INTERESTING DISCOVERY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1240, 23 September 1911, Page 6

INTERESTING DISCOVERY.

A TENTH CENTURY MANUSCRIPT. By Toleeraph—Press Association— Copyright Berlin, September 21. Dr. Adolf Harnack, Professor of. Theology and General Director of the Royal Library, Berlin, announces tho discovery of a tenth century manuscript of the first fourteen chapters of the Book of Revelation. with a commentary by Origen.

Professor Harnack is one of tho greatest living authorities on New Testament Criticism and tho early history of the Christian Church. _ The discovery of a commentary by Origen, ono_ of tho most brilliant and courageous thinkers of tho early Church, on tho Book of Revelation, should havo an important bearing on the interpretation .of that book, which is still one of the unsolved problems of biblical scholarship. . _ i 'Origen-was. born'.in 183 A.D. His father (who suffered martyrdom) gavo him a good education. Whilo -still a youth ho became a teacher of Greek literature, but Boon abandoned this !work in order to devote himself completely to sacred studies','and at-the early'age of eighteen ho succeeded Clement as head of tho famous- Catechetical School of Alexandria. He possessed the power of arousing the enthusiasm of his pupils, his great him .being to interpret in tho light of Christianity all that ,was valuable in the old philosophies- It is stated that Origen himself attended the School of Ammonius Saccas, tho great Neo-Platonist, in order to keep himself abreast of tho best Pagan. philosophy. Ho left most of tho work of the Catechetical School to his colleague Heraclas, and devoted himself to a commentary on St. John, and to his bold philosophical -wor!:' on "Fh-st Principles." Under tho persecution of Dccius he was selected for torture and a cruel imprisonment, which hastened his end. .He died at Tyro in 253 A.D., at the ago of 69.