The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-03-23
The Letter of Lentulus and the Personal
Appearance of Christ.

An inquiring reader Of metropolitan
daily lately asked whether any anthem
tic description of the physical character
istics of Christ has come down to US. In
answer, the New York Times printed
without comment the following we'll
known letter said to have been written
10 the Roman Senate by Publius Lentu-
lus, President of the People of Judea
in the reign of Tiberius Caesar;
There lives at this time in Judea a
man of singular virtue, whose name is
Jesus Christ, whom the barbarians es-
TEEN a prophet, but his followers love
and adore him as the offspring of the
immortal God. He calls back the dead
from their graves, and heals all sorts of
diseases with a word a touch. He is
a tall man and well shaped, of an anna
BILE and reverend aspect: his hair of a
color that can hardly be matched. fall
ing into graceful curls, waving about,
and very agreeably COUGHING upon his
shoulders, parted on the crown of the
head, running as a stream to the front,
after the fashion of the Nazartes. His
forehead, high, large, and imposing; his
cheeks without spot or wrinkle, beaut-
full with a lovely red. His nose and
mouth forming with exquisite symmetry.
His beard thick, and of a color suitable
to his hair. reaching below his chin, and
parting in the middle like a fork. His
eyes bright blue, clear, and serene; look
innocent, dignified, manly, and mature.
In proportion of body. most perfect and
captivating. His hands and arms most
delectable to behold. He rebukes with
majesty counsels with mildness; his
whole address, whether in word or deed
being eloquent and grave. No man has
seen him laugh, yet his manners are
exceedingly pleasant; but he has wept
! frequently in the presence of men. He
&c, 20 ND ryiu
for his extraordinary beauty and divin.
perfections SURPRISING the children OF
men in every sense
| Some discussion has been ELECTED by
! this letter. Mr.. Moncure D. Conway, on,
| of the leading radical American student!
of religion, writes as follows in tn,
paper already quoted December 49,:
THE Lentulus letter Is one of tn,
most successful fakes In the history O
religious fraud, because of its beauty
| Rossetti's Head of Christ which ha!
I long been my cherished possession was
L believe, painted under the inspiration
| of this pretty invention, and If the ap
peaTance of Jesus had not been too rigid
ly conventionalized when it was devised
Fifteenth century,. no doubt the pre-
tended letter would have marked its re
! appearances during its five centuries II
other beautiful works, Had it only beel
as artful as it is artistic it would be tn
tan historians might today be defend
ing instead of repudiating its pretensions
The old inventor imprudently put Lentu
lus in a city where no such person eve
was gave him an office that never ex
listed, and made him write abou
Christus Jesus, an appellation un
known during the lifetime of Jesus an
evidently taken from the New Testament
The adventures of the hoax have bee
tracked by Gabler, Herzog. DR.. Robin
son, Schaff. and others, and there is
good summary In McClintock & Strong
Cyclopedia. The original Is given i
this cyclopedia, and those familiar wit
Latin will find 1t amusing and instruct
i've to compare the old letter with wha
it has become at the close Of the nine
teenth century. as quoted in your issu
of December 8. The Son of God (vocan
filium Deb in the first sentence has be
come offspring of the immortal Coo
(more Romanlke), the red beard ha
been suppressed, the Changing and bri
liant eyes are now blue, and a consider
able number of adjectives have bee
added.
Nothing Is more certain to scholar
occupied with Christian history. wha
ever their creeds, than the fact tha
not one scrap or sentence written durin
the lifetime of Jesus. by Jew or Gentil
contains any allusion to Him whateye
all the writings about Him after H
death not one has been traced to a col
temporary
Another writer in The Times gives II
following information about other a
legged descriptions OF Christ:
Another description is found in Il
works of John of Damascus, in Il
eighth century. and a third in the churc
history of Neighbours, fourteenth Gel
fury. Besides these traditions may |
mentioned the two so-called pictures
i. Chrst-that sent by Him to King A
garus and that imprinted on the ham
kerchief of Veronica According to Il
legend, st. Veronica was pious woms
of Jerusalem who when Christ pass,
by her on His way to Golgotha. took c
her head covering and handed Ii to HI
in order that He might wipe the blot
and sweat from His face, and when T
returned the cloth His features had b
come impressed upon 1t. Isn't this Il
first account OF instantaneous photogr
ply on record?"
Still another writer remarks that 81
to this time there has been made no di
covery OF any drawing, painted portra
bas-relief, statue, bust, stamp on col
or written description OF Christ of whit
there Is any truth whatever of its havil
= been done during His life or after II
. death hv a1v one who saw Him viii
: He was alive"