Adi. Xxv, Marzo, 1540.

Molti de detti Christiani andorno fuori del Cairo con guardia de turchi di la dal Nilo miglia due per ueder un monte, qual è stato per quanto si uede, luogo da poner li morti: come à dire campo santo del qual luogo ogni anno il venere piu propinquo alla Madonna di Agosto li vanno grandissimo populo, & vedeno gran quantità de corpi morti che vengono fuori de la terra del detto monte; & si comincia il giovedi à vespero, & dura sino al sabbato, à sesta, ne piu se vede cosa alcuna: ma quando si vedeno, tu vederai alcuni con alcune tele involti, & alcuni combas à torno infasciati, si come se infasciavano li morti anticamenta: ne creder poterli veder muovere, & manco caminare, ma tu guarderai adesso uno, & li toccherai un braccio overo gamba, overo altra parte: & poi anderai in qualche altro luogo, & ritornato al primo troverai quello braccio, gamba, overo altra parte será alquanto piu discoperta, & piu di fuori del terreno di quello havevi visto per avanti: & cosi andando guardando hora in qua, hora in la, tu vedi una parte una volta piu discoperta dell’altra. Dechiarando, come in tal giorno vi sono assai padiglioni intorno al monte, & li vanno assaissimi infermi, & sani: peroche appresso gli è una pescina d’acqua, et la notte del venere, si lavano in detta pescina per risanarsi: ma io quei miracoli non ho visto.

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March 25, 1540

Many of the aforementioned Christians went outside Cairo with a guard of Turks, some distance away1 from the Nile, to see a mountain, which was, it seems, a place in which to bury the dead—in other words, a graveyard. From this place every year, on the Friday closest to the Madonna di Agosto2, an enormous crowd goes there, and they see a great quantity of dead bodies come out of the earth of this mountain. And this begins on Thursday at sunset and lasts until Saturday at midday, after which nothing more is seen. But when they appear, you will see some swathed in linens, and others in cords3, wrapped all about, as they wrapped the dead in ancient times. You cannot believe that you see them move, and even less that you see them walk. But you will watch one now, and you will touch an arm, or a leg, or some other body part. And then you will go to some other location. And having returned to the first spot, you will find that arm, leg, or other part will be to some degree further unearthed, and farther out of the ground than you had seen before. And so going around and watching now here, now there, you find a body part more unearthed than before. They say that on that day there are many tents around the mountain, and a great many sick and healthy people go there, because beside it is a pool of water, and on Friday night, they bathe in this pool to restore themselves. But I myself have not seen these miracles.

Hee was one that had trauelled diuers parts of Asia and Ægypt, and affirmed that hee had seene more than once in a certaine place neere to the Cayre (where meets a great number of people vpon a certaine day in the moneth of March, to behold the resurrection of the flesh, as they say) certaine bodies of dead persons, shewing and putting themselves (as it were) by little and little out of the ground: not that one may see them all whole, but sometimes the hands, and sometimes the feete, and sometimes halfe the bodie: which done, they goe in againe, and then put themselues out, and presently hide themselues againe by little and little within the ground. When many could not believe such strange things, and I (for my part) desired to know the truth of all this matter, I enquired further thereof of a kinsman of mine, my singular good friend, a Gentleman so wel accomplished for all vertues, as is possible to find any, advanced to great honour, and having an insight in most things: Hee hauing trauelleed the foresaid Countries with another Gentleman who was also one of my most familiar and greatest friends, call the Lord Alexander of Scullenbourg (kild of late years in Frieseland being gone thitther to see some kinsfolkes and friends of his that bare armes there; a man for his most rare vertues worthy of a longer life) told me that hee had heard by many but had not seene it himself, that it was a matter of verie truth, in so much as at Caire, and in other places of Ægypt, all held this resurrection for a common and sollemne thing.

And for my better satisfaction, hee shewed me a booke, printed long before at Venice, containing divers descriptions of voyages made by Venetian Ambassadors to the princes of the Northerne Asia, into Æthiopia, and to other countries to vs vnknowne. There was one discourse among the rest intituled Viaggio di Messer Aluigi di Giovanni di Alessandria nelle Indie out of which I have taken some words towards the end; the sense of which is this. The 25 day of March, in the year 1540, many Christians accompanied with certain Ianissaries, went from Cayre towards a little barren mountaine about halfe a league off, assigned in times past for a place of burial for the dead: in which place there meets ordinarily every yeare an incredible multitude of persons, to see the dead bodies there interred, coming out (as it were) of their graves and sepulchres. This beginneth the Thursday, and lasteth till the Satterday, and then all vanisheth away. Then may yee see bodies wrapped in their cloathes, after the old fashion. But one sees them not either standing or walking: but onely the armes or the thighs, or some other part of the bodie which you may touch. If you goe further off, and presently come forward againe, you shall find these armes or other lims appearing more out of the ground. And the more you change places, the more diuers and eminent these motions are seen. At the same time many tents are spread about this mountaine. For both whole and sick that come thether in great troupes, beleeue verily, that whoseouer washeth himselfe the night before the Friday with a certaine water drawne out of a pond there hard by, it is a remedie to recouer and maintaine health. But I have not seene this miracle.

This is the report of the Venetian. Besides the which, we have also the relation of a Iacobin of Vlme named Felix, who hath travelled in those quarters of the Levant, and hath published a booke in the Almaine [German] tongue of that which hee saw in Palestina and in Ægypt, by shewing them that there is a Resurrection and a Life to come; nor yet doe meane to confute the same, or to sustaine that it is an illusion of Satan as many thinke: So doe I leaue the iudgement of this matter to the Reader, to thinke and resolue therreof as shall seeme good vnto him.

extra urbem in ripâ Nili Muschkea quadam nobis monstrata est, ubi tempore quo sacra peragunt, humati è sepulcris prodire dicuntur, ac donec suos, opinione sacros, ritû peragant: stabiles immobilésque consistere, ac demum disparere, quod qui ingnoret in Cayro nemo serè est. Hoc quid aliud, nisi illusionem diabolicam dixerimus, qui cæcum illum ac rudem populum horrendâ Dei permissione miris fascinat modis, palpabilibus implexos erroribus & furoribus.

—

Outside of the city, a certain mosque on the bank of the Nile was shown to us where the buried are said to rise from their tombs when sacred rites are performed. And while they perform their so-called sacred rites, the dead stand still and unmoving, and they eventually disappear. Nearly everyone in Cairo is aware of this. I should declare this nothing but a diabolical illusion that, with God’s dreadful permission, bewitches in strange ways those blind and ignorant people who are entangled in clear delusion and madness.

A MARVELLOUS APPARITION

A personage worthy of credit, that had travelled in diverse parts of Asia and Egypt, affirmed to many, that he had seen more than once in a certain place near unto Cairo (whither a number of people resort on a certain day in the month of March, for to be spectators of the resurrection of the flesh, as they say) of bodies deceased, showing and thrusting themselves as it were by little and little out of the ground. Not that they see them altogether, but now the hand, then the feet, sometimes half the body; which done, they in like manner hide themselves by little and little again in the ground. The rest not giving credit to such a marvel, and I for my part desiring to understand the truth of it, inquired of a kinsman and singular friend of mine, a gentleman as thoroughly accomplished in all virtues as may be: one that hath been brought up in great honors, and that is almost ignorant of nothing. He having traveled in the aforesaid countries with another gentleman, a great and familiar friend also of mine, named the Lord Alexander of Schullembourg, told me he had heard of many, that this apparition was most certain, and that in Cairo and other places of Egypt, there was no question made of it. And the more to assure me, he showed me an Italian book, imprinted at Venice, containing diverse descriptions of voyages, made by the ambassadors of Venice into many parts of Asia and Africa, among the which one is entitled Viaggio de Messer Aluigi di Giouanni di Alessandria nelle Indie. Towards the end whereof I have extracted certain lines translated out of Italian into Latin (and now into English) as hereafter follows:

“On the 25. of March, in the year 1540, diverse Christians, accompanied with certain janissaries, went from Cairo to a little barren mountain, some half a mile off, designed in times past for burial of the dead, in the which place every year there usually assembles an incredible multitude of people, for to see the dead bodies there interred, as it were issuing out of their graves and sepulchers. This begins on Thursday, and continues till Saturday, when they vanish all away. Then may you see bodies wound in their sheets, after the ancient manner, but they are not seen standing upright, nor going, but only the arms or thighs, or some other part of the body, which you may touch. If you go a little way off, and come by and by again, you shall find that those arms, or other members, appear farther out of the ground. And the more you change place, the more do those motions appear diverse and greater. At that time, there are a number of pavilions pitched about the mountain, for both sick and whole, which repair thither in great troupes [and] firmly believe that whosoever washes himself on the Thursday night, with a certain water that runs in a marsh hard by, it is a sure remedy to recover and maintain health. But I have not seen that miracle.

It is the report of the Venetian. Besides the which we have a Jacobin of Ulmes, named Felix, who hath traveled in those parts of the Levant, and hath published a book in Dutch touching all that he hath seen in Palestine and Egypt. He makes the very same recital. As I have not undertaken to maintain this apparition to be miraculous, for to confound these superstitious idolaters of Egypt, and to show them that there is a resurrection and life to come, neither will I refute it, nor maintain it to be a Satanical illusion, as many think, but will also leave it to the judgement of the reader, for to determine thereof as he shall think good.” (PH. Camerarius, Councilor of the Commonwealth of Nuremberg, in the 73. Chap. of his Historical Meditations).

I will add somewhat hereunto, for the content of the reader: Steven Duplais, a cunning goldsmith, and a man of an honest and pleasing conversation, being now some 45 years old, or thereabout, having traveled diverse countries of Turkey and Egypt, made me an ample discourse of the apparition before mentioned, some fifteen years since, affirming he had been spectator of it with Claude Rocard, an apothecary of Chablis in Champagne, and twelve other Christians, having for their truckman and guide a goldsmith of Ottranto in Apulia called Alexander Maniotti.

He told me, moreover, that he (as the rest) had touched diverse members of those resuscitants.1 And as he was taking hold on the hair of a child’s head, a man of Cairo cried out, “Kali, Kali, antè matarasdè,” that is to say, “let it alone, let it alone, thou knowest not what thou dost.” Now forasmuch as I could not well persuade myself that there was any such matter as he told me of—though in diverse other reports conferred with that which is to be read in our modern authors, I had always found him simple and true—we continued a long time in this opposition of my ears to his eyes, until the year 1591, that having showed him the above-said observations of Doctor Camerarius: “Now you may see” (said he) “that I have told you no fables.” And many times since, we have talked of it with wonder and reverence of the divine wisdom. Furthermore, he told me thereupon that a Christian dwelling in Egypt had diverse times recounted unto him, upon talk of this apparition or resurrection, that he had learned of his grandfather and father, which their ancestors had reported, having received it from hand to hand time out of mind, that certain hundred years ago, divers Christians, men, women, and children, being assembled in that mountain, for to do some exercise of their religion, were environed and compassed about by a great number of their enemies, the little mountains being but of a small circuit, who cut them all in pieces, and having covered their bodies with earth, returned to Cairo. Ever since the which, this resurrection hath appeared the space of certain days before and after that of the massacre. Behold a summary of Steven Duplais’ discourse, by him confirmed and renewed in the end of April 1600, when I wrote this History, whereunto that can be nothing prejudicial, which is recited by Martin Baumgarten in his voyage to Egypt, made the year 1507, published by his successors, and imprinted at Nuremberg, in the year 1594. For in the eighteenth chapter of the first book, he says that these apparitions are made in a mosque of the Turks hard by Cairo. There is a fault in the copy: and it should say hillock or little mountain, not on the bank of Nilus, as Baumgarten writes, but half a mile off, as we have declared.

That which I look on as a rarity of the greatest moment, if not rather to be accounted supernatural, is that, about five miles from the City of Caire, there is a place in which on every Good Friday yearly, there appear the heads, legs and arms of men rising out of the ground, to a very great number: which if a man draw near unto them, or touch any of them, will shrink again into the earth. Supposed by some to be an Imposture of some Watermen only, who stick them over-night in the sands, and keeping them secret to themselves, obtain thereby the Ferrying over of many thousands of People, to behold the sight. But Stephen Dupleis, a sober and discerning man, in the opinion of Goulartius, who reports it from him, conceived otherwise of it, affirming surely that he was an eye-witness of the wonder, that he had touched divers of these rising Members, and that as he was once so doing to the head of a childe, a man of Caire cried out unto him, Kali, Kali ante materasde, that is to say, Hold, hold, you know not what you do. A strange Fore-runner (if it be of undoubted credit) of the Resurrection of the whole Body, presented yearly in the rising of these several parts.

A day or two after we crossed the Nilus, three miles beyond on the left hand left we the place, where upon Good-friday the arms, and legs of a number of men appear stretched forth of the earth, to the astonishment of the multitude. This I have heard confirmed by Christians, Mahometans, and Jews, as seen upon their several faiths. An imposture perhaps contrived by water-men, who fetching them from the Mummies, (whereof there are an unconsumable number) and keeping the mystery in their families, doe stick them over-night in the sand: obtaining thereby the yearly ferrying over of many thousands of passengers.

To these curiosities of Egypt, I might here add that supernatural (but fictitious) prodigy, that’s reported to be yearly seen near to old Caire, viz. the annual resurrection of many dead bones on Holy Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday (according to the Old Calendar), which both Turks and Christians in those parts, do firmly believe, and that by the means of some pious frauds, of a few designing santos1 among them.

Here (though the opportunity seemes to be very fairely offer’d) I avoide to gaine any reputation towards the Resurrection of our Bodies from that parcell Rising of Legs & Armes, &c. which useth to be seene and believed at a place in Aegypt, not farre from Gran Cairo, upon Good Friday and the Eve of that.

’Tis true indeed (if the thing it selfe be so) that in this case too our Bones doe flourish like an hearbe, for those little Resurrections are not seene to rise, but risen.

And so like Limmes of Immortality they spring up from the Earth, as they did from that other Deadnesse of their Mother’s wombe.

We our selves grow thus up too like the Grasse of the Field; we are not seene but found to doe so.

’Tis so with these fore, running parts. If you draw neare to touch a head or a legge, you shall perceive no more of this Resurrection for that time, but if you give backe [back away], and leave the Miracle to it selfe, you shall presently finde it more a man at your returne.

Because I meane to make no more use of this wonderfull prevention of those that sleepe, then what I first pretended to, I shall be bound to trouble you the lesse with any much repetition of the particulars. You may finde a competent store of this matter in Camerarius his Historicall Meditations. C. 73. of the first Century. I will adde to that this onely out of Simon Goulartius, from the Relation of one Steven Duplais, an eyewitnesse, & a man of very good and sober note in his acknowledgement.

Il me disoit d’avantage avoir (comme aussi sirent les autres) touché divers membres de tes resuscitans. Et comme il vouloit se soisir d’ une teste chevelue d’enfant, un homme du Caire s’escria tout haut, Kali, Kali, ante materasde, c’est à dire. Laisse Laisse, tu ne scais que cest de cela. i. e. And he told me moreover that he had (and that others had done so too) touched divers of these rising Members; And as he was once so doing upon the hairy head of a Child, a Man of Cairo cryed out aloud, Kali, Kali, ante materasde, that is to say, Hold, Hold, you know not what you doe.

That which seemeth to be wanting to the Authority of this strange thing is, that there should be no ordinary memory (none at all I can meete with yet) of the matter in any of their owne Bookes. That in the Greeke Liturgies out of the Lesson for the time, I know not how to make reckoning of, as enough to this purpose. In any other Bookes of theirs, and some likely ones too, I meete not with any notice at all. And yet as to that I can retort this answer upon my selfe, that a thing of so cheape and common beleife amongst them could not fitly be expected to be written out as a rarety by themselves, and sent forth into these unbelieving Corners of the world. Which though it may passe for a reason why there should not be any such common report of the thing, yet leaveth me scope to thinke, that there is some speciall mention of it in the Arabicke or Copticke Histories, which when it shall be met with, if it be found to referre up the Wonder to some excellent and important Originall, it will the better defend this matter of Fact, from the opinion of imposture.

Indeed the rising of these armes and legs otherwise is but an ill argument to be used for the Resurrection of our Bodies, for ’tis easier to believe this, then that.

Strabo’s relation may be like the tradition of the rising of dead mens bones every year in Aegypt: a thing superstitiously beleeved by the Christians: and by the Priests, either out of ignorance, or policy, maintained, as an argument of the resurrection. The possibility and truth of it, Metrophanes the Patriarch of Alexandria thought (but very illogically) might be proved our of the Prophet Esay. And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcaises of the men that have transgressed against me, for their worme shall not dye, neither shall their fire bee quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.

I shall also insert here that wonderful discourse of Camerarius Counseller of the Common-wealth of Nuremberg in the 73. Chapter of his Historical Meditations, concerning the Resuscitants of Grand Cairo in Egypt. Not far from that City there is a little barren Mountain, where, according to Tradition, a company of Christians met together in order to Divine Worship, but being set upon by their Enemies, were hewed in pieces and covered with Earth; since which time in March every year for three days together may be seen a perfect Emblem of the Resurrection: for there you may behold Legs, Arms, Thighs and other Members of the Body arising out of the earth, and are touched by several of the Spectators, and by little and little they hide themselves in the ground again. This is confirmed, as my Author says, by Felix a Jacobine of Ulmes, in his History of the admirable things of Palestine and Egypt; and several other Eye-witnesses are brought in attesting the truth of this History; all sober persons concluding that it is no Satanical Illusion, but an omnipotent Act of God, to convince the impious Idolaters of Egypt that there is a Resurrection and Life to come.

It is strange to see the Superstitions that reign among People, and there is no Country that can pretend to be free from them; only some have more, and some less; but the strangest thing of all is that they will not be undeceived, and if any man offer to lay open the Cheat, he is presently taken for an Atheist and wicked Person. No People that I know are certainly more Superstitious than the Aegyptians, as I shall hereafter make it out; but at present it shall be enough to give one instance of it. Upon the Riverside near to old Caire, there is a great Burying-place, where many dead Bodies are Interred: All the Inhabitants of Caire, not only Cophtes and Greeks, but also Turks and Moors are fully perswaded that on Holy Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, (according to their account, who follow the old Calendar) the dead rise there; not that the dead People walk up and down the Church-yard; but that during these three days, their Bones come out of the Ground, and then when they are over, return to their Graves again. I went to that Burying-place on the Holy Friday of the Greeks and other Christians, who follow the old Calendar, that I might see what Ground they had for this stupid Belief; and I was astonished to find as many People there as if it had been at a Fair, for all both small and great in Caire flock thither, and the Turks go in procession with all their Banners, because they have a Scheikh Interred there, whose Bones (as they say) come out every year, and take the Air with the rest; and there they say their Prayers with great Devotion. When I came to the place I saw here and there some Sculls and Bones; and every one told me that they were just come out of the Earth; which they so firmly believe, that it is impossible to make them think otherwise; for I spoke to some (who one would think ought to have more sense than the rest) and they assured me it was a truth; and that when you are in a place where the Ground is very even, while you are looking to one side, Bones will come up on the other side, within two steps of you. I who would willingly have seen them come up before my Face, not doubting but the Bones which were to be seen, had been secretly scattered by some Santos, fell a jeering the Men.

I believe the Alcoran, as the Oracle of God; and ’tis so firmly Imprinted in my Memory, that I cou’d repeat it Verbatim from the Beginning to the End, without missing a Versicle. I give an Entire Credence to the Doctrine of the Resurrection, being Naturally desirous of Immortality: But I cannot entertain the gross Conceit, which the greatest Part of Mussulmans have of the Resurrection; that is, that our very Dust shall be Rais’d again, and Organiz’d into a Body. The Nazarenes are of the same Opinion. But methinks, there’s no Need of stretching and straining of Nature. Besides, this Opinion is Inconsistent with other Fundamental Doctrines of the Mussulman Law. …

If thou wond’rest what has put me upon this Discourse, it is the Remembrance of what I have heard thee relate of the Apparition of Dead Mens Bones in the Cemetery of Grand Caire in Egypt, at a certain Season of the Year, when Multitudes of People by Custom flock thither to behold this Wonderful Scene of a Sham-Resurrection. I can give it no better Title, since in all Probability, ’tis only the Effect of some Artifice us’d by the Christians, to procure Money from the Admiring Croud. And I’m confirm’d in this Belief, by a Letter I receiv’d from Mehemet the Exil’d Eunuch, who now resides at Caire; and having been curious to observe this Celebrated Miracle, among the other Rarieties of this City, sent me such an Account of this Passage, as convinces me there’s some Cheat in’t.