NEUOFFENBARUNG← The Childhood and Youth of Jesus · Part 2 · Contents
Cornelius asks if Cyrenius is aware of Joseph's departure. Joseph's answer. Cornelius explains the secret Roman letters. 29 July 1844
01] Afterwards Cornelius asked Joseph, whether Cyrenius already knew that Joseph had left Egypt.
02] And in case he would not know, if one should inform him immediately out of political considerations.
03] And Joseph said: "Friend, do as you wish as regards your brother;
04] but I request you to tell him that he should not come here too soon!
05] And when he wants to come at all, he should come under cover of darkness, so that nobody notices his appearance here,
06] and no unnecessary attention is attracted, which could be harmful for me and the Child and disturb the divine peace in my house!"
07] When Cornelius heard this from Joseph he said:
08] "O my most noble friend, do not worry! – For as far as approaching someone incognito is concerned, we Romans are masters!
09] And when I come to Jerusalem tomorrow, it shall be my first business to quietly inform my brother through a secret letter about your presence here.
10] I would, if need be, send Archelaus himself to my brother with such a letter, and he would not know what is written in it, even with the letter unsealed in his hands!"
11] But Joseph asked Cornelius, how such a secret letter would be possible.
12] And Cornelius spoke: "O most noble friend! Nothing easier than that!
13] Look, you take a long strip of parchment, about a finger wide.
14] Then you wrap this strip like a snail shell around a round stick, so that the edges touch each other nicely.
15] When the strip is wound over the round stick, one writes his secret lengthwise across the windings of the parchment strip.
16] And Cyrenius has a stick of exactly the same thickness as mine.
17] When I have finished the letter, it will be unwound from the stick and sent safely and openly to my brother through someone, –
18] and without the same stick, no one will be able to decipher the content of such a letter even vaguely;
19] for on the strip he discovers nothing but single characters or at the most, syllables, from which he can never deduct what is written on the strip! – Joseph, did you understand me?"
20] And Joseph spoke: "Absolutely, dearest brother!
21] Thus you may write to your brother; because no one will likely decipher the secret!"
22] After that Cornelius turned to Eudokia and discussed various things with her.