarnate in hu-
man being who should show to erring
| men the way to perfection. And there
| lived a poor but pious family. God
| blessed their first-born, and chose him
for his tool. Issa-such was his name
began very early TO speak of the only
and invisible God, and to admonish the
| sinners 10 righteousness. The Israelites
listened TO him and said that the Spirit of
God was speaking through the boy.
When Issa reached the age of thirteen
! they, in accordance with the custom,
wanted TO give him a wife in marriage.
and the wealthiest people were anxious
to have him Tor son-in-law. But Issa
| left secretly and joined merchants going
| to India, in order to make himself perfect
in the word of God and to study the laws
of the great Buddha. At first he settled
among the Aryas. His reputation had
preceded him, and when he journeyed
through the land of the five streams
| (Pendshab) the followers of the God
Dshain asked him to settle in their midst.
| He, however. went to the Brahmans,
where the Vedas became known to him.
The pages which follow give a most
minute account of how Issa made enc
mics of the Brahmans, because of his
taking seriously the doctrine OF the equal
ity of men before God, and his conse-
quent attack upon the caste system; fur
thermore, because of his denial of the di-
vnity of the Vedas and Puranas, of the
trinity and the incarnations of Brahma,
Vishnu and Shira and other gods, and of
his teaching that the Spirit of God was in
every human being, and especially in
those who were low born and worked i'll
the sweat OF their brows. They relate
how Issa, to evade the snares of the Brah-
mans, fled into the mountains to the
Buddhists, where he acquired the Pail
l., 4ha fj1,p9 f1ff has Sflfr
how, later on, Buddha chose him in or
der to preach his word. Whereupon 1ssa
went to the heathens, preaching against
idolatry and teaching God, the creator OF
the universe and the father of all men,
who is worshiped by purity and perfec-
ton and not by sacrifices; how, in Per-
sia he condemned the Evil Principle and
the Divinity of the ndavesta-where
upon he had to fly before the wrath Of the
priests; and how, finally. when 29 years
old, he returned to his home.
The Israelites had greatly to suffer from
the heathens, and they were much dis
couraged. Issa consoled them; they
should persevere in the worship OF the
one true God, for he had pardoned them,
and the salvation was near at hand. They
should, however, worship God IN the
spirit, and erect for him temple IN their
hearts. Now, as all the people flocked
together to hear Issa, Pilatus, the chief
Governor of the country, in Jerusalem,
became greatly alarmed, especially
when he was informed by his subordi-
mates that Issa aroused the people by tell
ing them that they would soon be deliv-
cred from the foreign invaders. Pilatus,
therefore, ordered that Issa should be ar
rested and brought before a tribunal;
but, in order not to excite the people, he
wanted to have him judged by the priests
and learned mon of Israel. The Judges
4. Ii de- Nf
but he defended himself and his teachings,
Wheraunon the Jndges declared that they