The crucifixion, by an eye-witness; a letter, written seven years after the crucifixion

CONTENTS.
Introduction by T. K. p9
Preface by the Translator p15
Description of Jesus p23
Death- Warrant of Jesus p27

PART I.
Letter from an “Esseer'' in Jerusalem to his Brethren in Alexandria. p31
Closing Remarks of the German Translator p129

PART II.
The Order of the Essees among the Jewish People p151



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 advis-
able 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 An-
cient 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 re-
vision 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 en-
tirely intelligible, and at the same time
preserve as much of the translator's own
form of expression as possible. I believe I
have succeeded. ...