Page:The World's Most Famous Court Trial - 1925.djvu/300

296 Q—I mean that way?

A—I think it was a rebuke to them.

Q—A rebuke to them trying to go that way?

A—To build that tower for that purpose.

Q—Take that short cut?

A—That is your language, not mine.

Q—Now when was that?

A—Give us the Bible.

Q—Yes, we will have strict authority on it—scientific authority?

A—That was about 100 years before the flood, Mr, Darrow, according to this chronology. It is 2247—the date on one page is 2218 and on the other 2247 and it is described in here—

Q—That is the year 2247?

A—2218 B. C. is at the top of one page and 2247 at the other and there is nothing in here to indicate the change.

Q—Well, make it 2230 then?

A—All right, about.

Q—Then you add 1500 to that—

A—No, 1925.

Q—Add 1925 to that, that would be 4,155 years ago. Up to 4,155 years ago every human being on earth spoke the same language?

A—Yes, sir, I think that is the inference that could be drawn from that.

Q—All the different languages of the earth, dating from the Tower of Babel, is that right? Do you know how many languages are spoken on the face of the earth?

A—No, I know the Bible has been translated into 500 and no other book has been translated into anything like that many.

Q—That is interesting, if true? Do you know all the languages there are?

A—No, sir, I can't tell you. There may be many dialects besides that and some languages, but those are all the principal languages.

Q—There are a great many that are not principal languages?

A—Yes, sir.

Q—You haven't any idea how many there are?

A—No, sir.

Q—How many people have spoken all those various languages?

A—No, sir.

Q—And you say that all those languages of all the sons of men have come on the earth not over 4,150 years ago?

A—I have seen no evidence that would lead me to put it any further back than that.

Q—That is your belief anyway—that that was due to the confusion of tongues at the tower of Babel. Did you ever study philology at all?

A—No, I have never made a study of it—not in the sense in which you speak of it.

Q—You have used language all your life?

A—Well, hardly all my life—ever since I was about a year old.

Q—And good language, too, and you have never taken any pains to find anything about the origin of languages?

A—I have never studied it as a science.

Q—Have you ever by any chance read Max Mueller?

A—No.

Q—The great German philologist?

A—No.

Q—Or any book on that subject?

A—I don't remember to have read a book on that subject, especially, but I have read extracts, of course, and articles on philology.

Q—Mr. Bryan, could you tell me how old the earth is?

A—No, sir, I couldn’t.

Q—Could you come anywhere near it?

A—I wouldn't attempt to. I could possibly come as near as the scientists do, but I had rather be more accurate before I give a guess.

Q—You don't think much of scientists, do you?

A—Yes, sir, I do, sir.

Q—Is there any scientists in the world you think much of?

A—I do.

Q—Who?

A—Well, I think the bulk of the scientists—

Q—I don't want that kind of an answer, Mr. Bryan, who are they?