Daily Kennebec journal., 1913-10-27
ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPTS.
Hope Of Finding in ST. Luke,s Own
Handwriting.

Handwriting.
Next to the Holy Land the most
interesting region in the world to
Biblical scholars is the Sinaitie penin-
sula In one respect it is even more
interesting than the Holy Land, for the
wealth of relics and manuscripts
which it contains has hardly been
touched by modern Investigators 81
An important movement has now
been started by the universities,
scholars and religious leaders of
England to conduct a thorough
search of the Monastery of st. Cathe-
rine on Mount Sinai. where it is be-
lieved that the oldest existing Bible
manuscripts are TO be found.
Discoveries already made indicated
with practical certainty that these
manuscripts must be there, but for
peculiar reasons very little progress
has been made in searching for
them During the years 1874. 1853
and 1859 the German scholar Tisch-
endorf spent much time exploring
the monastery library.
The monks were then very simple
and hospitable and quite unfamiliar
with the ways of the outside world.
They allowed Tischendorf to do as
he pleased in the library. He used
this liberty with sturendously profit
able results to himself. He discov-
cred the oldest known Greek manu-
scrip. of the Bible. now known as the
"Codex Sinaiticus' BY some scholars
1t is dated as early as the fourth CEN
tury. and in that case ii is the Oldest
practically complete manuscript of the
Bible. 1t consists of most of the Old
Testament. all the New Testament and
the Epistle of Barnabase''
This wonderful collection of manu-
scripts Tischendorf carried away with
out saying a word to the monks. There
are doubtless collectors today who
wohld give 81 900 GOO for these manu-
scripts When the monks slowly real
lied that they had been robbed of
one of the most precious possessions
in the religious world, they became
very angry. and their anger lasted a
long time.
For years travellers who visited the
out-of-the-wor monastery reported
that the monks were surly and inhos-
pitable. and would not afford a rea-
sonable opportunity for an examina-
ton of their treasures. Many of these
visitors reported that the monks were
ill-using their manuscripts in a deplor-
able manner, using them as stands
for cooking utensils and flower pots.
Finally, in 1894. two brilliant Eng
lishwomen-Mrs Smith Lewis and Mrs.
Gihson-succeeded in winning the con-
fidenee of the monks and secured per-
mission to make an examination or
the library. Their search was richly
rewarded, for they discovered fourth
century palimpsest manuscript of st.
Pauls Gospel in Syriac. This is prob
ably the oldest known Bible manu-
script, for the Tischendorf Codex. even
allowing it the oldest date mentioned,
would barely equal it.
Mrs. Lewis and Mrs. Gibson found
that in order TO put the library in
thorough order and reveal even super
ficially all that it contained would re-
olire the labors of considerable
staff of trained workers. Although the
monks gave facilities to the two wo-
men, they were not willing to ADMIT
any considerable body of investigators
to the monastery. in view of their Dit
ter experience of earlier years
The present movement aims to over
come the objections of the monks III
a friendly manner. The Sinaiuc re-
ninsula is now in Egyptian territory.
When the necessary funds nave peeh
collected the assistance OF the Esyp-
tan authorities will be sought in car
rying on negotiations with the monks.
Among the most precious mahu-
scripts believed to be in the monastery
is the original of the Gospel OF St'
Luke in the handwriting of the Apos-
tie himself This would be incompara-
bly, the most important Bible manu-
script ever discovered. The syrlac
copy of st. Luke's Gospel found py
the two English women and AZ pres
ent constituting the Oldest known ni-
BILE manuscript contains evidence that
/ il was translated from a Greek orlsihal
in the library.
Scholars hold that the origlnai Cos ,s'-
mel of st. Luke was In Greek. Tue
Apostle was a physician OF Greek de-
scent and his gospel gives evidence "
scholarly attainments. Early chron-
cles state that the manuscript Oh o..
Luke's gospel was one OF the treasuaes .le
given to the monastery py !he .,s
peror Justinian in 527 A. D. Tne puilu-
| ing contains numerous represeh.a''uNss 01s
of the Apostle writing ms gospel anu
/ these appear 10 HdNc a N'oS>
ton with the foundation OF the es'ap-
| lishment. ..at,
The library is known 10 eonl s.n
about 500 ancient volumes filieo WIN
manuscripts in Greek, Arabic, syItas
and other languages. As one q .nsse
great volumes may contain nunutems
Of manuscripts. the wealth Oh .ne ~.
bra.y can only be guessed az. Anluns
| its curiosities is a very ancient con-
plete manuscript of the Psalms VIII W..
ten on its leaves in microscope VIII
ing. 80. no,,-
This monastery is the Oldest con
tinuously inhabited building IN INC
world. It was founded by Jnst'hian
in about 527 A. d., and has been 9c-
cupied ever since. 1t IL surronnqeo ~
walls thirty feet high, and DEFENDED ps
cannon, for it was cut OFF rom u'o
ciyilized world for centuries. Until re-
Gently everybody who entered was
hoisted by d rope over these walls.
The earth on which the vegetaoles
Of the monastery are grown was
brought from the Holy Land. lor tnele
:. :,} l., +tn v{n3ptty In the 0r8C