[5] 



hills around Alexandria, the desert and rocky plains of 

 Arabia Petmea, and the barren hills of Syria, and 

 travelled about the country, preaching in the open air 

 to the ignorant and credulous multitudes. Matters pro- 

 gressed favourably for the revivalists for a short time ; 

 but there had shortly before occurred a circumstance 

 which proved to be, for us, the most important event in 

 the world's history, and which considerably modified the 

 Therapeut programme. 



According to ancient records, it appears that a monk, 

 of the ascetic order of Essenes, called Yahoshuah 

 (Joshua) ben Pandira, was born in Syria, in the 

 fourth year of the reign of Alexander Jannaeus, or about 

 B.C. 120; and, being educated in Egypt, under the 

 supervision of Yahoshuah-ben Perachia, soon made him- 

 self specially obnoxious to the priests by his heterodox 

 teaching. From the exceedingly scanty information to 

 be obtained from the historical writers of the time, it 

 appears that this young man had, in addition to his know- 

 ledge of Egyptian sorcery, a large acquaintance with the 

 sublime and moral teachings of Confucius, for whose 

 memory he appears to have had a profound respect. 

 Observing the despicable manner in which the priests 

 manipulated their sacred offices for their own advan- 

 tage, robbing the poor and credulous people of their hard 

 earnings and indulging in all kinds of immoralities, this 

 young man boldly attacked these human parasites in the 

 public places, calling them liars and hypocrites, preach- 

 ing Socialistic and Communistic doctrines, and declaring 

 that there was but one law necessary for man viz., the 

 golden rule of Confucius, " Do unto another," etc. The 

 wrath of the priests knew no bounds; a council was 

 called to consider the matter, and the bold reformer 

 was, it is said, sentenced to death for his noble efforts on 

 behalf of suffering humanity. Whether or not this young 

 man ever lived, or whether he was merely an ideal 

 creation of the fanatical minds of these therapeut monks, 

 suggested by necessity, it is impossible to say positively ; 

 for there are no really trustworthy records from which a 

 safe conclusion can be deduced. It is, however, prob- 

 able that such a man did actually exist, for it is not likely 

 that, had he been but an idea, the fact of his having 



