THE LENTULUS LEGEND IN POETIC FORM

Jesus of the Emerald; by Gene Stratton--Porter. Garden City; Doubleday, Page & Co. 1924. $2.50.

"Jesus of the Emerald" is a poetic version by Jone Stratton--Porter of the "Lentulus Legend" concerning the personal appearance of Jesus Christ. According to the legend, the Roman Emperor Tiberius Caesar sends an envoy, Publius Lentulus, to Palestine to secure information concerning Jesus of Judea. Lentulus reports the power and Influence of the Christ upon the people under Pontius Pilate. The Emperor is so much troubled and impressed by the report that he sends his master craftsman to draw the likeness of Jesus. This picture when shown to Caesar in Rome is so striking that he orders it transferred to a huge emerald from the treasury.

Afterword Best Part

The poem gives this legend in simple and unimpressive language. Somehow the note or afterword following the piece is far more interesting and sound than the poem itself. This gives the origin and what history is known concerning the legend. Taken all in all the poem is rather unconvincing but the interest in the legend is enough to make the work worth reading.