Around the World List JM: 13 Most Mysterious Books in History

13 Most Mysterious Books in History

13. Beale Ciphers
Also known as the Beale Papers, it is a set of three ciphertexts, one of which supposedly reveals the location of buried gold, silver, and jewels estimated to be worth over $63 million as of 2011. The first ciphertext states the location, the second one contains the content of treasure, and the third one lists the treasure’s owners and their family history. The book originates from an 1885 pamphlet of a man named Thomas J. Beale who buried treasure back in 1820 in a secret area in Virginia. As of 2011, the second ciphertext is the only one that remains solved. Many people have tried to decipher the remaining two pamphlets, but all efforts remain unsolved.

12. Prophecies of Nostradamus
Possibly one of the most sought out books in history due to its unbelievable nature of foretelling predictions, it was written by Michel de Nostredame in 1555. He was considered a prominent astrologer in France during the 16th century, and many people highly respected his practice. The work of Nostradamus has predicted some events such as the rise of Adolf Hitler, The London Fire of 1666, the Iranian Revolution in 1979 and the September 11 terrorist attacks. While the book is based off on judicial astrology, it was heavily criticized by many scholars and astrologers, and the book remains prominent throughout history. His prophecies are available online for those who are curious. What do you think of his predictions?

11. Ripley Scroll Book
It was written by Augustinian alchemist and monk George Ripley in the 15th century. The book details his travels in Europe as he searched the land of secrets behind immortality and transmutation. The folklore states Ripley was able to transform lead into gold using an incantation in the pages by creating the philosopher’s stone. At the time alchemy was regarded as a mysterious subject due to its practical craft and private study to utilize physical substances to establish longevity and spiritual perfection. Despite the legend stating Ripley had reached eternal life, he passed away in 1490 at 75 years old.

10. Great Omar Book
Officially known as The Sangorski Edition of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, the book is stated to carry a curse that deemed it doomed from the beginning. First established by Francis Sangorski and George Sutcliffe, the book is considered to be valuable due to its precious jewel and gold binding. The book sank along with the Titanic, and it was unretrievable in the Atlantic ocean. A second copy that incorporated Sangorski’s original illusions were unfortunately destroyed during World War II. It took more than twenty years to complete the third copy which was donated to the British Library, after Stanley Bray, its maker passed away.

9. Popol Vuh
According to a story told by a Dominican priest, Francisco Ximenez, the Popol Vuh manuscript was gifted to him after he visited a small Guatemalan town. Popol Vuh meaning the Book of the People depicts an intricate creation tale that consists of cosmology teachings, planet origins, and four deities. Although the priest cites a parishioner in the town as a source, no manuscript has ever been found. This incident has lead many scholars to believe that it was stolen and that he should have never given access to it as the manuscript was thought to be an ancient secret. He wrote the oldest surviving written account in 1701, and the paper scrolls include a preamble and four parts.

8. Codex Seraphinus
Originally published in 1981, this illustrated encyclopedia was created by Italian artist and architect Luigi Serafini. Approximately 360 pages long it is written in an imaginary language called cipher alphabet. He was inspired to write it because he wanted to have a memento of a feeling Serafini remembered when he was a young child before he learned how to read. He stated that the alphabet and pictures looked like weird symbols and he knew they meant something. The book contains eleven chapters that cover a variety of topics that includes many animals, plants, machines, and taboo subjects like death, birth, and sexuality.

7. The Smithfield Decretals
Written in the fourteenth century as a collection of statutory law under the order of Pope Gregory IX , it was fairly common to write such manuscripts. However, its outlandish and unusual illustrations in the manuscripts gave it mystery and uniqueness. Drawings included unicorns and bears engaged in battle, as well as an old Yoda, and a knight fending off a giant snail brings many speculations to one’s imagination. Written by jurist Raymond of Penafort, the book’s developmental work was completed through two distinct stages. Currently, the manuscripts are part of the Royal Library's book collection, and it is preserved in Britain.

6. Liber Linteus
Also known as Linen Book of Zagreb, it is the only extant linen book and the longest Etruscan text known to be written. It only contains 230 lines of 1,200 words. The ancient text dates back 3rd Century BCE, and it remains a mystery due to the lack of knowledge of the Etruscan language. What is known about it, is that it refers to the Etruscan’s people way of life before the Roman Empire was established. Surprisingly the book was somehow preserved even after the Etruscans were defeated by Roman conquerors. The script was written on wrappings that covered a mummified Egyptian wife, and it was only discovered in the 1880’s after the mummy was donated to a museum.

5. Voynich Manuscript
Written in the early 15th century, it is the first known textbook that covers unknown botanical plants in an unknown language. Pictures in the book dictate plants in astronomical charts and drawings with interconnected tubes displayed with a female anatomy. The Voynich Manuscript is believed to have been written during the Italian Renaissance and has been studied by many cryptographers. The origin of the book has excited many people, and many hypotheses of its interpretation have been made. However, 240 pages of the book remain missing. The manuscript is named after antique bookseller Wilfrid M. Voynich in 1912 after he purchased it. The book is currently on display and preserved in a glass case, but a printed version is also available on Amazon.

4. Book of Soyga
It was first discovered by John Dee, a mathematician, and an occultist and it was believed to be lost for years until it was found in 1994 by a scholar in the British Library archives. Composed of almost two hundred pages, it details instructions and enchantments on how to perform magic, astrological concepts, summoning demons and much more. While most the book is written in Latin, there are also over 35,000 letters lined in 36 tables that appear to be a cryptogram. Taking into account the occult nature of the book, deciphering the book is said to bring revelation which is rumored to be a curse. Rumors say, anyone who solves the code, dies within three years.

3. Rohonc Codex
Not much is known about the Rohonc Codex. It was written by an unknown author in a strange language. The text was first discovered in the 19th century in Hungary, and many scholars who have tried to decipher the books can not come up with a point of origin, in which many Hungarian researchers speculate the manuscript is an 18th-century hoax. The book has 448 pages that consist of uncertain text and illustrations depicting religious and military scenes. Some crude drawings showcase a cross, the sun, cross and a swastika present. The symbols in the book are believed to be a syllabary or logographs instead of an alphabet. It remains undeciphered to this day, and it is available online for anyone who wishes to check it out.

2. Codex Gigas
Also known as the Devil’s Bible, it is the largest extant medieval manuscript in the world. It was believed to be created in the 12th century, and it contains large depictions of the devil. The book stands 36 inches tall and contains 320 pages, some of which remain missing. The missing pages are believed to be an encrypted text titled, “The Devil’s Prayer.” Codex Gigas has a rumored legend surrounding its creation. In one version, a monk in the middle ages broke his vows and was sentenced to be punished. In an attempt to spare himself, he promised to write a book that would please the monastery, but by the end of midnight, he knew he wouldn’t be able to complete it. So he decided to ask the Devil for help in exchange for his soul. The devil completed the book, and the book’s work is said to contain calligraphy that would have taken five years of continuous work.

1. Dead Sea Scrolls
Considered to be one of the greats manuscripts treasures of all time, the scrolls have been found in eleven caves across the Dead Sea Shore. First discovered by two goat herders in 1947, the last scroll was found in 1956. It contained many mysterious prophecies amongst other things written by Daniel, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. Many of these predictions had not been found in the Bible, and the scrolls are believed to over 2,000 years old. It is believed one of the scrolls contains an ancient treasure map that leads to 64 locations that have buried treasures.

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13 Most Mysterious Books in History

13 Most Mysterious Books in History

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