The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1901-01-07
Curious early
CHRISTIAN
Documents

1T IS only a few years since the
civilized world was astonished 10
learn that under the drifting sands
Of the I1byan desert Messrs. Bren-
Zen and HUNT, the noted Egyptoio-
gists. had discovered curious old
papyn which. upon examination. was
found 70 contain genuine and hitherto
unkcoWn words OF the Savior These
New Words OF Christ" have since taken
their place among the recognised sayings
Of the master
True. they were only four In number
But It Is sufficiently surprising that At
this late date In the Christian era au-
thentic recorded utterances Of Christ
should be found 70 which no reference
had been made IN the gospel writings
Now following this astonishing disoov-
cry Messrs. GrenfeH and Hunt have
brought 10 light many early Christian
documents, more than one Of which
throws a new light upon Important parts
Of the Scriptures These old papyri have
been found IN Egypt during the last three
years and are now published for the first
time.
When Messrs. Grenfell and Hunt left
England to make explorations IN Egypt
they bore a commission from Lord Am
herst 70 procure manuscripts for his col
lection az sidhngton Han. Norfolk With
the documents which the explorers have
now turned over to him Lord Amherst's
collection is one OF the most notable in
existence. The Oxford University Press
has Just issued a translation OF the
newly found papyri under the title ''The
Amherst Papyr"
The most interesting. perhaps. Of an
these torn papyri Is a hymn which can
not be later than 800 A. d. The charac-
ter Of the writing and other Indications
* age point TO the distant date. sixteen
centuries ago. and Il Is indeed almost
marvellous that the Christian OF to-day.
singing his melodious praises in English.
French or German can read the very
words which lifted uD the souls Of the
early Christians on the wings OF devo-
ton IN far on Egypt We may not see
how this was sung. for unfortunately
the music has not been found The same
Is true Of the psalms. which were the
hymn book Of the Second Temple at
Jerusalem
And this Greek hymn Is not FAR re-
moved IN spirit from some OF the old
Hebrew psalms. which II resembles strik-
ingly In structure As every one who
reads the Bible in the original knows.
there are several OF the psalms which
are written in acrostic FORM each verse
beginning with the letters Of the alpha
bet in rotation This Greek hymn Is
written In the same acrostic fashion.
for while the first line Is defective. 50
that the word beginning with Alpha Is
lost, the next begins with Beta and thu
third with Gamma, etc. In the Bible
We find psalms built on a similar alpha
bette plan, and Psalm cxix. has seven
verses beginning with each letter OF the
alphabet In succession. This, OF course.
cannot be seen In the English version.
The fact Of this resemblance "a an inn
portant one, pointing to the early date
at which the hymn was composed. when
the early Christians still read their Old
Testament IN Hebrew and initiated its
psalms, even IN form. though In tho
Greek tongue
The Theoretical tendency Of the hvmn
and its Biblical verbisase, reminding the
reader Of 80 many passages familiar to
him. adds to the interest IN this fraR-
ment from the long ago. 50 miraculously
preserved in the dry sands Of Egypt.
says the New York Herald. Christian
scholars have long wished to examine
the sites Of Christian churches in Erypt.
knowing. as they did. that many len
Palestine and went TO Egypt Immediately
after the Crucihxion, and that there
must be many remains OF great interest
still buried IN the sand
The discovery OF the Logia and Of this
hymn, besides papyri containing portions
Of the Bible or other Christian docn-
ments has confirmed this theory. II Is
not assuming too much 20 hold that In
this hymn we have one OF those SONGS
with which the chapels Of the Catacomba
at Rome resounded for the connection
between the Christians Of Egypt and
Rome at this early date was a
most intimate one. While fleeing from
their prosecutors, hiding in underground
passages and coming at last to the chap
els. which they had followed out with
such infinite patience. these were the
very sylables which were chanted by
the poor trembling slaves. The hymn
was probably chanted. rather than sung
to any air, like our modern hymns for
the lines in the Greek would lend them
selves rather to this mode Of singing
than TO the more modern style.
That we Of the nineteenth century
should md the words Of this hymn IS
far more wonderful than the preservation
Of the New Testament itself. for there
was no care exercised in its preservation.
and only the happy accident that made
some devout worshipper write Il down
and permitted Il to he undisturbed for
centuries IN some dry spot has given
us the chance Of seeing exactly what
the first Christians sang IN praise at
their services. The thought and the
theological ideas contained IN this hymn
must arouse considerable interest not
only among scolars. but among the peo-
pie who would Ike to know how the
irst Christians thought, sung and wor.
shipped