Sacred Scrolls

Sacred Scrolls
Object information
Creator(s)	Lawgiver
Owner(s)	Zaius
Continuity	Movies (APJ)

The Lawgiver was to the ape society a figure much like Moses, Confucius or Mao Zedong - his writings and quotes formed the basis of the apes' system of formal written laws and customs, particularly with regard to humans, whom the Lawgiver declared "the devil's pawn", to be shunned and driven out, if not destroyed outright. Statues of the Lawgiver were common around Ape City.

Marvel Comics Continuity

While the human race as a whole is subjugated as a lower slave class, some renegade bands of humans persist. In the year 2750, a particularly daring raid into a sizeable ape population sparks an outraged public cry from the apes. As a result, systematic destruction of the outlaw human bands is instituted. The Lawgiver of that era (whether at a regional level or more remains unclear) composes the Sacred Scrolls and their rather unflattering portrait of Humanity.

Malibu Graphics Continuity

Jacob, son of Virgil, was motivated to write the highly damning passages of the Scrolls by the prospect of the human Simon questioning both his place and that of his species in ape society.

Novels

Conspiracy of the Planet of the Apes

While the Lawgiver's 'Sacred Scrolls' were used and quoted daily by the apes, they weren't the only ape writings; secret scrolls told the details of the apes' rise to dominance, but were kept from the masses. Dr. Zaius, the Chief Defender of the Faith in the ape world some 1200 years after the Lawgiver, kept a copy of the Lawgiver's essential decrees in his coat pocket, but kept the secret scrolls under lock and key.

Content

2nd Scroll, Nemius and the Plague of Man

And so it was that God looked down from heaven upon Nemius and he was not pleased, for Nemius did not heed God's words set forth by the Lawgiver. Nemius and his sons had sinned, and this offended God. And so it came to pass that God set upon Nemius and his sons a vengeful plague. God called his plague Man. The plague of Man struck without mercy or compassion, for Man has no mercy or compassion. Man knows nothing other than violence and destruction, for this is how God made the savage creatures. God created Man as the instrument of his wrath.

"You strike down my children," Nemius said unto God. "The ground is soaked in the blood of those I love."

"God, Why have you done this?" Beseeched Nemius.

"Because you have sinned," Answered God. "You are arrogant, Nemius. You think greater than your fellow apes, and that makes you no better than Man."

Nemius heard God's words and he understood the error of his ways, yet he feared it was too late, for so many had been taken by the plague of Man. Nemius fell to his knees and begged God for mercy. "If you spare those i love, I will sin no more," Nemius pleaded. "God I beg you, give me strength to save my loved ones, give me the strength to end this evil plague, and I wil forever be your humble servant, free of sin."

And so it came to pass that Nemius was spared from the plague of Man.

2nd Scroll, Third Verse

A stick by itself is easily snapped. Many bundled together are nearly unbreakable.

5th Scroll, Fourth Verse

Do not be fooled. The truth is not always a place of comfort and warmth. Sometimes the truth is cold and harsh. Sometimes the truth is a place that strikes fear into the hearts of the most courageous apes. Take care not to hide from the pain and fear of the truth by seeking shelter within the comfort of a lie.

5th Scroll, Seventh Verse

And Vonus did try to reason with the human, that the Almighty had created the ape in his own image, had given him a soul and a mind, had set him apart from the beasts of the jungle and had made him lord of the planet. But lo, no matter how he tried, the creature could not comprehend this simple basic truth, the First Article of Faith, for man possessed not the sagacity of the ape, nor even of other primates. And so Vonus, who had hoped only to spare one of God's creatures, no matter how vile, had no choice but to expunge the beast.

6th Scroll, Sixth Verse

Let caution and patience guide your wisdom.

8th Scroll, Fifteenth Chapter, Ninth Verse

And when the human child reached out his hands to beg for bread from its father, he was instead given a scorpion.

11th Scroll, Fifteenth Verse

To arrive at a place of knowledge, one must first pass through a world of ignorance.

13th Scroll, Unknown Verse

And Proteus brought the upright beast into the garden and chained him to a tree, and the children did make sport of him.

29th Scroll, Sixth Verse

Beware the beast Man, for he is the Devil's pawn. Alone among God's primates... he kills for sport or lust or greed. Yea, he will murder his brother to possess his brother's land. Let him not breed in great numbers... for he will make a desert of his home and yours. Shun him. Drive him back into his jungle lair... for he is the harbinger of death.

31th Scroll, Second Verse

Death comes to all apes. It does not discriminate between the young and the old, the wise or the ignorant. Death does not care.

Unknown

And the Lawgiver said, trust not all that is before you. Indeed, learn to see with your ears, and hear with your eyes, so that deception knows not the path to your heart.

Sayeth the Lawgiver

In the beginning God created beast and man so that both might live in friendship and share dominion over a world at peace. But in the fullness of time, evil men betrayed God's trust, and in disobedience to His Holy Word, waged bloody wars, not only against their own kind, but against the apes, whom they reduced to slavery. Then God, in his wrath, sent the world a savior, miraculously born of two apes who descended on Earth from Earth’s own future. And man was afraid, for both parent apes possessed the power of speech. So both were brutally murdered. But the child ape survived and grew up to set his fellow creatures free from the yoke of human slavery. His name was Caesar.

In the aftermath of the Night of the Fire, Caesar was determined to bring civilization to his ape brethren. And so he spoke to them, the First Law: Ape shall never kill ape. And Caesar’s voice was strong. Apes in every nation heard the voice of Caesar, and so they became as Caesar, and stood beside him in defiance of man. First amongst them was Aldo, the gorilla, who turned man’s own words against him. And the first word was “No”. But Caesar knew that man possessed terrible weapons of fire and destruction and the will to use them against the apes. He knew a brutal cataclysm would befall them, so long as Caesar ruled man's city. Yet the armies of man remained silent. And the rulers of men became afraid that Caesar would learn their terrible secret and become as powerful as they. And soon the day came to pass when the fate of ape and man alike, rested in the hands of Caesar.

Yet in the aftermath of his victory, the surface of the world was ravaged by the vilest war in human history. The great cities of the world split asunder and were flattened. And out of one such city, our savior led a remnant of those who survived in search of greener pastures, where ape and human might forever live in friendship according to divine will. His name was Caesar and this is his story in those far-off days. We still wait, my children. But as I look at apes and humans living in friendship, harmony and at peace, now some 600 years after Caesar’s death, at least we wait with hope for the future.

...And so the last of the Man’s weapons was put away, And Caesar sealed the armory of Mandemus. To this day, apes and humans have lived together in friendship, harmony and peace.

...Wait for Taylor. Who--If when he comes, finds not a planet of lords and slaves, apes or humans--Will bless us, and live among us and who will make all things new once more and send us onward into a future that will have no end.

Notes

• The initial story treatment for MR Comics’ Revolution on the Planet of the Apes (then titled Combat on the Planet of the Apes) featured Tim Burton’s reimagining character Thade as the first Lawgiver and the author of the highly revered Sacred Scrolls verse warning, "Beware the beast man," referenced in the original Planet of the Apes film by Doctor Zaius.

Trivia

• The concept and name of the Sacred Scrolls were created by script-writer Michael Wilson.

Appearences

• Planet of the Apes
• Beneath the Planet of the Apes (mentioned)
• Escape from the Planet of the Apes (mentioned)
• Battle for the Planet of the Apes
• Planet of the Apes Magazine 11: Outlines of Tomorrow
• Planet of the Apes (Malibu Graphics) (issue #5)
• Conspiracy of the Planet of the Apes
• Planet of the Apes (BOOM! Studios)
• Planet of the Apes: Tales from the Forbidden Zone
• Planet of the Apes: Ursus
• Death of the Planet of the Apes
• Planet of the Apes Roleplaying Game