The Birth of a Race

by John Winthrop Noble

The Birth
of A Race

Scenario
by
John W. Noble
Rudolph De Cordova
George Frederic Wheeler

Personally Directed and Supervised
by
John W. Noble

Photography by
Herbert O. Carleton

Technique by
W. Bruce Bradley

Music by
Joseph Breil

Animated Paintings and Art Titles
by
Ferdinand Pinney Earle

COPYRIGHTED
MCMXVIII

BIRTH OF A RACE
PHOTOPLAY
CORPORATION

To You who love your fellow-men——who desire Peace upon Earth——the story of the birth of our glorious race is dedicated————for it is only through Love that we can reach the heart of mankind or the feet of God.

In the beginning God created the world to be a place of Peace—such was His thought in Creation.

God created heaven and earth and all that in them is....

...and from the earth made He man in His own image....

The first instinct of the first man was love and sympathy for all creatures.

And God saw that it was not good for man to be alone; and He caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam....

....and Eve was flesh of his flesh...

...and He sent them forth to have dominion over all things, and there was love in their hearts for they were of God a part.

And the sons of man multiplied and spread over the earth, and divided into groups and tribes. At the time of Noah they had forgotten God's thought in Creation—Equality—and gave themselves over to the folly of envy and prejudice.

...and God said unto Noah: 'The end of all flesh is come before me, for the earth is filled with violence through them...make thee an ark...for, behold, I do bring a flood of waters upon the earth!'

Noah and his three sons.

And into the night builded they upon the coming of God's promise.

Go! Bring the chieftains, that I may warn them of God's wrath!

And when he had gathered them together, Noah told them of their disobedience.

Why can ye not live in peace, one with another?

Behold my family, how they dwell in harmony!

But they had appointed themselves separate lands and had dwelt apart. Envy and prejudice, not brotherhood, swayed their hearts.

Even as they met, one tribe, secretly taking advantage of the absence of the chief of another, fell upon its village to avenge some worldly wrong.

And they fought as beasts—these men to whom God had given dominion over all things.

And Noah prayed with them through the night, for he knew that the wrath of God was near.

And the flood of waters came, and the world was destroyed because of its wickedness—because Man had disobeyed God and made war upon his neighbor. Noah and his sons alone were saved, that the earth might again be peopled with those of one family, among whom peace should reign.

Cycles of time roll on—and Egypt under the Pharaohs, now the mightiest power of the world, holds in bondage the Chosen People of God———the ancient Israelites.

And Pharaoh, fearing that a new leader might arise among his people, commanded that every Hebrew male child be cast into the river, so that he alone might reign.

The mother of Moses having hidden her baby from Pharaoh's soldiers who sought to slay it, devises a means to save it.

Pharaoh's daughter and her maidens came every day to bathe and play on the banks of the swiftly flowing Nile.

The tender heart of Pharaoh's daughter is touched.

And she calls his nane "MOSES" because in ancient Hebraic it means——"Taken from the waters."

The mother-heart lights with sudden hope as one of the maidens comes in search of a nurse for the child.

Do you know of this child?

Believing the babe to be a gift of the gods, she takes him to the Court of Pharaoh.

"Long has thou besought the gods, O Pharaoh, for an heir to the throne of Egypt!"

"Behold! The Divine Osiris hath sent unto thee this infant——floating upon the sacred bosom of the Nile."

"Osiris hath spoken! Go and proclaim that the infant—Moses—shall be my son and the heir to Egypt's throne!"

"And so Pharaoh not knowing that the infant Moses was a Hebrew, adopted him into his household. But the prudent mother taught him the traditions and religion of his own race, that he might later become their leader."

"Even though thou art an Egyptian Prince, remember the pure blood of Israel courses through thy veins."

"On the banks of the Nile, the Israelites in slavery, work under the lash of their cruel masters, hoping and praying to God for their deliverance."

Moses, now grown to manhood, plays his part as Prince to the Egyptian court; but deep in his breast he resents the persecution of his own people.

Death was the penalty for the slave who raised his hand against his master.

"Why hast thou, an Egyptian Prince, helped me a poor slave?"

Egypt's Prince no longer, I shall seek safety in exile, but with God's help I will return to avenge the wrongs of my people, for I too am a son of Israel.

And thus the sceptre that had been almost within his grasp is exchanged for a shepherd's crook, the luxury and power of Egypt for the barbarism, sand and stones of Midian.

He vanishes into the awful solitudes of Sinai, and we neither see nor hear from him any more for forty years.

Events had now ripened for another epoch, and the Divine Voice which had been silent for centuries speaks to Moses in a tongue of flame, calls him by name, and gives him his commission.

A new king had ascended the throne of Egypt, from whom Moses was to demand the liberation of his people.

Already have I called down plagues upon you—will you release unto me my people?

With the sublime faith "which hath moved mountains" Moses calls upon the Lord for a sign————and lo! there comes a thick darkness over all the land.

And Pharaoh in terror called unto Moses:

'Go ye; serve the Lord!'

Before the fear-stricken Pagans recover from their terror, Moses has lead his people into the wilderness.

And when Meneptha heard that the Israelites had fled, he made ready his chariots and pursued them.

And so Moses and Aaron led their people out of the wilderness to the Red Sea.

"The armies of Pharaoh that followed perished in the closing waters of the Red Sea, and the Israelites were delivered."

"The Children of Israel offer up a sacrifice for their deliverance."

Two months of desert journeys, and the Israelites camped at the holy mountain where Moses beheld the burning bush, and it was on this same mountain that he received-----

אנכי ה״	לא תרצח
לא יהי״	לא תנאף
לא תשא	לא תגנב
זכור את	לא תענה
כבד את	לא תחמד

Thus preserved on tablets of stone is the ancient Law which God gave to Moses——the Savior of the Israelites.

Thou shalt have no other Gods before me.
Thou shalt not make any graven image.
Thou shalt not take the name of God in Vain.
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Honor thy father and thy mother.
Thou shalt not kill.
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Thou shalt not steal.
Thou shalt not bear false witness.
Thou shalt not covet.

"This was the bravest warrior
 That ever buckled sword;
This the most gifted poet
 That ever breathed a word:
And never earth's philosopher
 Traced with his golden pen,
On the deathless page, truths half so sage
 As he wrote down for men."

Centuries later, God's thought in Creation—Equality—had again been forgotten; Rome held the world's millions in slavery, and persecuted them; so that God sent his only son, the Prince of Peace, on earth to redeem the world and bring it back to truth.

As the child grew to manhood he preached a new and strange gospel to the multitudes.

And among the vast throng that listened, were men of all races; but Christ made no distinction between them—His teachings were for all.

But they were filled with doubt and prejudice, and marvelled at his teachings.

'And again I say unto you: Love thy neighbor as thyself.'

And walking by the Sea of Galilee, He went up into a mountain to pray, and the multitude followed.

The teachings of the gentle Nazarene prove dangerous to those who rule Pagan Rome—and they seek to incite His Chosen People against Him.

According to the prophets He is now come to the city of Jerusalem where, as has been foretold, He is to undergo His passion and crucifixion.

Because He teaches love and peace, instead of strife———equality instead of slavery——He is brought to trial for heresy.

Christ before Pilate.

We found this fellow perverting the nation and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King!

Art thou King of the Jews?

Thou sayest it.

Crucify him! Crucify him!

Ye have a custom that I release unto you one at the Passover. Will you therefore that I release the King of the Jews, or Barabbas?

Barabbas! Barabbas!

Pilate therefore took Jesus and had him scourged.

And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put on him a purple robe.

But Pilate was troubled. Had not his wife been warned in a dream to have nothing to do with condemning this just man?

When Jesus was brought again before the judgment seat, Pilate's heart was filled with pity, and he took him out before the mob hoping for their mercy.

The rabble await the hour when Jesus shall be delivered unto them.

Crucify him! Crucify him!

Behold the Man!

"If thou condemnest not this Man, thou art no friend of Caesar's!"

Crucify him! Crucify him!

And when Pilate washed his hands of the whole affair, they took Jesus and led him away.

And John, the beloved disciple beholds the Master in the hands of the Roman soldiers and realizes the anger of the frenzied mob.

The far-reaching arm of Caesar using the frenzied, misguided mob as a tool to rid Judea of this dangerous man.

On the way to Calvary.

Learning that Christ is to be crucified, John hurries to the home of Mary the Mother.

Even in the midst of His own agony the Man of Sorrows stops to bless the beggar at the gate.

Exhausted from the fasting and scourging, Christ fell upon his burden, and one Simon is forced to carry the cross.

Simon of Cyrene.

And they nailed him to the cross between two thieves....

...and from the sixth hour there was darkness all over the land unto the ninth hour.

And behold, the veil of the Temple was rent in twain, and the earth did quake and the people were sore afraid.

"Father forgive them for they know not what they do."

Thus did they crucify Him, that the prophecies might be fulfilled and the world profit by his teachings.

And through the long hours of darkness the heart of Mary, the Mother, is crucified at the feet of her Son.

"And had he not high honor-
 The hillside for his pall-
To lie in state, while angels wait
 With stars for tapers tall;
And the dark rock-pines, like tossing plumes,
 Over his bier to wave,
And God's own hand, in that lonely land,
 To lay him in the grave?

But He did not die in vain. His gospel of peace and equality grew in the hearts of humanity———and fourteen centuries later Columbus prepares for his voyage of discovery that is to carry the gospel to the shores of the western world.

O'er unknown seas to unknown lands——this brave little band sails from the shores of Spain.

As the weeks pass into months and still no sight of land—even the superb courage of their leader fails to quell the fears of the crew.

At the moment when the expedition seems doomed to failure, the faithful friend of Columbus finds the green bush floating upon the water. It means but one thing———LAND!

The morning of October 12^th, 1492.

A new continent—a new race———bringing forth in their fight for freedom a long list of patriots whose names stand out along with that of Paul Revere.

And lo! as he looks, on the belfry’s height
A glimmer, and then a gleam of light!
He springs to the saddle, the bridle he turns,
But lingers and gazes, till full on his sight
A second lamp in the belfry burns!

How the farmers gave them ball for ball,
From behind each fence and farm-yard wall,

And then for the first time in the world's history, God's thought in Creation—Equality—was adopted by a people as the law for their Government—a government of the people, for the people and by the people.

....and it being our belief that all men are created free and equal...

In signing this document, I believe I will have affixed my signature to the greatest instrument that ever came from the pen of man.

Later, that great man Abraham Lincoln, whose soul was filled with love for his fellow man, brought forth a document—the Emancipation Proclamation—which forged the last link in the chain of human equality.

"With charity for all—and malice toward none———"

And when he is struck down by the bullet of the assassin, his death kindles the torch of freedom———which today is The Light of the World.

Even as the glorious life slowly ebbs away, he prays humbly to God for peace among his people.

And then the peace of earth is blighted once more by the scorching breath of the World War—which saps the very life-blood of the nations.

Side by side—brothers-in-arms—fighting the Cause of Mankind, no man says to the other—"What is thy creed?"

And far from bursting shot and shell, fond mother-hearts speak to HIM through baby lips————

————In prayer for those who, day by day, are joining the shadowy hosts who sleep in Flander's Field.

And in every home and hamlet where the voice of war is heard, the flower of the world's young manhood answers the call to arms.

Until at length the Dawn of Peace lightens the world.

Let us hope that it means the dawn of a brighter day when the race shall be born anew, with love—not strife—for its creed—————as taught by Moses and the Man Who Died Upon the Cross.

For

"Love is the essence of divinity,
The world's white blossom still unspoiled and pure;
The crown of human happiness and peace:
The golden thread that strong as iron band
Weaves in and out through all life's tangled skein;

That reaches from the cradle through the grave,
To end within the human heart of God
From which it emanates."

The BIRTH of a RACE

FINIS