Dear Jeff,
 
That was indeed a big help. Thanks to you, I can now proudly say that I've read
Voltaire! I am going to start searching the bookstores for the book and,
hopefully, I'll find it.
 
When I checked it up on wikipedia, I realized that there is a thought that Poe's
Murders might have been inspired by Zadig's "implausible and 'agrarian' methods"
with him being considered by many as the first systematic detective in
literature.
 
So, can the answer to our question be Zadig?
 
 
Sridhar
PS: I don't know if King Solomon would count, do you?

--- On Fri, 7/4/08, jeff katz <jeff_katz@...> wrote:

From: jeff katz <jeff_katz@...>
Subject: [sherlock holmes society of india] RE: Your Message to
sherlockholmessocietyofindia
To: sherlockholmessocietyofindia@...
Date: Friday, July 4, 2008, 4:25 AM








Hello,

that is "Zadig," by the 18th century French philosopher Voltaire. I believe he
based it on an earlier eastern version, though I don't have a source. The word
"tzadik" in Hebrew is used to describe a holy man or "miracle worker."

best wishes,

Jeff

>
> Messages
> ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _
> 1.1. Re: Which is the First Detective Story?
> Posted by: "sridhar C" cs_gollum@yahoo. com cs_gollum
> Date: Wed Jul 2, 2008 8:19 am
>
> Dear Sherlockians,
>
> Once upon a time I read this story about a man who was walking along a road
when he espied a group of the king's soldiers running towards him, obviously
looking for something. The man asked them if they were looking for a horse. They
answered in the affirmative. The man then went on to describe the horse, its
color, its fetlock, its hooves...everything to show that he had actually seen
the horse. But when the soldiers asked him hopefully where he had seen the royal
horse, he shook his head and said that he had not, but that it should have gone
in that direction and he pointed a finger. The soldiers who initially thought
that he was pulling their legs grew angry until the man explained. So lucid was
his explanation that...well, you know.
>
> Now I don't remember where I read this or when it was dated, but I seem to
remember thinking this guy must have been Sherlock Holmes' ancestor or
something.
>
> Can anybody recollect having read this or hearing about it?
>
>
> Sridhar
>

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