The Archko Volume Revealed

William Mahan proved at trial in 1885 that he had been to libraries in Rome and Constantinople; and, that he had found there the ancient manuscripts contained in his book. He included affidavits and letters. 

In his book ‘The Archko Volume’ Rev. Mahan deals with seven different manuscripts which claim to contain the recorded statements of Pontius Pilate, Caiaphas, Herod the Great, as well as his son and other contemporaries of Jesus. 

The Antiquarian Society of Genoa, Italy, of which Dr’s. McIntosh and Twyman were members, was of vital importance in helping Rev. William Mahan (1824 - 1906), to find, gain access to, and translate these manuscripts back in 1883, the year when he and they had originally found them. 

Rev. Mahan had published a rough preliminary edition in 1884, of which only 2,000 copies were printed.  He gave it the title: ‘Archaeological Writings of the Sanhedrin and Talmuds’.  The church trial was in 1885.  He then decided to revise that 1st edition by adding more background material, and in 1887 he published ‘The Archko Volume’ which was his final edition. 

The public controversy being created and driven by a Rev. Quarles against Rev. William Mahan in the newspapers of 1884 and 1885, both being Presbyterians but of different synods, was of such a nature as to seriously reflect upon the Presbyterian church as a whole.  Therefore, the presbytery decided upon resolving it with a hearing – 

“A commission, consisting of James Martin, James Logan, H. D. Kennedy, J. E. Sharp, and W. H. Holliday, was appointed to investigate the charges made against Rev. W. D. Mahan, as published in the Boonville papers. This commission will enter upon its work forthwith and make a thorough investigation of the whole matter” – The Boonville Advertiser, April 17, 1885 – page 1, column 2. 

Rev. Mahan appeared five months later, at the regular session of the Lebanon Presbytery of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, in Slater, Missouri, on Monday evening September 26, 1885.  When the charges were read to him, Rev. Mahan pleaded, “Not guilty”.  The hearing was then taken up on Tuesday morning; and consumed all of the day – 

“Rev. T. J. Clagett, of Pilot Grove, was moderator, and Wm. F. Johnson, clerk” – The Boonville Advertiser, October 02, 1885, page 1, column 4. 

This article then continues on – 

“CHARGE.
“Common fame charges the Rev. W. D. Mahan, a member of this Presbytery, with unchristian and unministerial conduct, as the same is set forth in the following specification, namely: 

“Specification First – Falsehood 

“Item First – Asserting in the ‘Archaeological Writings of the Sanhedrin and Talmuds’ that he had visited Constantinople and the Mosque of St. Sophia, and had found there the Constantine Bible (page 32) and five of the MSS. published in the said book” – The Boonville Advertiser, October 02, 1885, page 1, column 4. 

“Revs. James Martin and J. E. Schack were appointed to prosecute him, and H. D. Kennedy, of Prairie Home, to defend. Each count was taken up separately, and discussed, and voted upon. In reply to the first item Mr. Mahan introduced letters from various persons in England, France and Italy referring to his visit to those countries. These letters were pronounced genuine by an expert who had examined them. Mr. Mahan also made a statement as to his visit. The prosecution presented letters from General Lew Wallace and Dr. Elias Riggs, of Constantinople, to prove that Mr. Mahan never had visited Constantinople” – The Boonville Advertiser, October 02, 1885, page 1, column 5.

Also of note: There were 17 Presbyterian ministers utilized as a jury, which is why it was held during this regularly scheduled session of the Presbytery. 

So as you can see, from the above newspaper article, dated April 17, 1885; the Presbytery had been working on this for 5-months.  As a result, their expert who had pronounced Mahan’s letters as genuine, proving he was overseas; was by a thorough investigation. 

The letter, allegedly from Dr. Riggs who lived in Constantinople, came from Mr. Quarles.  The Riggs letter basically states that he talked to the librarian at St. Sophia, a Zia Bey, and that he did not recall a Rev. Mahan ever being there.  Also, that none of the missionaries in Constantinople had ever seen Mahan or talked to him.  (They would not have known who he was anyways, and Mahan was not seeking celebrity.) 

Gen. Wallace’s letter indicated there was not any evidence at the Legation, or at the Consulate of the United States of the alleged visit of Mr. Mahan to that city.  Lew Wallace was appointed U.S. Minister to the Ottoman Empire in Constantinople from May 19, 1881, until March 04, 1885.  His letter by fact of who he was and the office which he held; had to have carried an overriding influence – against – Rev. Mahan. 

However, this was not a visit through official channels for political reasons, or to see a government representative; so why would Mahan go through all the time (which he did not have) and trouble, of informing the Embassy anyway?  The stringent restrictions we have today of traveling through countries in Europe, were not in prevalence in the 1800s.  Rev. Mahan was being escorted by Dr. McIntosh of the Antiquarian Society who was a well-travelled man, who knew people, and knew how to get around.  Mahan had a short list of priorities to accomplish. 

Incidentally, Gen. Wallace was back in the states at the time and chose not to come and be questioned. 

“Speeches by the counsel followed, and the Presbytery found Mr. Mahan, not guilty, by a vote of ten to seven” – The Boonville Advertiser, October 02, 1885, page 1, column 5. 

This same ‘not guilty’ verdict on the charge of “Falsehood” was also confirmed in The Boonville Topic of October 02, 1885, page 3, column 4. 

Thus…The majority of jurors were of a firm conviction, that Rev. Mahan had been overseas; did visit, the libraries he claimed to have been in; and there, found the manuscripts of which he had Dr’s. McIntosh and Twyman translate.  That… was a huge confirmation. 

We have now documented from the newspapers from 1885, that Rev. Mahan was found “Not guilty” of lying about going overseas to libraries in Europe… and finding these manuscripts. 

Most everything on the internet and in book reviews, state it as a fact that Mahan was found ‘guilty’ of lying about going overseas.  However; we just quoted from the newspapers of the day, that Mahan was actually found “not guilty”… This fact changes everything! 

Having read many and various articles about The Archko Volume and/or Rev. Mahan; and then, in process of exploring the accuracy of these articles… I have found that many of the descriptions and accounts embraced in them to be contradictory, and/or documentably incorrect (such as the above). 

The name: Edgar Goodspeed, is routinely brought up in any discussion about The Archko Volume, almost without exception.  Early on, it was readily apparent to me that every person since 1931 who had condemned Rev. Mahan’s book, was referencing Mr. Goodspeed’s supposed - “investigation” - into the matter.  Therefore, it became an obsession for me to explore Rev. Goodspeed (1871 - 1962).  Yet, a few of today’s scholars, Bible college professors and ministers blindly parrot Goodspeed’s supposed “investigation” – as indisputable truth. 

Rev. Edgar Goodspeed published a book in 1931, the title of which was, ‘Strange New Gospels’.  It consisted of nine chapters and in the fifth chapter which was about The Archko Volume; he began his attack against Rev. Mahan. 

In Goodspeed’s book, Strange New Gospels (1931), on page 54 he states: “Largely in consequence of his [Mr. Quarles] criticism, Mr. Mahan was summoned before the Lebanon presbytery in September, 1885, to answer charges of falsehood…”.  Page 56 – “In light of this and of other evidence, Mr. Mahan was found guilty of falsehood…”. 

We documented above that this quote by Edgar Goodspeed is in fact… totally bogus. 

So… Just HOW… did Rev. Goodspeed get this so completely wrong?  He claimed that, “Mr. Mahan was found guilty of falsehood” when in fact he was found “not guilty”; and this same verdict was documented in two different newspapers. 

Also, in Strange New Gospels (1931) Goodspeed states on page 53: “We may add that the best opinion today in Boonville is that Mr. Mahan did not get farther away than Rome, Illinois, a little village north of Peoria, and that his foreign letters were dispatched from that place”. 

We will now document “the best opinion” of public leaders of high order “in Boonville” vouching for Mahan’s veracity and integrity.  

There are sworn affidavits of Mahan’s reputation and character by: a Union Civil War General; a judge and mayor; a city prosecutor and future mayor; and an attorney. These are people who truly knew and had interacted with Mahan for a decade or more, each.  Therefore, they desired to come to his defense and to place their reputations on the line for him, and wanted their affidavits published.  They were not intimidated by those who had made accusations against Mahan, because they were very familiar with him and his family.  

AFFIDAVIT OF GENERAL J. B. DOUGLASS 

From: The Archko Volume (1887), pages 48 to 49,
Also: Caesar’s Court (1895), pages 195 to 196. 

Columbia, Mo., January 25, 1887. 

This is to certify that I am well acquainted with the Rev. W. D. Mahan, of Boonville, Mo. I have known him well for a number of years, having spent several months at his house at different times. I was at his house in Boonville, Mo., shortly after his return (as he then stated to me) from Rome and Constantinople. I gave him some assistance in recopying some of his manuscripts for his book. I saw, examined, and to some extent assisted in arranging the various subjects and chapters in his book. Judging from the handwriting of said manuscripts, there must have been two or more persons engaged in writing them, as there was a distinct difference in the handwriting. I was impressed at the time with the belief, from the writing and spelling, that the parties were of foreign birth and education. I have no interest in this matter, and make the above statement at the request and in justice to the Rev. W. D. Mahan, as an old and valued friend. 

J. B. DOUGLASS. 

Personally appeared before me, a notary public, within and for the county of Boone, and State of Missouri, General J. B. Douglass, to me well known, and made affidavit to the foregoing certificate. 

Witness my hand and notarial seal hereto affixed at Columbia, Mo., this 25th day of January A. D. 1887. 

FRANK D. EVANS, Notary Public. 

SHORT BIO: 

Gen. Joseph B. Douglass was born November 12, 1819.  His father, William, was a farmer.  But Joseph’s first job outside of farming was as a Deputy Sheriff in 1848.  He was then elected Sheriff in 1850 and re-elected in 1852. 

He was then elected to the Missouri State Legislature in 1856. In 1859, Mr. Douglass was elected the Clerk of the County Court, until the Civil War began in 1861. 

At that point he was commissioned a Sergeant for the Union Army; being promoted to Colonel in 1862 of the Sixty-first E.M.M.  Later, on September 01, 1863, Colonel Joseph Douglass was again promoted, this time to Brigadier-General of the Eighth military district, by Governor Hall of Missouri. 

At the close of the war, he was appointed as the United States Assessor of the Fourth District in 1866.  Then, moving on to things closer to home, he became the general agent of the Horticulture Department of the State University. 

General Douglass was married in 1849.  He and his wife Nancy had 6 children and were members of the Methodist Church – South.  His date of death was August 20, 1898. 

Most of these details of Gen. J. B. Douglass; are found across several pages in the book: ‘History of Boone County, Missouri – 1882’. 

AFFIDAVIT OF JUDGE JOHN MCFARLAND 

 From: The Archko Volume (1887), pages 49 to 50,
Also: Caesar’s Court (1895), pages 196 to 197. 

State of Missouri, County of Cooper, ss. 

Be it known that on this, the 12th day of January, A. D. 1887, personally came before me, the undersigned, clerk of the Circuit Court of Cooper County, in the State of Missouri, John S. McFarland, well known to me to be a reputable citizen of the city of Boonville, Mo., who, being by me first duly sworn, on his oath says: I have been personally acquainted with Rev. W. D. Mahan for sixteen years or more, and have always found him to be honorable and trustworthy, and a very useful minister in the Church to which he belonged. To my knowledge he was for some time previous to 1883 engaged in preparing himself for a trip to Europe, and that in the fall of 1883 he took leave of his family and friends and started for the cities of Rome and Constantinople to investigate those old records that he said he had found was there on archaeology. After he had been gone some time his wife received a letter from him dated at Rome, Italy. I did not see the postmarks on the letter, but understood it was from Rome. 

After some months Mr. Mahan returned and brought quite a lot of manuscripts with him, some of which he read to me, and which were very interesting. These are as near the facts in the case as I can remember at this time. 

JOHN S. McFARLAND. 

Subscribed and sworn to before me, on this the 12th day of January, 1887.
Witness my hand and official seal, 

CHARLES A. HOUK,
Clerk of Circuit Court of Cooper County, Mo.

By H. A. HUTCHINSON. 

SHORT BIO: 

This is from his obituary in the newspaper, The Central Missouri Republican, dated: July 21, 1887: 

“Judge John Strother McFarland, one of the oldest and most highly respected citizens of this part of the state, died at his residence in this city, Saturday morning, July 16, 1887 at the age of 85. For many years he was a prominent, public-spirited citizen and filled many positions of honor and trust with credit to himself and faithfully performed the duties devolving upon him. He was judge of the county court from 1846 to 1850, was mayor of this city, councilman-at-large, served in the United States Land office as receiver, and in all his career, public and private, he enjoyed the esteem and confidence of the community… He leaves a wife and two children to lament his loss”. 

Judge McFarland was first married to Elizabeth Houx, in Cooper County. After his first wife died, he then married, Mary B. Johnston in 1872. 

AFFIDAVIT OF LAWYERS – WHITLOW AND PENDLETON 

 From: The Archko Volume (1887), pages 50 to 51. 

State of Missouri, County of Cooper, ss. 

Be it known that on this 12th day of January, A. D. 1887, personally came before me, the undersigned, clerk of the Circuit Court of Cooper County, in the State of Missouri, R. W. Whitlow and W. G. Pendleton, composing the firm of Whitlow & Pendleton, real estate and loan agents, of the city of Boonville, in said county, who, being by me first duly sworn, on their oaths say: We have known the Rev. W. D. Mahan, of Boonville, Mo., for a period of more than ten years. He came to our office in the fall of 1883 and told us he was going to Rome with a view to collect materials for a book which he intended to write, and that he had not sufficient money to defray the expenses of the trip; at his request we loaned him two hundred dollars. Shortly afterward Mr. Mahan disappeared from Boonville, and it was a considerable while before we again met him here at Boonville, when he informed us he had made the trip to Rome, Italy, during the time of his disappearance. A letter purporting to have been written by the said Mahan to his wife from Rome, Italy, was published in a newspaper at Boonville, Mo. Soon after, Mr. Mahan reappeared at Boonville he published and circulated his book. Of course we did not follow him to see him at Rome, but the foregoing are the facts within our knowledge. 

R. E. WHITLOW,
W. G. PENDLETON,
Attorneys-at-Law. 

Subscribed and sworn to before me, on this the 12th day of January, 1887. 

CHARLES A. HOUK,
Clerk of Circuit Court, Cooper County, Mo. 

SHORT BIO: 

“William G. Pendleton – The name of Pendleton has long been an honored and respected one in Cooper County.  The history of the family in Cooper County begins with the advent of the late Dr. George T. Pendleton in 1855.  The law firm of W. G. and G. T. Pendleton of Boonville is one of the best known and efficient legal firms in the county and central Missouri.  William G. Pendleton, the senior member of the firm having been engaged in the practice of law in this county since 1878, and during that time has filled positions of honor, trust and usefulness in the city of Boonville… 

“William G. Pendleton of this review, was educated in the common schools of Cooper County and the Law School of Louisville, Kentucky… 

“From 1902 to 1912, he filled the office of Mayor of Boonville.  During his term as mayor the city waterworks were acquired by the municipality, the improvement of the city’s streets was placed under way, much public work was undertaken, and the streets of the city were extensively paved.  His administration was one of the best the city has ever had”– ‘History of Cooper County, Missouri – 1919’, by W. F. Johnson, pages 493 – 495. 

Thus… after publicly vouching for Rev. Mahan’s character: Mr. Pendleton was thereafter elected mayor, and, maintained a very strong reputation in the state of Missouri.  He was Born: January 06, 1854, and Died: January 17, 1942. 

The following affirms that Mr. Pendleton was the Boonville City Attorney in 1883; the year that Mahan went to Europe.  In, ‘History of Howard and Cooper Counties, Missouri – 1883’ it states on page 680: “Present City Officers (1883) W. G. Pendleton, attorney”. 

It is obvious that Mr. Goodspeed who wrote his book in 1931, did not contact Mr. Pendleton who died in 1942; to get his opinion on Mr. Mahan.  Mr. Goodspeed definitely knew about Mr. Pendleton because his affidavit was contained in the Archko Volume, which he claimed to have read.

There are also extra letters, as well as plenty of direct quotes from Rev. Mahan, and his previously mentioned creative antagonist, Rev. James Quarles (1837 - 1907), battling it out in the Boonville and other Missouri newspapers back in 1885.  The translated manuscripts that Mahan had found are also included.

ALL of the above and much, much more can be found in the book – 

THE ARCHKO VOLUME – REVEALED 

A FURTHER SEARCH FOR THE HISTORICAL JESUS 

WITH ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE 

By: Edward Elkins