The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-05-04
FROM CHRIST TO EBGARUs.
AUTHENTICITY OF ANCIENT LET
TIERS RECENTLY ESTABLISHED.

A Doric Inspiration, Found on Pal
nee Gateway in Ephesus, Seems 10
SusStantirte the Genuineness of
Letters. Copies of which HnSse
Been in Existence for Centuries.
The Letters Passed Between Our
Savior and AgrirDn, or AbEnrus,
as He Is Called in Them-A Savnn-
nah Lady Has Copies of the Old
Lctters-IdcnticaI with the Trans
Iations of the NewIy-FOund In
scription.
The New York newspapers have recently
contained accounts of the discovery, upon
the gateway of an old palace at Ephesus,
Of a Doric Inscription, containing copies
of Two letters, one from King Agrlppa TO
the Savior, the second Chrises answer to
the potenttate's appeal for assistance.
The discovery is taken 10 prove the au-
thenticity of this correspondence, allud-
ed to by Eusebius in the fourth century,
between Christ and King Agrippa. The
letters have passed down the ages, and
copies of them are preserved in many
Christian homes to-day, where the faithful
hold them in all loving reverence and es-
teen, deeminge their possession a potent
preventive of evil, iil-health and disease.
The copies, some of them, are as old as
the hills. but until the recent discovery
of the inscription on the gateway at Ephe-
sus, the capital of King Agrippa, they
were believed by the many to be wholly
epocryphaL The discovery was made by
Prof. Bohrman- of the Vienna University
II may be that it VIII throw new light
upon religious history. The inscription is
said by competent scholars, who have
passed upon it, TO be undoubtedly genuine
and of the proper degree Of antiquity.
However this may be it is certain that
the translations of the inscription that
have been made within the last few weeks
correspond with the English version of
the letters, that has been preserved in
this country for more than century, and
In tie Old World for a very much longer
me. The inscription newly discovered has
nothing to do with these copies of the
letters and its identity with them Is in
TIE highest degree remarkable.
One of those who have for number of
years had a copy of these good luck"
letters is Miss Margaret Purvis, of NO 800
Henry street, west. The copy was made
for her ten years ago from one very
much older and she has preserved il re-
good fortune supposed to attach 10 its
possession. it has not been for the want
OF faith, that is at once tender, beautl-
full and confiding, in It's entire efficacy.
Miss Purvis talked interestingly of the
letter and the tradition to a Morning News
reporter last night She said that after
she had had her copy of the letters for
several years, SIZE had mentioned the fact
casually to lady with whom she chanc-
ed to be speaking. The latter told her
that she had a copy of the letters. that
had been brought from England by, her
grandfather more than century ago,
kept by him when he settled IN North
Carolina until the time of his death, then
handed down through successive genera
ons of the family until it came into the
hanes of its then possessor.
Anxious to discover whether or not
there were differences between this old
letter or copy and the one that she pos
sesssd, M SIS PurVis compared them dill
gently and found them to be Identical
This letter was in itself curious docu-
ment, being written ia the quaint chi
rography and with the antique spelling
o c injury agone. If 1t is still in ex-
istence il must be more than a hundred
and five years old
With some hesitation and on the under
standing that she was to be held absolved
from all blame for its publication, which
she could not help considering not alto
gether proper. because of its sacred char
acter, Miss Purvis a last reluctantly con-
scented 10 give the Morning News a COPY
of the letters.
In the copy thus obtained there are three
letters instead of the two recently dis
covered, the two latter of the three beina
practically Identical with those contained
In the Inscription Prof. Bohrman found at
Ephesus The first of the three is a Sc
ries of exhortations, Commanding faith.
iastlng, abstinence, the observance of the
LORDS day. land the Christian virtues gem
orally. These eXhortations are addressed
apparently to those into whose hands
copies of the letter shall fall This letter
contains also the promise of the Divine
countenance and blessing to those who
shall keep the letters and have faith In
their efi1cacy. Upon these of the faithful
the favor of the Almighty shall descend
and to them "the sings and arrows of
outrageous fortune be but as The leaves
that are whirled about in the path of the
autumn wind
In the letters Agrippa bears the name
OF Abgarus. The second of the series is
from him TO the Savior and is as follows.
II have heard of Thee and the cures
wrought by Thee without herbs or nedi-
cines, for II is reported that Thou restor-
eth sight to the blind, maketh the lame 20
walk waketh the dead and restoreth 10
health all those that are tormented vitb
disease of long continuance Having heard
all this of Thee, l was fully persuaded 10
believe one of these two things, either
that Thou art the very God and cometh
down from heaven or the very Son of God
and performeth them.
Wherefore have sent Thee few lines
entreadng Thee to come hither ard c1Ira
my diseases. Besides. having heard thai
the Jews murmur against Thee and con-
tinue 20 do Thee mischief, invite Thee to
my city, which is but little indeed. but ex-
ceedingly beautiful, sufficient TO entertain
us both"
The letter of the Lord to that of Alb
garus, containing so much of faith and
trusting confidence in His power to heal.
is as follows:
Blessed art thou, Abgarus, believing
Me whom thou hast not seen, for il is