THE COPTIC BIBLE

Hokitika Guardian, 25 September 1930, Page 2

THE COPTIC BIBLE

A Canadian savant, Dr Samuel Mercer, of the University of Toronto, is on his way to Abyssinia with special photographic apparatus to make conies of certain old Coptic manuscripts in the possession of Ethiopian, monasteries. These manuscripts contain the major part of the Old Testament. They are being photographed because ‘Bible critick have long believed that Vtlie Coptic manuscripts are (from an earlier date than the rare Hebrew manuscripts that are to be found here and there in Europe. Afterwards Dr Mercer is to co-oper-ate with the famous Professor Loegren, of the University of Upsala, in the translation of the documents. S'onre concern is felt as to whether the. Canadian scientist will be permitted to See the originals in tbe monasteries of A.bbis Abbe bar If the Abissinians ill their homeland are anything like the Abyssinian monks anil [.priests in Jerusalem there need lx? no apprehension on the subject at all. iln the Holy City, too, important manuscripts are kept in the Coptic monastery on the roof of the Holy Sepulchre Church. On a Visit to the Jerusalem monastery last year I was permitted to inspect the meet precious of them, which show the painstaking work and the devotion of the copyists of Abbis Abbeba, writes a correspondent. Although verbal communication between myself and the neerro clergyman was virtually impossible, we still got on very well together. I was invited to their church on a Sunday morning, and, to my ■intense surprise, wa,s given a. scat next to the Patriarch himself. In the course of the primitive but beautiful service the Patriarch took off his magnificent green dalmatica and placed it around my shoulders. Then for a moment I was asked to hold a sacred relic in my hands. Realising the significance of this invitation and its traditional value, I entered wholly into his touching gestures symbolical of Christian brotherhood. Then the monks intoned a “Te Deum” in the musical 'language of the Queen cf Sheba. The Greeks told me later that nobody ever goes to seo the Aby ssinians, that they are really savage, uncultured people. I cannot believe it. They treated me royally, and I will always guard a happy souvenir of my visit to those black brethren.