The San Francisco call., 1895-10-13
A RARE RELIGIOUS TOME,
Its Discovery Among the An.
tiQue Treasures of Sutro
Library.
THE VATICAN Is INTERESTED
Albert SutrO's Translations From c
Book of 16o6-Arms for
Controversy.

Among the many interesting books and
manuscripts Of ancient, modern and
Oriental literature in the Sutro library
there is one that some time since es-
pecially drew the attention Of Albert
Sutro, who is q great lover OF ancient
literature. 1t is a chronology, history
OF the world, written in Hebrew, begin
ming with Adam to the year 1862 A. D.,
and published in Frankfort-on-the-Ma
IN 1886. The title of the book is "Zemach
David, or Branch of David" The author
is David Cans. In the preface he quotes
the authors from whom he has drawn, and
he also says that he has had access to
sources unknown to other historians. A
learned Oriental scholar who visited the
library several years ago remarked that he
had seen this book, ''Zemach David" b"
mentioned in a publication connected with
the Vatican library.
The high Importance of some passages
in this book caused Mr.. Sutro to enter into
a correspondence with the Vatican at
Rome Editions OF later dates, which are
a historical continuation of the original
work 90 not contain some of the facts
which are given in the first and second
original editions. 1t Is supposed that few
OF the latter are in existence. Christ's
birth at Bethlehem, Judea, is stated in
this book as l \. D., corresponding TO the
wear 376l of the creation, the fOrtv-second
year OF the reign of the Roman Emperor
Augustus, and am ong the various opinions
concerning the date this is the accepted
one and il was contemporaneOus as given
in the text with the time In which lived
Rabbi Simeon, the son OF Rabbi killel and
Rabbi Jochanan, the son OF Rabbi Saccai.
According to another source in the text,
named the Book OF GenealOgy." on page
u, the earlier date, 3671, is given as
Christ's birth, difference OF ninety years
between the two dates 376l and 367l; and
vet; according to a very old writ
ing mentioned in the passage, his
birth was fifty-three years earlier than
the last given date, 3671, which would
bring it down to the year 3618 altogether
difference of 143 years between the &C
~Cepted date, 3761. and the aforementioned
one 361S. In reference to the last differ
erenCe Of 50 years the text is interesting.
1t saws that discussion took place be-
tween his Holiness the Pope and Don
Vidal concerning the following words in
the passage upon which this difference of
So years is based as follows: Know thou,
further, that l have found written in an
old very old writing at the house of nv
brother III = law, Abraham Nurtum, of
blessed memory, as follows: In the year
1924 the Christ was captured, and in the
year 1892 be was cruclfed, ETC., etc. In
asmuch as these two events took place
within twenty-four hours, it follows that
these two dates, 1924 and 1892, are one and
the same year, and this is explained in
this passage by moon calculation or
lunation unknown to-day. a well-known
astronomer OF this City told Mr. Sutro
that this moon calculation would not be
found n any astronomical work, bat he
would investigate it and make known the
result. To those readers of this journal
who occupy themselves with the science of
astronomy it would, no doubt, be very in
teresting
Kindly advised by Rev Father Antony
Maraschi S. j., at the time, Mr. Sutro
wrote to the late Eminence Cardinal John
Baptist Pitra, deacon to his Holiness the
Pope and librarian of the Roman Apostolic
Church, that it might be Of great impor-
tance If the special writings mentioned in
the above extracts could be found in the
Vatican library or elsewhere, as more LIGHT
would be thrown on the events of fha
period Of Christ. Concerning the Apostles
ST. Paul and st. Peter, the text places
them in the year GA A. D., 1924 OF the
creation, and says: In terrible persecu-
tion under the Emperor Nero, against the
Christians, Paups bead was cut off, and
Petrus, the learned Christian teacher, the
first Pope, was cruciied. According to
this passage Peter was in Rome. His
Holiness the Pope rests his dignity as
apostolic successor on the presence of st.
Peter at Rome. a further research in con-
ncction with the above extract might, 1t
was felt tend TO harmonic the various
opinions in regard to the presence of st.
Peter and his laborers in Rome. In the
second persecution, 90 A.D., 1856 of the
CREATION under the Emperor Demetrius, st.
John was thrown into seething oil, Chris
tians killed by terrible tortures and their
property contiscated.
In letter dated March 5, 1888, the above
matters were communicated TO the late
Eminence Cardinal Pitra, and on the 24th
OF the same month these three extracts,
with the title page of the book, were sent
TO his Eminence, but no other book or
manuscript was transmitted. Every facil-
ity for examination in the Sutro library
was extended.
In the answer received through the