Product Description

Historical document or a forgery? "The Archko Volume" contains the testimonies of Jesus' contemporaries, especially his enemies, concerning his arrest, crucifixion, and resurrection. Readers can decide for themselves if they truly contain the recorded testimonies of Caiaphas, Herod, and Pontius Pilate.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1189869 in Books
• Published on: 2000-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 252 pages

Customer Reviews

Spiritual Impact
The Archko Volume was introduced to me during a Bible study when a portion of the book was read to offer an extra-biblical perspective on the crazed mob that chanted, "Crucify Him!"

It was a qualified reading, with the pastor warning that the Archko Volume was of questionable veracity. However, it gave an insight into the mob mentality which, I might add, could apply to the present day.

Fascinated, I looked for The Archko Volume for months before I finally obtained the hardcover copy. Seeking more insights, I read it from cover to cover.

The emotional reaction to The Archko Volume is easy: many of us yearn to hear of more first-hand experiences of Jesus Christ - Whom we love and follow - by people who saw Him and heard Him when He was manifested on the earth. We want more descriptions and perspectives about Jesus and the events surrounding his presence from those who were there in those days. We want to accept the things that generally follow our expectations, especially when they do not appear to contradict the Word of G-d.

This book does all that. Could things have happened this way? Sure. There are even hints at unbelievers redeemed, even villains in high places, and because we know our hearts are also black it gives us hope and encouragement for ourselves and others.

Therefore, to the extent of an individual's depth of knowledge and belief in the Bible, The Archko Volume can fill a desire to hear more, and open the eyes.

Open the eyes? Yes. Almighty G-d can use anything (anything!) to touch our hearts and lead us to Him. The pure of heart will see G-d, even in this book.

There is a spiritual response to all things. If you allow them to do so, the writings in The Archko Volume could strengthen your citizenship in the Kingdom of G-d and increase the capacity to bear the burdens of being a Believer in an unbelieving world. Even non-Christian governments could see how a Citizen of Heaven benefits the general citizenry - may they be encouraged to leave us in peace - and if true Christian practises breed a peaceful kingdom, then let hearts be won, one by one.

Idealistic? Yes. But we who are Believers know the end of the story. There will come a time when we are called upon to die in the name of Jesus Christ. And if we are gird with the Truth and can be encouraged by the things in this book, then read it and be encouraged. Here's the caveat: Only the Word of G-d is incorruptible; let all else be proved against it.

Could The Archko Volume stand up to critical scholarship? Maybe not. With unlimited resources, I'd commission the best tutors and personally look into everything from the Vatican to the Sophia library to see for myself what is there: the gospel of Luke and the book of Acts? G-d always manages to lead me; to surprise and delight me. Even in the stories of The Archko Volume.

Wise as serpents
Reviewer: Roger Pearse from Ipswich, Suffolk United Kingdom
In the 19th century there was a flood of genuine discoveries of ancient manuscripts containing hitherto unknown works from antiquity. This seems to have stimulated the production of numbers of bogus documents, targetted at various communities. The common motive was to get money: the intended victims of the hoaxes could be determined by the language used.
Most of these documents have vanished into history, with their target groups - 'Jesus in Tibet' enthusiasts and the like. The Archko volume is one that has not. It was first published in 1884 under the title "The Archaeological and the Historical Writings of the Sanhedrin and Talmuds of the Jews..." and repackaged, reedited and revised as "The Archko Volume" (2nd Edition) during the life of W.D.Mahan, its author (I have both a 1884 and a 1905 edition - Mahan died in 1906).

After some difficulty I procured a first edition. One document -'Eli and the Story of the Magi' has been omitted altogether from subsequent editions, without any mention of why. There is, of course, a good reason for this. Apparently the text is copied verbatim from the novel "Ben Hur" (publ. 1880). The rest of the material has been rearranged, although there is no mention of this in the preface. All copies with the title 'Archko volume' are versions of the second edition - the first does not have the preface in the same place.

I investigated the 'translators' McIntosh and Twyman, and found that they are not listed as the authors of any other volume in the US Library of Congress catalogue. There is no evidence that they ever existed.

The shelfmark given for the material by "Valleus Paterculus", as a Vatican Library shelfmark, is wrong, as this institution classifies its manuscripts by collection, not by author. Since I am interested in other Vatican MSS, I can vouch for this myself. In fact no manuscripts of any work by Velleius Paterculus exist anywhere in the world, as the sole MS of his real history was lost during the 17th century. Since he died in AD30, it naturally does not mention Christ.

A general discussion of some of these hoaxes is available:GOODSPEED, Edgar J., Strange New Gospels, Chicago: University of Chicago Press (1931), v+110pp. (There is a copy on the internet). It isn't very scholarly, and some of the judgements seem biased - New Testament Scholars enjoy a low reputation among Christians, and with good reason - but I have checked a number of the facts given and they seem to be correct. The rest must be left to the judgement of the reader.

The purpose of the hoax is plain - to make money from Christians living in rural areas of the US. As far as I know, it has not circulated elsewhere. It certainly was not targetted at unbelievers, or scholars, or even persons living outside the US, none of whom were at all likely to be taken in.

So what should Christians think? I was reminded of some wise words by the ancient Christian writer, Tertullian: "Manifold are the ways in which the devil has sought to undermine the truth. He is now trying to crush it, by pretending to defend it" (Adversus Praxean 1, 1). Spiritually this is a snare - inviting Christians to put their trust in something false, in the hope of convincing them, when the fraud is revealed, that the bible too is false. Commercially it is circulated for money, since its fraudulent nature has been known for over a century. If something seems too good to be true - it is. So is this.