The 5 Most Mysterious Books Of All Time | Answers With Joe

From ancient unreadable texts to the 60-year fantasy world of a mentally ill recluse, these are the 5 most mysterious books of all time.
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LINKS LINKS LINKS
Codex Seraphinianus - buy it on Amazon!
amzn.to/2xYZyqM
Voynich Manuscript
Voynich Manuscript online
brbl-dl.library.yale.edu/vufi...
The Voynich Code
• The Voynich Code - The...
arstechnica.com/science/2017/...
arstechnica.com/science/2017/...
Rohonc Codex
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rohonc_...
www.historicalblindness.com/bl...
www.holybooks.com/wp-content/u...
bigthink.com/paul-ratner/5-str...
listverse.com/2014/03/30/10-o...
www.marianotomatis.it/blog.php...
rohoncbyoancea.blogspot.com/20...
The Book of Soyga
www.esotericarchives.com/soyga...
ciphermysteries.com/2015/12/25...
The Vivian Girls
The Good Stuff on Henry Darger
• The Secret Life and Ar...
In The Realms of the Unreal
• The Realms of the Unre...

[@CarFreeSegnitz]

Yeah, I had an indecipherable book. I carried it around with me for a few years. The only thing I knew for sure was the title, "Calculus".

[@Infiniteredshift]

Lenard Segnitz lol

[@JohnSmith-bw6pv]

why does it go counterclockwise!!

[@jimcampbell9998]

Let me know if someone figures it out. I had the same book.

[@Bennnnnnnski]

John Smith Anticlockwise is the default positive direction for things like civil engineering, that might be why

[@nekaana]

'It's some kind of Elvish. I can't read it.'

[@willwalkleyripwilldabeast8845]

Historians viewing my handwriting centuries from now: “Is this a new language?”

[@kraxman3356]

can't even read your own handwriting gang is lit

[@entropy59122]

My handwriting sucks too!

[@adamwebb9545]

I started writing illegibly because I was a scout in the army and if they got my notes they wouldn’t understand it. And my daughter goes through my journal and I’m a cutthroat journaler

[@beardlessodin945]

Ladies and Gentlemen... an ancient language has been uncovered, yet to be deciphered. Sirs, Misses, I give you: _chickenus scratchatorius!_

[@annekabrimhall1059]

My son knows that language 😂

[@domilontano]

When I was a bored and lonely, 18-year-old introvert, I started making up my own language. Almost 20 years later I still keep up the project, and for no other reason than it engages my brain and it's fun. Not that unlikely that some bored teenager 600 years ago had the same idea.

[@dreadlordhg360]

Can you give us a sample bruv?

[@haroldinho9930]

Sample please?

[@xbrandi12345x]

This is so cool you have kept it going so long!! Have you taught anyone the code so you can secretly converse with them??

[@everythingmustgo4478]

give a sample

[@ZiRR0]

Please do so and baffle the people of the future.

[@lillystryker8570]

Imagine being one of those kids from his high school, then coming across this video and having one of the biggest mysteries of your teen hood unlocked.

[@meanmontus]

Good one Lilly :)

[@amethyst1826]

I was thinking just that! 😆😆

[@celinak5062]

One of those committed and got 44 likes

[@haroldinho9930]

Yeah that’s what I was thinking, but he said that in the video

[@bluebaconjake405]

@fractured eyes or maybe you didnt even happen.

[@DonFervo]

My doctor wrote me a note yesterday and today not even he can figure out what he meant to say so ... checkmate

[@Attabasca]

Just give it to a pharmacist. We are very adept in that particular code. ;P

[@zayoon7495]

😂😂😂😂

[@NickRoman]

That's funny, but I think that that would be the key to ever deciphering the Voynich manuscript. If you guess the topic and know enough about it, then also use information theory to try to guess what some of it says without first figuring out the language, then maybe you can figure out the language from there. So, guessing what the author likely said would be more important than matching patterns.

[@ReuvenF957]

I always wondered how the pharmacists read the doctors' writing until I worked in a pharmacy, The pharmacist had a special, private number to call and simply asked the doctor: "What the hell did you write here? What are you? A frog with Parkinson's' disease?

[@TheTeufelhunden68]

@@Attabasca Is Latin still used? I know it was when I was a kid, but I thought it went out with cursive handwriting. I HAD to learn it as a kid. Catholic school and all.

[@yolandaponkers1581]

The man who wrote Story of the Vivian Girls deeply touched me. The fact that a child's murder during his own childhood caused him to create a lifelong fantasy world wherein he's the "protector of children" really breaks my heart. What a sad, troubled soul. I hope he's at peace now.

[@jaymethodus3421]

Matt C it would make for a fucking epic movie.

[@DavidvdGulik]

You should watch Neverwas. It's a movie a little like this, and it's awesome

[@Zenas521]

Not a epic move, but a epic trilogy. Remember he wrote this tale in secret for most of his life. The story would be massive.

[@jeremyhuff6158]

Matt C some sources actually believe he was a pediphile! Don't lose sleep over him!!

[@Sara3346]

Based on what?

[@sketchingbird8772]

Apparently, alchemists are known for writing in code and then sending their work to other alchemists. Which has caused great frustration to historians.

[@eekee6034]

That makes so much sense. (No sarcasm.)

[@paulthe2mikolajdupontsrens586]

So did al and Elric got there body back?

[@RedCloudGawdian]

@@paulthe2mikolajdupontsrens586 Elric is their surname. Al and Ed my friend.

[@paulthe2mikolajdupontsrens586]

@@RedCloudGawdian oh damn I just noticed it. Lol.thanks for letting me know that lol

[@Oceanrex]

Kinda halarious to be honest.

[@ethanvetter7289]

i wish all of these books were “remade” for sale. these would be some cool coffee table books

[@Um_And_Num]

And the more people that have access to it, the more of a chance of them being translated

[@lordodysseus]

I would pay so much for a physical copy of the The Voynich Manuscript. It's such a creepy book that just fascinates me to no end.

[@cupriferouscatalyst3708]

I feel like that shouldn't be too hard to make happen, they're old enough that you wouldn't have to worry about any legal trouble, so it'd just be a matter of recreating them without damaging them.

[@8-bitato]

@@Um_And_Num i dont think any of the uneducated people would even have a chance

[@isaacthecorncob]

@@lordodysseus I'm so fascinated by the Voynich Manuscript. I think my dream would be to somehow decipher the thing. That, and Cicada

[@Hemdentraeger]

The thing is, the topic this guy talks about aren't so special or unique. Especially not on KZbin. You've got a lot of "top five mysterious things that happened[...]" all around KZbin. But most of these channels just make a countdown or read of wikipedia. Joe talks about the things, explains and tries to interpret. That makes it much more interesting, more lively.

[@Minority119]

Ikr It's like he's holding coversation or telling you something he's hype about instead of just rattling off stuff

[@professor_roundhead]

Yes he does. I just found him and commented on how easy his vids are to watch. He makes them interesting to watch. I don't have to stop watching one of the "top 5" videos just to search for it and watch a separate video on 1/5 videos (or all sometimes lol) just to find out anything actually on the subject UNLESS I want to.. Just enough info. Keep it up man thanks again for the vids

[@katybug6572]

Exactly! I’m Sooo glad I found him while trapped at home on this lovely winter snowstorm night! I’m really enjoying & binging many of his vids rn, they’re so interesting yet include a lil humor, I love it! 💜👍🏻

[@martymcmannis9121]

Tries to interpret but can't because of his beliefs.

[@CaliforniaCarpenter7]

Agreed. The dedication is much appreciated, we end up learning more than factoids, but can instead explain things in context.

[@crispyandspicy6813]

Imagine what will hapen 500 years later when archeologists will have to decypher memes and emojis

[@8-bitato]

Those things wouldn't probably be buried if humans continued to live -_-

[@8-bitato]

Besides i think they would be carried on as tradition

[@8-bitato]

Btw emojis wouldn't have to be decyphered

[@DCapybara]

Emoji are drawing of people's emotion.....like you wouldn't have to decipher it.

[@chad6846]

Crispy and Spicy *_W E E D E A T E R_*

[@MGC-1977]

Voynich Manuscript was a medieval instructional manual on how to program a medieval VCR.

[@talmage_ur]

which would explain the tubing and the ladies are showing how to connect it all. Makes sense ; - )

[@sheenal4868]

😄

[@benny_lemon5123]

"Alas, tis Betamax..."

[@daemonthorn5888]

It is a hoax, "mystery book". These things were a fad for awhile.

[@MGC-1977]

@@daemonthorn5888 I like my idea better.

[@smellthel]

Imagine if one of these books is just a joke book

[@talmage_ur]

Yes, like a twisted version of MAD magazine.

[@mslightbulb]

Or something like Zaum. Not even a language, just symbolic phonemes and rhythms.

[@DK-tv6rk]

Yes one of them is a joke book

[@jataim4197]

You know what's a joke? Life!

[@aidanmatthewgalea7761]

the codex seraphinianus could be called that

[@pelgervampireduck]

when I was in highschool I wanted the whole class to learn morse so we could cheat during tests. nobody went along with my idea...

[@yeahoh2222]

Pelger i would've uwu

[@brandenapexo604]

That’s a decent idea

[@Bruh-ud1mm]

Unless if the teacher knows morse

[@congriofrito]

you where ahead of your time, that's genius material

[@GudBoyeNull]

That’s sad

[@timothygreer188]

Imagine if the author was dyslexic, wrote phonetically and grew up in a diverse multi-lingual community, like a trade market. The herbology part makes sense. Use the flowers of one plant, leaves from another and the roots of yet another. Given the astrological part, maybe Celestial Seasonings cracked the code.

[@ashutoshchakravarty2669]

FBI wants to know your location -> Allow -> Block

[@scottmantooth8785]

a good theory...being dyslexic myself i know how exactly weird letters, numbers and musical notes can look all jumbled together...and i've always had an interest in constructed languages

[@ronniebillhicks]

Nice,......great theory

[@CharlesBosse]

I mean, that was before dictionaries, right? Everyone was writing sort of phonetically. Also, this book does date from the time of DaVinci, who wrote in mirror very intentionally and for good reason: it's also the time of Galileo, and we know the church was especially powerful and unfriendly to science, medicine, or anything even slightly outside of its domain, up to and including, of course, witch trials. If you were a traveling merchant or something, you might have just enough knowledge of, say, latin, Greek, Arabic, Norse and Hebrew to sort of put them all together (what this looks like to me), have a strong desire to preserve dieing knowledge from village women (that you knew were especially likely to die of plague, persecution, or childbirth before passing their knowledge on) and be HIGHLY motivated to make sure the church never decided you were the author. Maybe a little too motivated. As for the art, while I don't think there is any reason to think this was the work of a "great", it's not actually so bad if you assume it was scrawled quickly. Compare this to the sketches of Dahli, or the quick drawings of cartoonists doing story boards, and it's not too shabby. My guess is that this comes from a trained hand, but was not careful work. Again, you wouldn't want it to be identifying, and you would want to record as much as possible before moving on. It looks, stylistically, a bit like illistrated manuscript, and might well pull from some of those ideas or come from someone who had that kind of training but disagreed with what the church was doing to women. We probably won't know for sure until it is actually deciphered but it's not hard to see why someone would cipher it in the first place.

[@bulletsfordinner8307]

You are onto something.. There's a documentary on the voynich book that a scholar with the help of his son cracked it. He says he was most likely written in and old from of Turkish but the person who wrote it wrote it like he heard the words, meaning he wasn't very literate so he wrote phonetically. Also the person trying to write Turkish maybe have not been of Turkish nationality.

[@endergamer7483]

Is it just me or does the Vivian girls book need to be published as a series? Like I would definitely read this, especially as a child obsessed with Narnia and a Series of Unfortunate Events.

[@skycraze6678]

Back when I was in middle school, I made a cipher that no one can read cause I was frustrated that people kept on looking through my notebooks and sketchbooks. So now I have several boxes full of notebooks filled with stories, notes and drawings written in that code and I often wonder what would happen if historians found my cringey ass angsty teenage books and decided that it's some sort of mysterious artifact some time in the distant future. (Nowadays ,as an animation student, I just use it to censor spoilers, curse words and other stuff in my sketchbook and also for world building, art projects, story telling and even as a font once for my final project for typography class)

[@zeikjt]

If it's just a simple 1 to 1 substitution cipher and there's plenty of the cipher in notes then you can pretty quickly identify the language and mapping to real alphabets based on statistical analysis since different languages have different letters appearing at different rates. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frequency_analysis

[@Manj_J]

Okay that is very cool!

[@AK-rx8gp]

im scared i've watched this video three times and each time i've forgotten ive watched it before until the part with the vivian girls... imma leave this comment to remind myself next time...

[@bettyacosta183]

Lol

[@gracehaven5459]

Are you sure you aren't trapped in The Twilight Zone??

[@cupajoe99]

Happened to me before too. I always remember his story from the beginning, but I forget some of the actual content, lol

[@revolverguy]

The weed will do that.

[@royrodgersmcfreely2858]

"Help, I'm stepping into the twilight zone"

[@scottlee600]

I did a similar thing in high school: friends and I used an alternative alphabet that used made up symbols. It looked like a foreign language, or encrypted, but it was really 1-to-1 against the English alphabet. Regardless, it was enough to conceal messages from teachers who inevitably confiscated our notes and failed to be able to read them aloud to the entire class.

[@milkhbox]

I can imagine the smug smile you likely had when the teacher attempted to read it. XD

[@gunkmoney]

Scott Lee You: Oooooohhhh noooooo, my notes were confiscated, woe is me... Teacher: Apparently, these students think that they can have a secret conversation! Bah! *ahem* The letter E... 16... a lamp on a table... a snake... 15... a backwards 4... a question mark... okay, nevermind.

[@solomonrivers4204]

It makes me sad to think students won’t feel the excitement one gets from passing notes and feeling like a spy. As well as that stomach dropping sensation when you’d inevitably get caught

[@dj33036]

@@solomonrivers4204 My science teacher read my note to a friend out loud during class "Miss Herman lays green bricks."

[@TheOficialShortKing]

Just clicked because im tired of looking at that horse/grub thing on my recommended

[@Gigachild]

Yeah me too

[@monas.6839]

Yeah, it just looks wrong on so many levels!

[@i.g.sloosnav1338]

Panda NuevoLeon yep

[@joang503]

Samedt.

[@Ashenicky2009]

I seriously thought it was a horrible std that some guy had. Then I finally figure it out lol.

[@OhighOSkater]

I absolutely hate when I have sax and become an alligator. Big sad every time

[@jimjambananaslam3596]

I heard they make pills for that.

[@edholohan]

Just say NO!

[@churyuu8458]

fr it happened to my uncle.

[@svdderdvze6070]

Many sads

[@420frankp]

Alligator tears

[@ColpoRosso]

"Hey Uriel, do you know anything about this code?" "Let me see... mmmhh, I think I can't help you with this, human. You should try to contact my colleague Michael, he might be able to make something of it" Brilliant

[@joescott]

+Colpo Rosso 😂

[@lance4842]

And then Michael was like "nah bruh try Castiel".

[@hrishijagadees1234]

Dwight schrute as Uriel - "Micheal! "

[@agroteraaaa]

that seems on brand for uriel tbh

[@FinkPloyd504]

This whole thing reminds me of the Dresden files

[@PierreH1968]

It is interesting how the Voynich manuscript drawings are easily attributed to a child like drawings. But they are very typical of early middle age drawings before the introduction of perspective drawings techniques used during the renaissance. The missing pages, never published contain the key. Interestingly enough what made it harder to decipher than the hieroglyphics, is the custom Greek derived phonetic characters.

[@daisyslusher1281]

if i can push back on the drawings argument, it’s important to compare the Voynich manuscript to other contemporary works. manuscript illumination was its own style that many people took years to master-the drawings of the Voynich manuscript are pretty rudimentary and childlike compared to other illuminations from the same time. it’s a misconception that during the middle ages “everyone forgot how to draw,” there was just a widely accepted style like in any other period of art history.

[@sandyjamison5929]

I wonder how many "mysterious" books are people's attempts to deal with mental illness. Today, many therapists tell us to keep a diary or journal to help us deal with nightterrors, PTSD, depression, anger and so forth. Maybe, some of these mysterious books simply weren't meant to be read by anyone except the author. Just a thought 🙂 Take care everyone! ❤

[@smellthel]

I thought it said most dangerous books Imagine someone’s tombstone saying “death by book”

[@bemusedbandersnatch2069]

Clubbing someone to death with _War and Peace_ would probably be both doable and weirdly ironic...

[@smellthel]

@@bemusedbandersnatch2069 yes

[@revolverguy]

The communist manifesto probably holds that title. Somewhere around 100 million deaths associated with it.

[@lukesmith8896]

Anthrax between every page

[@florianellerbrock8922]

Charles born XXXX death XXXX course of death DEATH BY BOOK

[@charlie2.048]

Really cool video. Small note: Tourette's isn't a mental disorder. It's a neurological disorder.

[@peachybeck]

Charlie 2 back then it wasnt,, u were locked up for anything

[@candlesticc]

Even some women were sent to mental hospital if they were just sad

[@thegodofmushrooms7180]

Yea no shit

[@SR-wm1kr]

ASS CHEEKS!

[@asmaangel1088]

These archangels are like some kind of tech support helpline.

[@downwired]

I'm doing my thesis (linguistics and traductology) on the terminology cooccurrences found in the Voynich manuscript....please wish me luck.

[@DatDude_]

How's the progress?

[@ulrikahaggard9923]

No

[@jakecross4628]

Good luck, do visit the "Voynich Ninja" website that will help you a lot.

[@downwired]

@@DatDude_ so far, no real interesting progress, unfortunately. I'm not giving up!

[@downwired]

@@jakecross4628 I will certainly have a look, thank you!

[@SuperMissblueeyes]

You've inspired me to buy a copy of the Voynich Manuscript. My current theory as a health scientist & an ex-midwifery assistant is that it's a book of herbal medicine as you mentioned.

[@djyahtzee7260]

I found a copy of the Voynich Manuscript in PDF and am going through it page by page. Quite an experience. Now I'm going to look for these others.

[@ItsOKtobeNormal]

Do you happen to have a link on that pdf by chance?

[@capturefield4949]

What about the codex Gigas? It’s also known as the devils bible. It’s a HUGE book that was said to be written in only a day by a banished monk who asked Satan to help him write it as he knew he never could (as the legend goes). Modern science can’t explain its existence because for it to exist the person writing it would have to write for over 5 years nonstop (no sleeping bathroom eating etc.) and that’s just the written section which doesn’t include the many intricately illustrated full page pictures (the book was the size of a dinner table) and btw this book is currently being kept in a Swedish museum you can look it up here’s a link to he wiki page en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Codex_Gigas

[@yf6461]

That's the voynich manuscript

[@AlaskanPotHead]

It's not the Voynich manuscript. A different history. The erie part is that it's the same persons handwriting throughout, and showed no signs of fatigue.

[@capturefield4949]

InfernalChaos the crazy part is that they had no technology at the time it was written that could have substituted for his writing. The book Was written completely by hand.

[@dr.lyleevans6915]

Funnel Cake that was figured out I think. It was a monk who spent a lifetime writing it

[@rocksaltzwidaz3411]

The content itself isn't really mysterious since it's really just a manuscript of the Bible

[@guitarhero8110]

I also went through a cypher creating phase in middle/high school.

[@mayrln]

i once wrote a mini book that was written entirely in my own cypher-language. it was about 50 pages. and i basically wrote it like a diary. only one friend knew i did this. and one day we decided to troll the whole class by leaving my book under the desk of "the silent kid". you know every class had one kid like that. people thought he was possessed or followed by ghosts/aliens. it was fun as hell.

[@linkalot7415]

@@mayrln wow that's dedication

[@thejokestersquad3686]

@@mayrln I'm aware that I'm very late to this, but as a fellow silent kid I disapprove of this, last thing I'd want is having everyone else think im crazy or some shit

[@gracehaven5459]

Me too, my best friend and I would write letters to each other in symbols, it was a lot of fun

[@AliceTheWoofingCat]

I actually had a similar experience making a cipher for myself! I called it The Spiropictolic Cipher, because instead of the words all going in a neat line across the page, each word was a collection of symbols that twisted into a spiral. It was phonetic and had different shapes associated with different sounds. Sharp as in a k or t, blunt like b or d, smooth as in s or v, light as in f or h, and heavy like m or l, and each vowel was represented by a series of loops and spikes, the number of which indicating what it was in order of aeiouy

[@WhispyWoods.]

I gotta say, your content and delivery is so good I find myself rewatching old vids I've already seen because I enjoy them so much.

[@bluelobster56]

Variety is a good thing, so 👍 on the topic. Very nice the way you started with the "boredom" anecdote. Thanks, Joe!

[@scronyx]

You should do another one of these but with languages, like the harappan language.

[@scottmantooth8785]

would like to see one of what linguist think English will sound like in 100 or 200 hundred years given how strange old English sounds to us today

[@cainwomble7211]

I love how he links more information for every topic he discusses. Genuinely binging your videos through this pandemic haha

[@egomaniac7230]

I'm going to make up my own language, write the bee movie script in that language in a book and then bury it somewhere for the future humans to find and try to decode.

[@cmelton6796]

Except don't actually use that script, but another one. Since you told what you wanted to do, you've given them an invaluable head start.

[@egomaniac7230]

@@cmelton6796 yeah. I have been thinking about this for a while and I'm going to make something very high effort.

[@TheWafflesalsa]

Cool topic... I wouldn't mind more videos around cryptography. It might also be cool to do a video about books/codes that were deciphered after being a mystery for a long time.

[@joescott]

+James L Cool.

[@UnpleasantAlex]

Joe Scott I'd enjoy that as well.

[@yf6461]

Joe Scott yes pls

[@cherylwade4365]

James L Look for a. Variety puzzle book by the magazine rack. There are cryptograms and logic puzzles.

[@ellroye7529]

I like the anecdote at the start of the vid, thanks for the story Joe.

[@sleepys5876]

I love this. I am so interested in linguistics as well as ancient history and the history of language development. This is very interesting. Thank you!

[@audreejamie4873]

Recently found your channel so have been binge watching videos. Super amazing content!! Thank you 🙏🏼

[@asneecrabbier3900]

So it was you..the writer of the “alien script”

[@magiv4205]

CrabbierBull 391 Bwahahahaha I hope you're the real deal cause that would be awesome XD

[@asneecrabbier3900]

Magi V i knew someone who told me they found some weird text at their school and he sent me the link to this video

[@PartnershipsForYou]

Combo breaker

[@thepupil2]

Thanks for covering the Voynich Manuscript. I never followed up on that report that it was a gyno-script, so I never would have known it had been debunked. JOE ROCKS! - seriously, with the preface that your information is really a first glance with the depth of a little curiosity makes most of your videos an interesting primer to all the interesting questions that still remain out there. Thanks, Joe.

[@ToxikBox]

This just reinforces how much i already love puzzles, cryptography, codes and conlangs. The idea of having this puzzle box with a weird unknown language and number ciphers and codes is so fucking COOL to me, and it fascinates me how much of these kinds of things exist not just in fiction/unfiction, but in real life. You have to wonder how many of these types of books exist out there that nobody has solved, or even found

[@katybug6572]

Wow! Joe ur now one of my fav KZbinrs! I’m Sooo glad I found you while trapped at home on this lovely winter snowstorm night! I’m really enjoying & binging many of ur vids rn, they’re so interesting yet include a lil but of humor too, I love it! Keep ‘em coming plz!! 😉💜👍🏻✌🏻

[@gauravmanwani9148]

Rohanc Codex- Can't say about the language, but the script isn't the current Devanagari (the one in which we write hindi, usually.)

[@onebaddab6767]

Just found your channel and I love it! I'm gonna binge watch now. Thank you!😊😊😊😊

[@mesmerizefragaria]

I need to talk about this experience before I forget about it (although I probably won’t ever). On a wild acid trip I started looking at the Voynich manuscript out of curiosity, because I remembered of its existence… the illustrations started to move, they had life on their own. It had like a short film extension, nothing too fancy. I was blown away… it stills gives me chills thinking about what unfolded right in front of my eyes.

[@massonman9099]

Fascinating. Had heard of Dee and the Voynich, but not the other three. Thanks for a great article.

[@colinlarson9656]

Excellent video. Very happy I stumbled upon this. Subbed.

[@6simser6]

I have the Codex Seraphinianus. I use it all the time in my art classes. Most of the time I use it to stimulate the students to use their creativity. I have a whole course around using your mind and fantasy to create a whole world and I started it because of this book. The paper is also very 'odd' if you feel it. It's not like other paper that bookmakers use. The kids love looking at it. Tho... I use a paperclip to 'close off' the human-to-alligator-sex pages.

[@user-ho4oc1ep9f]

Im on a binge! I cant stop lol Love your videos

[@bb-kc9be]

I've just subscribed after the first video, but the fact you turn around like a bad guy in an 80s cartoon in the start of your videos have me hooked. Good job.

[@moonshinescuriosity9501]

In 5th and 6th grade I learned Tolkien’s runes. I had memorized them. My friends had written them down and we’d pass notes like this. I could read the notes quick. So I was the best at it, but it was still fun. Granted it’s pretty easy. Most of the dwarven runes and letters match up well, tho there are a few missing letters that we made made a couple of the symbols interchangible with ceratain letters. I still have it down when I see it and can read it.

[@erickfo]

Amazing channel, with interesting and well researched information. I also love the fact that you have a copy of Atlas Obscura in your bookshelf!

[@Bubbin]

This a fun channel. Thank you for all your hard work. You give KZbin a lot of credibility.

[@Summa-Bona]

I like it how you tell a personal story before you start your show, it's really nice

[@asciisynth]

These archangels are like some kind of tech support helpline.

[@kumichozz]

The Devil’s Bible also comes up a lot when researching mysterious books.

[@johnmqueripel2367]

Love your delivery, interesting topic, well done.

[@badjemima]

Your vids are amazing - off the wall sometimes, but always informative and fascinating!

[@katietaylor8314]

When I was in highschool I created my own cipher too! I even taught myself how to write in it and started a coded journal. Not because I was bored; it was for a series of fantasy novels I was so sure would be my ticket to fame. (Spoilers: It wasn't).

[@someone857]

I would read that, a novel that starts in English or whatever, and slowly changes into the weird cipher. Huh, I should make it.

[@bogwife7942]

its gratifying to know how many other people also tried to hand write an ambitious fantasy novel in middle/high school

[@isaacbernath]

Encryption expert: Alan Turing: hold my beer

[@crystalm4324]

So a Christian, a Muslim, and a Jew walk in to a bar.... 3 days later: The Rohonc

[@EsterVanderWalttube]

That would be nice to hear about books even older than these... like the kumran scrolls and others... some are really interesting like for instance the copper scroll and there are so many more. I really enjoyed this one thank you!

[@TheMartinChronicles]

Amazing video sir ordered the Codex, the Manuscript and threw in Jung's Red Book as well.

[@DDwayne]

Your stuff keeps coming yo in my feed and I keep watching so we must like the same stuff. Smart people are cool A. F.

[@twinklybubblybits]

“Something completely unheard of...(Joe) “like you do..” 😂👌🏽I love this.

[@jerrie1946]

loved it as usual. your work is always interesting.

[@MikeJones-gz9xz]

New here. Love the format and topic. Thanks man keep it up

[@suicidesquid3581]

I have a mysterious book in the loo with all the pages stuck together.

[@twosencefromcleveland6084]

MAN! That's hilarious!

[@carlosanchez1224]

Epic

[@taco6989]

Is it called The Hustler Manuscript by any chance?

[@michaelhoste_]

I had a pretty serviceable code for a while in high school.. until a teacher and prefect cracked something I’d written on the board. I don’t remember using it much after that. [Tip: Always have a symbol for ‘space’ or else it’s a dead giveaway.]

[@Alucard-gt1zf]

I mean the fact a single symbol appearing after every word sized length of other symbols would also be a dead giveaway

[@michaelhoste_]

@@Alucard-gt1zf Not necessarily - what is a ·word length'? Several solutions tho. Have a couple of possible space symbols eg þ or ř or ¥. Or maybe modify the last letter before the space eg with an extra bit on it. etc But having a continuous string of symbols would be a lot better than just spaces! Edit: Got it. Put spaces in randomly that mean nothing but have another symbol for a real space (eg. þ) "i tþwou ldþlookþ li k eþth is" (where the letters were also symbols).

[@icarusbinns3156]

A penpal and I used to write pages-long letters back and forth using Anglo-Saxon runes and the Royal House cipher from the book Triss. Lots of fun to do that

[@seaham3d695]

Loving the topics and the content got me hooked.

[@jongolder6948]

I enjoyed that a lot, good video.

[@WCM1945]

Yeah... My high school chemistry textbook was indecipherable. For me, anyway.

[@ccreel64]

Thank you for a fascinating video! The only book I knew of was the Voynich Manuscript.

[@jessicataylor4182]

I think your great! Love the way you tell a little sorry at the beginning, your a cool dude :)

[@viscache1]

I had a book that was an original print (1st special ed) dated 1611. There are three in existence and I searched for, and waited for one to come up for sale, for over 4 decades. The year I purchased it my entire home with a library of 16,000+ rare 1st and signed editions burned to the ground. I saved that book. I spent three years carefully getting soot and smoke out until it looked new. It is a Latin copy of the administration of penalties for the Spanish Inquisition. Only Cardinals ever had a copy. There were fewer than 70 printed in 1611. I took it to a university to translate and they flatly said they couldn’t do it unless I let them cut the cover off and cut the binding to lay all the pages one at a time in a scanner so they could keep a copy. I volunteered to make them a copy with my much better equipment and they declined…their way or no way…plus they wanted $3800 for the privilege of destroying the book! People who don’t know the value of rare books…THAT is the mystery!

[@alexwright7012]

The Vivian Girls honestly seems way less weird than the other books and there’s certainly weirder books that could’ve taken that spot - some of which are mentioned in other comments.

[@wildgoose5599]

You got me, guy. After 1.5 videos, I have subscribed. Please keep me entertained.

[@Inari4877]

Not only do I love your content and information but I am SO here for your t-shirts

[@NoahBailey33]

I highly expected the Devil’s Bible to be on here

[@jesuscryst3239]

Same

[@DK-tv6rk]

It’s not that mysterious

[@florianellerbrock8922]

code gigas isn't indecipherable it's just huge and written by seemingly one person

[@Tiniuc]

I feel you. I too came up with a cypher, though I just took a sentence, replaced certain letters with numbers (like vowels), then slid all of them to the end. A real crude code. rlcrdcd1215242

[@Arizkuren]

Fascinating stuff- thanks for showcasing these. Have you looked into the Hypnorotomachia Polifoli as a candidate for your list? I think someone wrote a novel in recent years that centered its plot around it.

[@JohnTandy74]

Always enjoyed your vidz but this ones fascinated me hugely; so much i went straight to the documentary realms of the unreal. Mind blowing!! I love it when when interesting Segways happen like this thank you!! Tragically beautiful reminds me of early studio gibli animation in its wonderful innocence!! Peaceout ✌️

[@ramonmena6762]

There's also thee book called the codex gigas.. 130 pnds. Book written by a monk In the 13th century.

[@gustavosinger9862]

What about “the Adam and Eve story”? That book was about 1000 pages long, but the government classified it and only 36 pages are available and most have sentences censored

[@renno2679]

It was just smut, probably.

[@TM-qk2yy]

The searches said it's only 284 pages long.

[@PaintedCavern]

@@TM-qk2yy That's what 'they' want you to think. 😉

[@PaintedCavern]

That is a fascinating case, very mysterious. Why was it classified? I want to know!! Link to CIA page about this includes a link to download the "sanitized version for public release" . www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/document/cia-rdp79b00752a000300070001-8

[@TM-qk2yy]

@@PaintedCavern it's a spooky conspiracy!

[@hermanator2]

Loved this episode, please make more mysterious, October-y content!

[@KitsuyuutsuR]

I was hoping you’d add the Voynich Manuscript! I watched this to see if you did! I’m fascinated with that book!

[@lexibyday9504]

Id did occur to the translators that some codes are just distractions with the actual meaning of the message being everything else on the paper right?

[@sleepingninjaquiettime]

The voynich was figured out. It was a book written in an early Turkish dialect.

[@carolinatambellini1549]

Stumbled upon your content. Don’t know how I got here but I’m here & im glad KZbin suggested it. Love your content your stories and the way to give us the news. Amazing stuff and you are so relaxing to just watch and here and so far I’m fascinated and can’t wait to push on the next video of yours. Btw, I don’t subscribe to everyone or anyone but I did subscribed to you because I love your context of history, of the mystery that surrounds a story, I thank you Stay safe~God Bless, Carolina T.

[@matthewmoyer9555]

This was good man. Thanks for the content

[@irisachternaam]

So.... the Voynich manuscript is decyphered now. It's written in Turkish code, translated by a Turkish family as a family project. That's at least one awesome thing from 2018.

[@Blissiralabs]

That was bullshit though, they only translated 20% of it and most of that was wrong.

[@kingmambala4966]

This dude is 🔥

[@danpayne380]

Wow...another 5 reasons to get up in the morning...as always thanks Joe...great humour, insight and of course, facts

[@IMN602]

I have had the PDF scan of the Voynich Manuscript on my phone for years.. I look through it all the time, its just so damn fascinating. Sometimes i love the future, i remember being little and the first time I saw an i pod.. At that point in my life i always fantasized about having a portable CD player!!! Now i can have a scanned copy of this legendary piece of history to flip through any time i want at my fingertips!!

[@novymundus]

The Voynich Manuscript was encrypt last year, its an farm book from Turkey

[@philip6419]

I read that as well. Kinda sad AND weird, that it's so.. vanilla.

[@Rickuo]

Funny how two of these mysteries books come from the time shortly before the Fall of Constaninople (in 1453), the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire. Shortly before its fall, many scholars escaped from the city.

[@meptune]

The artwork alone is worth checking out. Thanks for sharing the links.

[@scronx]

Wonderful stuff. Didn't know there were other mystery books around. No doubt you've got it right about the voynich.