#ancient book

by Matti Friedman

The little book may have been kept by a Jewish family in Bamiyan, the curator suggested, with different people adding new texts as the years passed. The hands of at least five scribes are evident in the pages. They were influenced by ideas and writing coming from both major Jewish centers of the time—Babylon, which is modern-day Iraq, and the Land of Israel, where Jewish sovereignty had been lost seven centuries before and whose people were now under Islamic rule.

The previously unknown poem shows the influence of a familiar biblical text, the erotic Song of Songs, according to Professor Shulamit Elizur of the Hebrew University, the member of the research team in charge of the poem’s analysis.  But it also shows the impact of an esoteric Jewish book that wasn’t part of the Bible, known as the Apocalypse of Zerubbabel. This book is thought to have originated in the early 600s, when a brutal war between Byzantium and the Sasanian empire of Persia generated desperate messianic hopes among many Jews. Whoever wrote the poem in the Afghan prayer book had clearly read the Apocalypse, Elizur said—giving us a glimpse of a Jewish spiritual world both familiar and foreign to the coreligionists of the Bamiyan Jews in our own times, 1,300 years later. The previously unknown poem shows the influence of a familiar biblical text, the erotic Song of Songs, according to Professor Shulamit Elizur of the Hebrew University. (Museum of the Bible)

Chapters of the book’s journey from Afghanistan to Washington are unclear—some because they’re simply unknown even to the experts, and others because that’s the way the people in the murky manuscript market often prefer it.  

When the book was discovered by the Hazara militiaman, according to Hepler, the tribesmen didn’t know exactly what it was but understood it was Jewish and assumed it was sacred. The local leader had it wrapped in cloth and preserved in a special box. At one point in the late 1990s, it seems to have been offered unsuccessfully for sale in Dallas, Texas, though it’s unclear if the book itself actually left Afghanistan at the time. 

After the al-Qaeda attacks of 9/11 triggered the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, the book disappeared for about a decade. In 2012 it resurfaced in London, where it was photographed by the collector and dealer Lenny Wolfe. 

Any story about Afghan manuscripts ends up leading to Wolfe, an Israeli born in Glasgow, Scotland. I went to see him at his office in Jerusalem, an Ottoman-era basement where the tables and couches are cluttered with ancient Greek flasks and Hebrew coins minted in the Jewish revolt against Rome in the 130s CE. It was Wolfe who helped facilitate the sale of the larger Afghan collection to Israel’s National Library. “The Afghan documents are fascinating,” he told me, “because they give us a window into Jewish life on the very edge of the Jewish world, on the border with China.” 

When Wolfe encountered the little prayer book, he told me it had already been on the London market for several years without finding a buyer. In 2012, the year he photographed the book, he said it was offered to him at a price of $120,000 by two sellers, one Arab and the other Persian. But the Israeli institution he hoped would buy the book turned it down, he told me, so the sale never happened. Not long afterwards, according to his account, he heard that buyers representing the Green family had paid $2.5 million. When I asked what explained the difference in price, he answered, “greed,” and wouldn’t say more. (Hepler of the Museum of the Bible wouldn’t divulge the purchase price or the estimated value of the manuscript, but said Wolfe’s figure was “wrong.”)

As all lessons were over, students rushed away from school wherever they can: back home, to the cafe or restaurant or just meet with friends. Depending on what lesson was the last, students can get out still energetic or super exhausted. In our group’s case the literature was the last lesson, and the hometask they received was not something everyone would like - an essay writing of the book they have read. 

Pierce: Ugh, I hate writing this shit. Not only I’m not that big fan of reading, but also the books I read are not suitable for the school program!

Elza; By books you mean comics?

Pierce: They have cool and epic pictures on them. 

Hugo: It’s true, but books are cool to read too. Tho I can agree that sometimes school program has a “weird” collection of books.

Pierce: That’s true. 

Monika: Good thing is that Mr. McKelin said that we can choose any book for this task as long as it’s appropriate for the theme “myths and legends”. 

April: Yep, it can be different kinds of them. Do urban legends count?

Elza: No, they’re usually spoken by people who either like to cause panic or by adults that try to teach kids not to stay late outside. Even if they were in written form, it’s mostly on newspaper articles.

Pierce: But doesn’t it give kids more curiousity? Like wouldn’t they like to go and investigate if it’s true?

Elza: Even if I was super duper curious, I would not dare to take a step on dirty and stinky places.

Hugo: Knowing how you care about your beauty so much, I would not be surpirsed~

Elza’s expression changed to disgusting one, which made the group giggle a bit. While they were walking along the street back to their homes, April noticed a little bookshop that was opened recently. On the shelves a couple of books stood with various themes and genres.

April: Hey, I haven’t seen this shop before. Did it open recently?

Monika: Couple of days ago, if I remember. You want to check it out?

April: Well, yeah, if it’s okay for you, guys.

Hugo: No problem at all. We can also see if there is anything interesting for us to buy and read. Who knows, maybe they have what we need.

Pierce: Hope the books there are not super boring.

Elza: Maybe kids books are good for you~

Pierce: Hey!

She giggled as the group entered the shop. The aesthetic of this place reminded them of an old library at school, or rather its archive room, just more clean and nicer. Seemed like the owner cared about their workplace, even the books were in order, not mixed in a rush, like with magazines that students take and just throw back at its place after they’re finished reading it. As it was a new place, there were not so many books to look at, no matter how interesting and intriguing the titles and description were. 

The shop owner: Welcome to the “Sharp Feather pen”. How can I help you?

Hugo: Hello, we would like some books with different myths and legends. Preferably in a form of collection.

The shop owner: Okay, let me see if we have them.

The owner went to the backroom to check on books. While April and Hugo waited for the owner, Pierce, Elza and Monika were walking around, admiring the place. Their eyes sparkeld with excitement, couldn’t lock on something one to read.

Monika: They even have mangas here? That’s a surpirse. It’s mostly in big supermarkets. 

Pierce: I know, right? Better remember this place to go after school.

Elza didn’t say anything wile observing what magazines they had for this moment. Couple of minutes later, the owner came back with the stack of books, one of them tho was moved away from the stack.

The shop owner: Here you go, take your time and ring the bell once you’ve chosen the one you need.

April: Thank you so much.

When the owner went back to his business, Hugo and April began to look through the books.

Hugo: Shall we call others?

April: Let’s look at them first, then we can ask their opinion about it. 

Hugo: Fair enough. Okay, let’s see....Ancient East Legends....Greek mythology.....I like greek mythology, actually. They can be hilarious sometimes.

April: Really? I thought they’re more bloody and stuff.

Hugo: True, but there are some of them that logically doesn’t have any sense, but as a myth it can work, because at that time how would you prove that it was real?

April: Yeah, you’re right. Wait...Hugo, check this out.

She pulls out a book, covered with gothic symbols and text that seemed like written in ancient latin. The color signaled the group that the content of it can be not for sensitive people, and the smell was so edgy like it was lying in the basement for centuries, if not more. 

Hugo: What the hell? How did it get here?

April: I don’t know. It looks like it should be belong to the museum or something.

Hugo: Can you read what it says?

April: It looks like ancient latin.

Hugo: Spooky. Maybe we should call others.

While they were examine this book, Monika, Pierce and Elza joined them.

Elza: Hey, guys, what did you fi- What the hell is that smell??

Monika: Smells like someone hasn’t cleaned its house since middle ages.

Pierce: Ewww, how can they sell something like this??

The shop owner: Oh, excuse me, it’s my bad, i will remove it quickly.

Hugo: Wait, hold on. We would like to know more about this book, if it’s okay.

April: Do you know where did you get it? Or better how did it get here? Was it from the museum? Do you know the author of this book? What is written in it?

The shop owner: I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you much about it. We got it recently, so we don’t know much, nor who wrote it. The boss just said to sell them all and that’s it. I tried to suggest it to other customers, but everytime I do, visitors will say that it gives them “anxious vibes” or”vibes of a curse”. The smell doesn’t help it, but I didn’t want to water the pages, so I left it like this. I also can’t tell the content of it as I don’t understand the language of the cover.

Elza: I see....Let me read it.

She grabs the book, shivering a bit from the touch of it as the smell made her feel sick. Everyone were so surpirsed as they were sure she is one of those, who can’t learn even the basic words of different languages. Putting herself together, she managed to read the title and the description.

Elza: “Legends of Okarinas and Feritas, angels and demons. The truth hidden by the blind eye. Something that even God himself won’t tell. Only those who are determined, the pages of this book will be open to you”.

April: Uuuuuhhhh, why does it sound so spooky? Like indeed a curse or something.

Pierce: You can read Latin???

Elza: Hey, I’m not super knowledgeable at it, just some words were familiar. Besides, my mother is a doctor, so thanks to her “boring” books I could learn some stuff.

Monika: Oh, right, I forgot about that.

Elza opened the book to look at the pages while April was holding Hugo’s arm and Pierce was close to Monika. The shop owner got anxious too after hearing the title and description.

Elza: Surprisingly there is a Latin text and the translation to English. Good to know. Hmm....there are mostly legends about some angels and demons.

Hugo: Really? Weren’t they written in a bible or something?

Elza: Here is a different version of story telling, like another point of view. 

She read more, until the title of one legend stopped her. Her eyes were wide from the surprise, which made the group to take a pick of what she saw. The shop owner also looked at the page too.

Elza: “Divine War”? I haven’t heard about it before. Neither before our new teacher appeared, nor after.

April: Is it the one where it tells about the fall of the archangel Lucifer?

Monika: Could be, but there would be another title for it, I think.

Elza: Yes, plus check this out: “And the world was covered in darkness, accompanied by scarlet clouds and bloody rains. Sounds of blades could be heard from the sky, screams of agony echoed in any corner of the planet, skulls of millions of people could be visible on the mountain, almost covering it, or even being like the one. Until suddenly, the curtain of clouds opened and in front of humanity stood the creation of chaos and violence - red wing angel called Nephilim”. 

Everyone felt the cold running on their spines, leaning close to each other in fear, trembling. Elza, noticing how everyone were scared, quickly closed the book before taking a breath. 

The shop owner: What the hell is this book??? I know that legends can be scary, but that much??? Good that I didn’t put the price on it!!

April: I’m more wonder who this Nephilim is. In my family we sure heard about angels and demons and stuff, but more basic.

Monika: I have read once that it’s a child of human and angel. In more modern variant, a child of angel and demon. 

Pierce: Wait, for real??? Aren’t they like....against each other?

Hugo: Well firstly, there is no prove yet that they exist. Second, it’s all just myths and legends, which can’t be proved now. I suggest to calm down and think about it as a scary story for camping.

April: You’re right, but....I have a feeling that it somehow can be real.

Elza: I’m with Hugo, let’s not overthink about it. We’re here to choose the book for our essays, right?

Pierce: Hmmm, you’re right. Tho after that paragraph you read, I...kinda want to know more.

Monika: Are you serious??? You’re usually scared of that shit.

Pierce: And it’s still true, but here I feel like.... to write my own opinion and view on it. Besides, it’s something that I’m sure no one has ever come across, so we can probably even get higher marks for our essays.

Everyone looked at each other with concern, tho admited that Pierce had a point. Anyone can write about other countries mythologies and legends, but here it was something different, something...unknown. Elza looked at the owner.

Elza: Sir, we decided to take this book. How much is-

The shop owner: I-I-It’s free. No need to p-p-pay anything. Just take it. Please.

His voice trembled as he quickly went to his room with the rest of the books to put back on their places. Students were surprised by such sudden action, but decided not to go further and left the shop. On their way home they couldn’t stop thinking about what happened. No one dared to speak untill the reached to Elza’s house. Seeing how anxious others were, Elza came up with a suggestion.

Elza: My parents will be very late at work, so we can have a sleepover at my home.

Monika: Are you sure? Your parents are usually against it.

Elza: It’s only when they’re not that tired and can be a pain in the ass. When they’re exhausted and just want to rest, they can be kind to it. Don’t worry, I will warn them.

Hugo: We don’t want to cause you trouble like this all of a sudden.

Elza: Relax, it’s just for one night. Besides, preparing essays together is more fun than alone. And less scary.

Pierce: Yeah, you’re right. Well, if you say that you’re okay with it.

Elza: Just don’t cause a mess there. Especially you, Pierce.

The boy gave a shocked face, which made everyone laugh for a moment before they enter Elza’s home. Even tho it was not scary when doing stuff together, no one can hide from the nightmares.

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And that's another story for our universe^^ Finally, a new update on it XD It's been a while XD Hope you will like it^^

Hugo, April, Monika, Pierce and Elza belong to @wildstarfan and @milasartblog (both me)