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    The Crucifixion - By an Eye-Witness
    The Crucifixion - By an Eye-Witness
    The Crucifixion - By an Eye-Witness
    Ebook112 pages1 hour

    The Crucifixion - By an Eye-Witness

    By Anon

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    Originally published in 1911, this unusual early works contains a letter, written seven years after the Crucifixion, by a personal friend of Jesus in Jerusalem, to an esseer brother in Alexandria. The English Translation of the ancient Latin copy of the letter was made by a German. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900's and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHall Press
    Release dateDec 1, 2020
    ISBN9781528762106
    The Crucifixion - By an Eye-Witness

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      The Crucifixion - By an Eye-Witness - Anon

      INTRODUCTION

      A brief explanation is due the reader before he proceeds to a perusal of the most interesting Letter which follows the Preface to this little volume.

      The English translation of the ancient Latin copy of the Letter was made by a German. It is evidenced on every page of his translation that he was not sufficiently acquainted with the English language to make a good English translation.

      This suggestion has reference to the literary form of his work as a translator, and not to the substance of the text. There can be no doubt that he has preserved the meaning of the original manuscript with remarkable fidelity.

      But in many places he has made use of English expressions which are crude and quite out of keeping with our present understanding of cultured literary form.

      For this reason I have deemed it advisable to revise his rendition of the text in such manner as somewhat to remove the rough corners of his work, and present to the reader the exact substance of the Ancient Letter in a little better English form.

      In no sense have I changed its meaning, and in many places have refrained from substituting my own method of expression where his rendition is more or less crude and lacking in elegance of diction. My revision of his translation, therefore, is not as complete as it might have been made had his method of expression been discarded entirely.

      My purpose has been to place the exact substance of the Ancient Letter before the reader in such language as to make it entirely intelligible, and at the same time preserve as much of the translator’s own form of expression as possible. I believe I have succeeded.

      No changes whatsoever have been made in the Closing Remarks of the German Translator, nor in Part II. My revision, therefore, is confined entirely to the Letter of the Esseer in which he tells his brethren in Alexandria the true story of the Crucifixion, and gives them the facts and incidents connected therewith, as he witnessed them.

      The following additional facts concerning the German translation may be of interest to the reader in this connection:

      It was published in this country in 1873. For reasons which the intelligent reader will doubtless understand as he proceeds, the book was withdrawn from publication at once upon its appearance. The plates were destroyed, and it was supposed that all the published copies of the book were likewise disposed of.

      Fortunately, however, one copy found its way into the possession of a prominent Mason in the state of Massachusetts. There it remained securely until accidentally discovered by his daughter some time during the early summer of the present year (1907).

      This lady, knowing my interest in things Masonic, kindly sent me the copy for examination. I at once recognized its remarkable nature and supreme value and importance.

      Immediately was started an inquiry through a number of the most prominent book houses and publishing concerns, to ascertain if other copies of the little book could be found. At the same time inquiry was made to ascertain if the official copies of the book were still on file in the Congressional Library.

      To my surprise, not another copy of the book can be found, after some four months of diligent search.

      The most remarkable phase of the matter seems to be, that the official copies which were deposited with the Librarian of Congress, in compliance with the Law of Copyrights, have also disappeared.: At any rate, in reply to inquiry, the report comes back that no such book is to be found in the Congressional Library.

      If this be true, it would then appear that the copy from which the following revision was made is, without doubt, the only copy in existence.

      To be sure, the Latin MS., from which the translation into English was made, is still in existence, and is in the hands of the Masonic Fraternity in Germany, where, no doubt, it will remain securely guarded from Anti-Masonic vandalism.

      The vital nature of the document cannot fail to impress itself upon the intelligent reader and student of religious history. And it is sincerely to be hoped that it will not suffer another eclipse.

      TK, Author of The Great Work. Chicago, November, 1907.

      PREFACE

      A member of the Abyssinian Mercantile Company discovered in Alexandria an ancient house, formerly occupied by Grecian friars, in whose library—to oblivion abandoned—was found an old parchment. A French literate, accidentally present, at once commenced deciphering it; but a missionary, in the ardor of fanatical orthodoxy, tried by all means to destroy the antique document. But the efforts of the Jesuit missionary do not seem to have been successful, as a copy of the Latin original was written, which copy, through the Freemasons, found its way into Germany.

      It has been proved from the archeological discoveries made on the spot, that the house where the parchment was found was owned and occupied by the Order of Esseens. Further, that the document found was the only remains of literature from the once well-filled library of this scientific and religious Order or Brotherhood.

      The French literate, who first conceived the importance and historical worth of the manuscript, tried hard to enrich the French Academy with the original, but, owing to the intrigues of the Jesuit mission in Egypt (bent on destroying a document so detrimental to their doctrine), he was not successful; although it was preserved principally through the interference of influential Abyssinian merchants and Pythagorical Societies, from whom the copy above spoken of came into the possession of the modern institution of Freemasons, and a society in Germany now possesses, without doubt, the only copy in existence.

      As regards the discovered antique document, it consisted of a letter which the so-called Terapeut (the elder), the highest esteemed member of the Brotherhood, had written to his brethren in Alexandria, in the name of the Brotherhood in Jerusalem. This letter was written by him only a few years after the death of Jesus, giving a full description of the life, doctrine and death of Jesus, who the letter proves to have belonged to and been a member of their Brotherhood.

      Rumors of his miracles, and finally of his martyrdom, had also reached Alexandria, and as the brethren there had a conviction that he was their brother, preached their doctrines, used their sign of recognition, and lived in accordance with their rules, they manifested a desire to be informed on the subject, as to the real truth of the matter.

      To obtain this information, their leader, or Terapeut, had written a letter to his colleague in Jerusalem, who in reply wrote the letter from which we obtain a clear and truthful account of this important and interesting subject. It is a fact, which never has been doubted by those familiar with ancient history, that the Esseers always spoke and wrote the strictest truth; and this, added to their moral and scientific lives, puts an end to any doubt as to the correctness and genuineness of the information given in the ancient discovered letter.

      Although not at first organized among the Jews, this Order existed already in the days of the Maccabai; and with them it assumed more of a national outward form, at the same time maintaining most of the ancient pythagoræical doctrines. Most of the members were agriculturists and gardeners, and assembled together to promote virtue and wisdom among themselves. Furthermore, they devoted themselves, especially in the higher degrees, to the art of healing, induced thereto through their studies of nature and art, and were well acquainted with the effects of most then known plants and minerals for recruiting the human system. This knowledge they made useful by healing and comforting the sick.

      They were true communists, and all put their gains into the common treasury. Before sunrise they never spoke to each other of earthly matters, but met in prayer at break of day. Having taken their morning meal and put on a peculiar kind of working clothes, they proceeded to their place of work. At noon they again came together, and, having washed their hands and feet and dressed themselves in clean white robes, they ate their dinner together.

      According to their moral standing and ability, they were divided into four classes or degrees. In the first degree were especially adopted children (the Esseens hardly ever married), but in case an adult wished to be admitted into their Order, it was necessary to go through a very severe moral trial for the term of three years.

      It was strictly prohibited for a member of high degree to divulge any of the secrets of his degree to any of lower rank.

      The punishment for such a trespass was expulsion from the Brotherhood. Nothing but a strictly moral life, wisdom, godliness, and excellency in science,

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