The Treatise of the Three Impostors
Encyclopedia
The Treatise of the Three Impostors (De Tribus Impostoribus) is the name for a probably mythical work supposedly denying all three Abrahamic religions - Christ, Moses and Muhammed. The existence of such a book, and the attribution of its authorship to various heretics and political enemies was a running theme from the 11th Century to the 18th when hoaxes in Germany and France produced two physical books.
Authorship of such a book is also laid at the door of various Jewish and Muslim writers.
in 1711. This gives a clue as to the provenance of the manuscript, now all but confirmed, as the work of the Irish satirist and freethinker John Toland
(Seán Ó Tuathaláin 1670–1722). Even if it is not by Toland, it is certainly from the early eighteenth century and traceable to Marchand's circle that included Jean Aymon and Rousset de Missy
and these may have edited Toland's hoax manuscript. It is unlikely to have been around since the time of Frederick II
which was part of the mythology of the manuscript. According to historian Silvia Berti
, the book was originally published as La Vie et L'Esprit de Spinosa (The Life and Spirit of Spinoza),containing both a biography of Benedict Spinoza and the anti-religious essay, and was later republished under the title Traité sur les trois imposteurs. It is believed the author of the book may have been a young Dutch diplomat called Jan Vroesen.
The document purported to be a text handed down from generation to generation detailing how the three major figures of Biblical religion: Muhammad
, Jesus
, and Moses
were in fact misrepresenting what had happened to them. At the time, this novel approach was used to allow thinkers to conceptualize a world where explanation ruled over mere "mystery", a term used for the miraculous intervention on earth by God. It was useful to both Deists and Atheists in legitimizing their world view and being a common source of intellectual reference.
The book was republished in Cleveland in 1904 by an anonymous publisher under the pseudonym "Alcofribas Nasier the Later" (using an anagram of François Rabelais, minus the cedilla on the c, which Rabelais used to publish Pantagruel)
, published a response to the hoax treatise entitled Épître à l'Auteur du Livre des Trois Imposteurs
, which contains one of his best-known quotations, "If God didn't exist, it would be necessary to invent Him."
This was responded to a century later by Mikhail Bakunin
, the anarchist political philosopher and activist, with "If God did exist it would be necessary to abolish him".
The myth of the Treatise of the Three Impostors
- 1239 Gregory IX ascribes such a work to Frederick II, Holy Roman EmperorFrederick II, Holy Roman EmperorFrederick II , was one of the most powerful Holy Roman Emperors of the Middle Ages and head of the House of Hohenstaufen. His political and cultural ambitions, based in Sicily and stretching through Italy to Germany, and even to Jerusalem, were enormous...
. - c.1250 Thomas de Cantimpré ascribes such a work to Simon de Tournai fl. 1184-1200.
- 1543 Thomas BrowneThomas BrowneSir Thomas Browne was an English author of varied works which reveal his wide learning in diverse fields including medicine, religion, science and the esoteric....
ascribes authorship of such a work to Bernardino OchinoBernardino OchinoBernardino Ochino was an Italian Reformer.-Biography:Bernardino Ochino was born in Siena son of the barber Domenico Ochino, and at the age of 7 or 8 around 1504 was entrusted to the Minorite order of Franciscan Friars, then from 1510 he studied medicine at Perugia.-1534, transfer to the...
.
Authorship of such a book is also laid at the door of various Jewish and Muslim writers.
De imposturis religionum
De imposturis religionum was an anonymous attack, possibly Jewish or Muslim, on Christianity published in 1598, but dated earlier by G. Bartsch. It became known in the auctioning in 1716 of the library of the Greifswald theologian Johann Friedrich Mayer. To this text the Jurist Johannes Joachim Müller (1633–1733) wrote the two missing parts - against Moses and Muhammed, and the finished work appeared 1753 as De Tribus Impostoribus.Traité sur les trois imposteurs
The first printing of Traité sur les trois imposteurs was accredited to the printer M.M. Rey, but may have existed in manuscript form for some time before it was published. The first trace we have of it as a manuscript comes from a letter to Prosper Marchand from his old friend, Fritsch. He reminds Marchand about how another friend, Charles Levier, got the manuscript of the treatise from the library of Benjamin FurlyBenjamin Furly
-Life:Furly was born at Colchester 13 April 1636, began life as a merchant there, and joined the early Quakers. In 1659–60 he assisted John Stubbs in the compilation of the 'Battle-Door.' George Fox records that this work was finished in 1661, and that Furly took great pains with it.Some time...
in 1711. This gives a clue as to the provenance of the manuscript, now all but confirmed, as the work of the Irish satirist and freethinker John Toland
John Toland
John Toland was a rationalist philosopher and freethinker, and occasional satirist, who wrote numerous books and pamphlets on political philosophy and philosophy of religion, which are early expressions of the philosophy of the Age of Enlightenment...
(Seán Ó Tuathaláin 1670–1722). Even if it is not by Toland, it is certainly from the early eighteenth century and traceable to Marchand's circle that included Jean Aymon and Rousset de Missy
Jean Rousset
Jean Rousset was a Swiss literary critic who worked on French literature, and in particular on Baroque literature of the late Renaissance and early seventeenth century. He is sometimes grouped with the Geneva School and with early Structuralism.-Biography:Jean Rousset began his studies in law,...
and these may have edited Toland's hoax manuscript. It is unlikely to have been around since the time of Frederick II
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick II , was one of the most powerful Holy Roman Emperors of the Middle Ages and head of the House of Hohenstaufen. His political and cultural ambitions, based in Sicily and stretching through Italy to Germany, and even to Jerusalem, were enormous...
which was part of the mythology of the manuscript. According to historian Silvia Berti
Silvia Berti
Silvia Berti is a history professor at the University of Rome La Sapienza. Her field of interest is European anti-Christian attitudes, Spinoza and Spinozism, the Huguenots, Jansenists and other opposition groups within French history.-Publications:...
, the book was originally published as La Vie et L'Esprit de Spinosa (The Life and Spirit of Spinoza),containing both a biography of Benedict Spinoza and the anti-religious essay, and was later republished under the title Traité sur les trois imposteurs. It is believed the author of the book may have been a young Dutch diplomat called Jan Vroesen.
The document purported to be a text handed down from generation to generation detailing how the three major figures of Biblical religion: Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
, Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
, and Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
were in fact misrepresenting what had happened to them. At the time, this novel approach was used to allow thinkers to conceptualize a world where explanation ruled over mere "mystery", a term used for the miraculous intervention on earth by God. It was useful to both Deists and Atheists in legitimizing their world view and being a common source of intellectual reference.
The book was republished in Cleveland in 1904 by an anonymous publisher under the pseudonym "Alcofribas Nasier the Later" (using an anagram of François Rabelais, minus the cedilla on the c, which Rabelais used to publish Pantagruel)
Answer of Voltaire
In 1770, the great Enlightenment satirist VoltaireVoltaire
François-Marie Arouet , better known by the pen name Voltaire , was a French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher famous for his wit and for his advocacy of civil liberties, including freedom of religion, free trade and separation of church and state...
, published a response to the hoax treatise entitled Épître à l'Auteur du Livre des Trois Imposteurs
Épître à l'Auteur du Livre des Trois Imposteurs
Épître à l'Auteur du Livre des Trois Imposteurs is an epistle in verse form written by Voltaire and published in 1770 . It is a letter to the anonymous writers and publishers of The Treatise of the Three Impostors...
, which contains one of his best-known quotations, "If God didn't exist, it would be necessary to invent Him."
This was responded to a century later by Mikhail Bakunin
Mikhail Bakunin
Mikhail Alexandrovich Bakunin was a well-known Russian revolutionary and theorist of collectivist anarchism. He has also often been called the father of anarchist theory in general. Bakunin grew up near Moscow, where he moved to study philosophy and began to read the French Encyclopedists,...
, the anarchist political philosopher and activist, with "If God did exist it would be necessary to abolish him".
External links
- Full Text provided by infidels.org
- Bio on Friedrick II -- subheading "Struggle with the papacy." (3/5ths of the way down the page) from the Encyclopædia Britannica