The sun., 1897-12-05
rErRoIrUM 1r wAooAnrrs.
osrieus Cenfrtnatien or the Accuracy ef se-
Called Apocryphni vvrittnEs.

An interesting confirmation Of the accuracy
In practical matters OF what are called tho
apocryphal Scriptures may DO found in u con-
sideration OF the modern usos OF petroleum..
Ono OF the very earliest mentions of this nntu-
raj product Is in tho second chapter OF II. Mac
cabccs, although Hcrodotus is said to have re-
erred TO this rock oil" about 600 years earlier.
Tho fact that no commercial uso OF the oil was
made docs not prove that tho existence Of it
was unknown, for the existence of petroleum
wns known in tho United States for many
years previous to 1859, whom II first became
commercially important. II an cnterprising
people Ike tho Americans allowed tho oil to
lie untested for half century or moro II is no
matter OF wonder that the people of Persia
ignored its presence.
Az all events the account in Apocryphh has
such stamp OF truth about 1t that the con
tempt of the distinguished commentator,
Bishop Waco, seems hardly warranted. The
history of tho Maccabces is contained in five
books, OF which the Protestant churches call
IN. inc nrst Two only apocryphni In book ., chap
a, For when our fathers wcre led into Persia,
iiro Of the altar prlvliy and hid Il in an hollow
place OF q pit without water, where they kopt 1t
sure, SO that the place was unknown to all mon.
Sd hn send SS Of the possS:ty Of those priests that
tbey found no fire, but thick water. ''' ''',' "
o ns be whsn their to arsw Tp
werc laid on, Neemias commanded the priests
upon with the water, When this was done and
was hid in cloud there was q great FIRE kin.
,,"1sdo "Asd tho priest made prayer whs Sd tho
when the ,sacrihce was consumed. Neemias
ha the great eater on at When left s. 70 ss
done there, was kindlcd a, flame, but it was
consumsd by the light that shined, from the
tho priests that were led away had hid the Are
purified the sasrihces herewith. Then tho
King: inciosing the place, made @ 1t holy, after a
this thing naphthar. which is as much as to
say, q. cleansing. but many men called 1t
TO one acquainted with the natural springs
! from which petroleum, flows in the petroleum
TsEons it seems At least probable b that ,tnS thS
| water that brought up petroleum to form, a
naturally produced petroleum. Of the present
, day Is thrown over wood it will, as every PC
producer to make the
great fire that was kindled when the sun came
out from behind the cloud. IT is to be remem,
| bored that the thermometer rises to more than
on the plains Of Persia and that the lighter
|
that temperature. Moreover, the priests
may have used the sun glass, that was not un'
known in those days.
Referring to the use of the word cleansing" in
the quotation above given, the commentator
saws:
thai and 'nophtha.' No word at all near to
any of these forms has the'mcaning of a cleans
Ing in Hebrew. 1t has been coniecturcd that
the original word used was nithhar. which
might perhaps have this meaning but t, n mHT' or
probably the ctymology of the forger OF the let
ter was at fault, and he gave fnnciful ex
PLANTATION Of word whose true meaning was
unknown to him. Naphtha was the name
given by tho Greeks to form Of mineral oi
highly infiammable; and 1t is this Greek tern
which the author of this letter intended Il
use Perhaps he misspet 1t. pcrhnps it wa
corrupted by the copysts. first into 'naphthn,
and then further into 'nephthar.'
OF course, with the modern uses OF benzin
as q cleanser in mind the matter becomes clear
! er; while il to tho mere cleaning properties o
this petroleum product be added the hcalin
properties which the Hebrews always asso
ciate with cleansing, and the long.known cure
effected by petroleum be kept in mind, the &C
curacy. of tho Muccabees historian is confirmc
! beyOnd question.