For the defense was the famous trial lawyer and agnostic, Clarence Darrow. For the prosecution was fundamentalist and three time presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan.
Darrow, having all of his scientific witnesses ruled inadmissable by the court called Mr. Bryan to the stand as an expert on the Bible.
What follows is part of that transcript.
"Yes I have. I have studies the Bible for about 50 years."
"Do you claim that everything in the Bible should be literally interpreted?"
"I believe everything in the Bible should be accepted as it is given there. . . "
"Do you believe Joshua made the sun stand still?'
"I believe what the Bible says."
"I suppose you mean that the earth stood still?"
"I don't know. I am talking about the Bible now. I accept the Bible absolutely."
More questions asked show that Bryan barely understands the
workings of the solar system, then Darrow asks:
(Darrow) You believe the story of the flood to be a literal interpretation?
(Bryan) Yes sir!
(Darrow) When was that flood?
(Bryan) I would not attempt to fix the day.
(Darrow) But what do you think the Bible itself says? Don't you know how it was arrived at?
(Bryan) I never made a calculation.
(Darrow) What do you think?
(Bryan) I do not think about things I do not think about.
(Darrow) Do you think about the things you do think about? (Laughter)
(Darrow) How long ago was the flood, Mr. Bryan?
(Bryan) Two- thousand three hundred and forty-eight years B.C.
(Darrow) You believe that all living things not contained on the ark were destroyed?
(Bryan) I think the fish may have lived.
(Darrow) Don't you know there are any number of civilizations that are traced back to more than 5000 years?
(Bryan) I am not satisfied with any evidence I have seen.
(Darrow) You believe that every civilization on the earth and every living thing, except possibly the fishes, were wiped out by the flood?
(Bryan) At that time.
(Darrow) You have never had any interest in the age of the various races and peoples and civilizations and animals that exist upon the earth today?
(Bryan) I have never felt a great deal of interest in the effort that has been made to dispute the Bible by the speculations of men or the investigations of men.
(Darrow) And you never investigated how long man has been on the earth?
(Bryan) I have never found it necessary.
(Darrow) Don't you know that the ancient civilizations of China are six thousand or seven thousand years old at the very least?
(Bryan) No, but they would not run back beyond the creation, according to the Bible, six thousand years.
(Darrow) You don't know how old they are; is that right?
(Bryan) I don't know how old they are, but probably you do. I think you would give preference to anybody who opposed the Bible.
More questions show Bryan's lack of knowledge of world culture, history and peoples.
(Darrow) Do you think the earth was made in six days?
(Bryan) Not six days of 24 hours.
(Darrow) Did you ever discover where Cain got his wife?
(Bryan) No sir, I leave the agnostics to hunt for her.
(Darrow) Do you think the sun was made on the fourth day?
(Bryan) Yes.
(Darrow) And they had evening and morning without the sun?
(Bryan) I am simply saying it was a period.
(Darrow) The creation might have been going on for a very long time?
(Bryan) It might have continued for millions of years.
(Darrow) Yes, all right.
