Types of mankind, or, Ethnological researches, based upon the ancient monuments, paintings, sculptures, and crania of races, and upon their natural, geographical, philological and Biblical history / illustrated by selections from the inedited papers of Samuel George Morton and by additional contributions from L. Agassiz, W. Usher, and H.S. Patterson ; by J.C. Nott and Geo. R. Gliddon.

  • Nott, Josiah C. (Josiah Clark), 1804-1873.
Date:
1860
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Types of mankind, or, Ethnological researches, based upon the ancient monuments, paintings, sculptures, and crania of races, and upon their natural, geographical, philological and Biblical history / illustrated by selections from the inedited papers of Samuel George Morton and by additional contributions from L. Agassiz, W. Usher, and H.S. Patterson ; by J.C. Nott and Geo. R. Gliddon. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    682/800 (page 626)
    for the purpose of ascertaining the importance which progressive Ethnology must assign to one document; and this document happens to be the Xth Chapter of a Book called “Genesis,” (which some vehemently protest is Mosaic, while others as flatly contradict them,) it be- hooves us to test certain points of these disputed allegations by archmological criteria; and, authority against authority, the citation of a few may help us in making ready for the voyage. “ And yet no one, I believe, has the pretension to understand perfectly the sense of Ge- nesis; no one denies that the text of this book contains many parables, or Oriental alle- gories, of which the most skilful and the wisest of the Fathers of the Church have sought in vain for the meaning. — But, thanks to the massoretic points and to the susceptibilities of orthodoxy, things have come at the present day to such a pass, that if Moses himself arose from the tomb to cause all uncertainty to cease; if he interpreted his own book lite- rally ; if he expounded it as he had conceived it and reflected upon it; Jerusalem, Rome, Constantinople, and Geneva, [Great Britain, Germany, France, and the United States,] would convoke their Doctors of Divinity from all corners of the world, to prove to him — that he knows nothing about the genius of the Hebrew tongue — that his translation is contrary to the grammar and dictionary of Mr. This or Mr. That — that he does not pos- sess even common sense — that he is an impious (fellow) whose book they had done per- fectly right [Rome's orders, Xlll-XVIth centuries] to burn; and that it is wonderful how he had not been served so himself in the other world.” (205) Having now fulfilled my published pledges to the reader, so far as relates to the exhi- bition of a few atoms of the vicissitudes through which the Xth Chapter of Genesis has tra- velled to reach our day, I am obliged to bring this “ Archaeological Introduction” to an abrupt close at this point. The reasons are these : — When my colleague Dr. Nott, at Mobile (in April, 1852), agreed with me to erect a literary cenotaph “ To the memory of MORTON,” it was mutually arranged that, in our division of labor, he would undertake the anatomical and phj'sical department, embracing those subjects that belong to the Natural Sciences; while the execution of the archaeolo- gical and biblical portions was to devolve upon myself. No two men have ever worked together in the same harness with more perfect harmony of object. In the midst of professional engagements, whose onerous character none but the most laborious of the medical faculty can adequately appreciate. Dr. Nott, at the sacri- fice of every instant of repose, succeeded in accomplishing, not merely all that appertains to his part of our enterprise as set forth in Part I., but also the revision of my studies as exhibited in Part II. : each of us, notwithstanding, being wholly responsible for whatever naturally falls within the specialities severally assumed, but neither of us being fairly amenable for mistakes in other than our own departments as above classified. On the other hand — independently of three months, December 1852 to March 1853, spent by myself in travelling ; and aside from all supervisions of the press since the 25th of August — I devoted nearly twelve months of day and night to the performance of my “ spdcialitd ” of our joint undertaking; some of the fruits of which have been already sub- mitted to the reader’s criticism. Resolved, in my own mind, to pursue inquiries into biblical questions, once for all, usqu4 ad necern, m3' manuscripts have, I think, completely answered the Aristotelian proposition above stated as concerns the Pentateuch. Nevertheless, I postpone their publication : — * 1st. Because they do not direetty concern Ethnology, and the main subjects of this work. 2d. Because the printers assure me that my “copy” could not be condensed, satisfac- torily, within 300 more of these pages: thereby rendering it impossible to keep “Types of Mankind” within one volume. Ample, however, and far more gracing than a dry archaeological disquisition can be to the general reader, are the compensations which displace my own performances: and it is with unfeigned pleasure that, in order to make room for the papers of our collaborators, I