Although there were two different parchments of the Maranatha Puzzle, they both were received by puzzlers in a folded up form and then sealed with a red wax-like substance. The back side edges of the sheet were folded inward so they touched at the center. The bottom and top then did the same, but were tucked together and sealed on this central point. This created a small and nicely arranged handout.
When the first fold was opened, it displayed a key. Printed and flowing down the outer edges were Pig-pen characters on one side and the English Alphabet on the other. Since joined together, the edges presented the key used for the encrypted text of the Maranatha Puzzle book. Each Pig-pen symbol corresponded to the appropriate letter of the alphabet.
The hidden message which was found on the parchment was merely on the reverse side of this key.
Through the center on the back side was a short paragraph describing the challenge to be met within the Maranatha Puzzle. The word ‘First’ in the center of the section, and for no particular reason, is in bold. Also found on this side, on only one of the parchments, are two additional phrases. One was added to the end of the short paragraph. It is as follows:
“In this parchment are clear and encoded answers and clues!”
The other was the following quote which was written across the bottom:
“When the White Rook took Troy it was no Red trick, only a simple homage to the end of that Frozen den.” D. Thomas
The front side of the parchment revealed another major difference. On one of the parchments the phrases of –
‘Pigpen Masonic Tools’ and ‘As above, so Below’
were written decoratively along the sides of a box with script inside. The other parchment had in place of these phrases, (one on each side of the box and under a square and compass) –
‘The Third Chapter shows’ and ‘the three R & C’s together’
Other than the different wording used in the two paragraphs (The main paragraph and small one inside the box), there were only the following differences noticed:
- The word ENIGMA (found in the quote across the top on both parchments) had the G and I reversed on one but not the other.
- The box of the one parchment did not have the outer lines completed on the left upper side.
It should also be noted the clue for May 2006 brought attention to the SIS enigma which was first introduced on the parchment.
The three R’s and C’s have been a bit of a thorn in my side since I first saw the clue a few months back. The letter X only appears in chapter 3 and 3 times at that (next, Rex, Elixir). Other than that, do you have thoughts on other possibilities? Roses and Crosses? Rooks and Castles? Literal grouping of R and C (Parce, Vaincras, Crown)?..
“When the White Rook took Troy it was no Red trick, only a simple homage to the end of that Frozen den.”
I think this means that the story of the Trojan horse is an allegory, an homage to the knowledge of the Trojans. A master (rook) took Troy, whose level was only apprentice (knight). They knew about the hexagram (frozen snowflakes).
“The Third Chapter shows the three R & C’s together.” R&C looks a likely abbreviation of rose and cross. This would imply there are three rose-crosses. I know what the three geometrical figures are like, and they do certainly look like roses (figures with radial symmetry inscribed in a circle) and crosses (figures that fit well in a square, with horizontal and vertical lines).