A book that is the oldest Confucian Classic, 尚書 also known as the Classic of History 書經 has been declared fake in parts by a Tsinghua University professor. By comparing the present edition of the Shang Shu with ancient documents written on bamboo strips - known as the Tsinghua strips 清華簡 - Professor Liu Guozhong, a specialist in ancient documents and their protection, found that part of the present edition contains passages that could not possibly have been edited by Confucius.
All Shang Shu passages - of which the present edition has 58 - are said to have been edited by Confucius (551-479BC) based on 100 government documents from earlier times and is considered to be the first amongst the Five Classics.
Liu found that at least two passages from the present Shang Shu based on an edition dating back 1,700 years, to be entirely different from passage with the same titles written on the Tsinghua strips from about 2,000 years ago.
The present edition had served as a textbook on politics for Chinese Emperors for more than a thousand years.
A carbon dating test in 2008 proved that the Tsinghua strips, which the university said had been smuggled out of the mainland, were more than 2,000 years old and could be from the Middle of the Warring States period - before the first Qin dynasty emperor unified the country and burned all historical records and Confucian classics in 221BC. They are considered to be China's earliest extant books.
Liu said that the Tsinghua strips should be from the genuine edition of Shang Shu. Chinese historians have questioned the authenticity of the present edition of Shang Shu for hundreds of years.
Following the First Emperor's order to burn all books , the Shang Shu was lost and found several times until someone claimed to own a copy of it during the Eastern Jin Dynasty (AD316 - 420) and that is where the present edition comes from.
The Tsinghua strips were given to the University in July 2008 in a laquered box with patters that were from the Chu Kingdom 楚國 and contain 2388 strips, including broken pieces. It includes many lost manuscripts including a copy of 《保訓》 which describes what Zhou Wen Wang 周文王 tells his son, Zhou Wu Wang 周武王 on this deathbed, and includes tales of the Emperors Yao and Shun 堯舜 as well as legends of his ancestors of the Shang Dynasty which have never been seen before. There are also copies of 周武王's musical poems 樂詩. These and other findings have literary as well as historical significance especially since the Musical Classic 樂經 has been lost.
All Shang Shu passages - of which the present edition has 58 - are said to have been edited by Confucius (551-479BC) based on 100 government documents from earlier times and is considered to be the first amongst the Five Classics.
Liu found that at least two passages from the present Shang Shu based on an edition dating back 1,700 years, to be entirely different from passage with the same titles written on the Tsinghua strips from about 2,000 years ago.
The present edition had served as a textbook on politics for Chinese Emperors for more than a thousand years.
A carbon dating test in 2008 proved that the Tsinghua strips, which the university said had been smuggled out of the mainland, were more than 2,000 years old and could be from the Middle of the Warring States period - before the first Qin dynasty emperor unified the country and burned all historical records and Confucian classics in 221BC. They are considered to be China's earliest extant books.
Liu said that the Tsinghua strips should be from the genuine edition of Shang Shu. Chinese historians have questioned the authenticity of the present edition of Shang Shu for hundreds of years.
Following the First Emperor's order to burn all books , the Shang Shu was lost and found several times until someone claimed to own a copy of it during the Eastern Jin Dynasty (AD316 - 420) and that is where the present edition comes from.
The Tsinghua strips were given to the University in July 2008 in a laquered box with patters that were from the Chu Kingdom 楚國 and contain 2388 strips, including broken pieces. It includes many lost manuscripts including a copy of 《保訓》 which describes what Zhou Wen Wang 周文王 tells his son, Zhou Wu Wang 周武王 on this deathbed, and includes tales of the Emperors Yao and Shun 堯舜 as well as legends of his ancestors of the Shang Dynasty which have never been seen before. There are also copies of 周武王's musical poems 樂詩. These and other findings have literary as well as historical significance especially since the Musical Classic 樂經 has been lost.
Very interesting, thanks a lot!
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