Evening journal., 1898-01-13
PETROLEUM IN MAocABEEs.
Curious Confirmation of the Accuracy
% Called AnncrrnhnI NNrIfInca-

Curious Confirmation or the Accuracy
of so-Cnlled Apocryphal Writings.
An interesting confirmation of the
accuracy in practical mattors of what
are called the apocryphal Scriptures
may be found in a consideration of the
modern use of petroleum. One of the
very earliest mentions of this natural
produce is in the second chapter of IL.
Maccabees, although Herodotus is said
to have referred to this crock oil' about
200 years earlier. The fact that COM
mercial use of the oil was made does
not prove that the existence of 1t was
unknown, for the existence OF petro-
leum was known in the United States
for many years previous to 1859, when
it firstbecame commercially important.
If an enterprislng people like the Amer
loans allowed the oil to lie untested for
half a century or more it is no matter
Of wonder that the people of Persia
ignored its presence.
At all events the account in Apocry-
pha has such a stamp of truth about it
that the contempt of the distinguished
commentator, Bishop WAGE, seems
hardly warranted. The history of the
NIaccabees is contained in five books, Of
which the Protestant churches call the
first two only apocryphal. In book 2,
chapter 1, verse 10, we read:
"For when our fathers were led into
Persia, the priests that were then de-
vout, took the fire Of the altar privily
and hid it in an hollow place of a pit
without water, where they kept it sure,
so that the place was unknown to all
men. Now after many years, when it
pleased God, Neemias, being sent from
the king of Persia, did send of the pos
terity of those priests that had hid it to
the fire; but when they told US they
found no fire, but thick water.
"Then commanded he them to draw
it up and to bring it; and when their
sacrifices were laid on, Neemias com
manded the priests tosprinlSle the wood
and the things laid thereupon with the
water. When this was done and the
time came that the sun shone, which
afore was hid in cloud, there was a
great fire kindled, so that every man
marvelled.
"And the priest made a prayer while
the sacrifice was consuming.
Now, when the sacrifice was consumed,
Neemias commanded the water that
was left to be poured on the great
stones. When this was done there was
. l0indled a flame, but it was consumed
by the light that shined, from the altar
So when this matter was known it was
told the king of Persia, that in the plac,
/ u h. haf 1n1
had hid the fire there appeared water
and that Neemias had purified the sac
rifces Herewith. Then the king, in
closing the place, made it holy, after h'
had tried the matter. And Neemial
called this thing naphthar, which is a
much as to say, a cleansing, but man,
men called it nephi."
To one acquainted with the natura
springs from which petroleum flows Il
: | the petroleum regions, it seems at leas
: probable that the "thick water" founl
/, where the fire had been hid by tn,
priests was petroleum, or a spring o
water that brought up petroleum e
form o thick scum over the pool. Fo
when the naturally produced petroleum
Of the present day is thrown over WOO
it will, as every petroleum produce
knows, serve to make the wood bur
more fiercely. And then, as to the grea
! fire that was ldndled when the sun cam
out from behind the cloud it is to be re
membered that the thermometer rise
10 more than 14O degrees Fahrenhei
in the direct rays of the sun ON tn
plains Of Persia, and that the lighte
, parts Of crude petroleum are infammS
I. bic at that temperature. Moreover, tn
priests may have used the sun glas
/. that was not unknown in those days.
Referring to the use of the wor
cleansing" in the quotation aboy
given, the commentator says;
"The MSS. vary between 'nepthar
'nephthai,' and 'nephtha.' No word q
e all near to any Of these forms has th
meaning of "a cleansing in Hebrew.
W has been conjectured that the origin'
Is word used was nithhar, which migl
Z perhaps have this meaning; but mol
II probably the etymology of the forge
~ of the letter was at fault, and he gay
~ q fanciful explanation Of a word who's
y true meaning was unknown TO hir
10 Naphtha was the name given by II
- Greeks to form of mineral oil produce
~ in many parts of Persia, which WI
., highly inhammable; and is this Gree
~ term which the author Of this letter il
y, tended to use. Perhaps he misspelt
~ or perhaps it was corrupted by Il
copyists, first into 'naphtha,' and the
further into 'nephthar.'
le Of course, with the modern uses
benzine as q cleanser in mind the ma
ter becomes clearer; while to the me
~ ~ cleaning properties of this petroleu
- product be added the healing properti
which the Hebrews always associa
u with cleansing, ard the long-lSnov
~ cures effected by petroleum be kept
~ mind, the accuracy Of the Maccabe
- historian is confirmed beyond questio
10 N. Y. Sun.
Military Marches.
~ In military music the march occupi
to O. prominent position, and has been ei