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By William Van Zyl
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Have you ever seen the Minor Planet Jean Valjean 24601? Probably not. Did you know that the protagonist in the famous novel Le Misérables earned a minor planet in his name? Here is the evidence from the International Astronomical Society. It has been sighted 1548 times. These observations stretch from 1951-08-08 to 2020-08-10 (the past 69 years). Why is this number so significant?
Also, don’t miss the 8 things listed that makes the novel a classic at the end of the article. The 8 areas contribute significantly to this very famous story. Intriguing indeed.
Screenshot from the International Astronomical Society’s website. Link: https://minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?object_id=24601
There is a bang on the door in the middle of the night.
The Bishop of Digne’s heart nearly stopped. “What on earth…” He opened the door.
“We’ve got him, this lying, conniving thief. We’ve got him. This time we are going to put him away for life.”
The police officers shoved the alleged thief into the room where the Bishop was standing. The officer placed a large bag in front of the Bishop. The bewildered eyes of the convict told a story of rejection and pain.
“Brother, you forgot to take the silver candlesticks. You were in a hurry, you left too early” said the Bishop.
Jean Valjean – the thief – was looking down shamefully. He then suddenly lifted his head. Jean was surprised and shocked at the same time; he witnessed how the Bishop of Digne (France) took his most valuable possession – the precious silver candlesticks on the table – and placed it in the bag with the other silverware he had stolen during the day from the church. Valjean kept his composure. He showed no emotion. The police officers were scanning the faces, every movement, every emotion.
The Bishop’s words are firm and convincing. “This man is no thief. He speaks the truth; I gave him the silverware, set him free,” said the Bishop.
The officers looked shocked; they followed the instruction. They unlocked Valjean’s shackles. Valjean rubbed his wrists.
He is free!
Valjean maintains his composure. His mind is racing – is this really happening? All he knows is the hate of this world, the dirty prison, and the bread he stole some 20 years ago. Being hungry got him arrested; the incident kept him in fetters and shackles for all these years. He has endeavoured to escape so many times.
—– ∞ —–
After Jean left the church, his famous soliloquy in the graveyard followed. You will probably recognise these scenes from the favourite movie (and musical) Le Misérables in the videos below. It is the turning point of the novel. This is the pivotal scene where everything changes for Valjean. After his forgiveness, he becomes a wealthy businessman and later the mayor of the local town. He becomes Monsieur Madeleine…
Table of Contents
About the story:
Le Misérables is a brilliant story of love, forgiveness and redemption. Here are two videos that will stir up compassion and love as you view these intense scenes. Actors Hugh Jackman (Jean Valjean) and Russel Crowe (Javert – obsessive police officer) portray the story with so much passion and emotion (2012 film edition of the story). Simply brilliant!
Prisoner Number 24601:
Valjean’s soliloquy:
Paper cross with tray (Easter display 2021). Petals of the flowers (roses) made from the pages of very old novels (recycled paperbacks) and hot glue. Elements: Bread and a glass of wine. Credit: Sculpted by Malinda van Zyl (wife of the Author). See more at interior design work by Malinda: http://williamvanzyl.com/Book-2.php
Close-up of the paper roses (cross). By Malinda.
Artwork by Vikki Diamos: ‘I painted Jean Valjean in Photoshop with a Wacom tablet in January 2013. I used an image from the Internet as a reference. This took about three hours to complete.’ Credit: Vikki Diamos. To see Vikki’s portfolio, visit: http://vikkidiamos.com/index.html
Jean Valjean as Monsieur Madeleine, illustration de Gustave Brion pour Les Misérables (Maison de Victor Hugo – Hauteville House). Created: 1 January 1862. Public domain.
My sketchbook: A whimsical and loose interpretation of the younger Jean Valjean (ink and watercolours). Bewilder eyes, filled with pain and resentment after being behind bars for over 19 to 20 years. Prison number 24601. Credit: W Van Zyl (April 2021).
The writer Victor Hugo encapsulates the power of forgiveness in this novel. The novel has become one of the classics. The story of Le Misérables is screened every year around the world, and musicals are produced regularly since the early 1900s.
From my sketchbook: The famous French writer Victor Hugo.
Victor Hugo (1802 – 1885) the well-known French writer (dramatist and novelist) and poet. Hugo by Étienne Carjat, 1876. Created: 1 January 1876. Public domain. During a literary career that spanned more than sixty years, he wrote abundantly in an exceptional variety of genres: lyrics, satires, epics, philosophical poems, epigrams, novels, history, critical essays, political speeches, funeral orations, diaries, letters public and private, as well as dramas in verse and prose. Hugo is considered to be one of the greatest and best-known French writers. Outside France, his most famous works are the novels Les Misérables, 1862, and The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (French: Notre-Dame de Paris), 1831. In France, Hugo is renowned for his poetry collections, such as Les Contemplations (The Contemplations) and La Légende des siècles (The Legend of the Ages). Hugo was at the forefront of the Romantic Literary Movement with his play Cromwell and drama Hernani. Many of his works have inspired music, both during his lifetime and after his death, including Les Misérables and Notre-Dame de Paris’s musicals. He produced more than 4,000 drawings in his lifetime.
THE PRISONER NUMBER OF VALJEAN:
24601 is the natural number that comes after 24600 and before 24602.
24601 is Jean Valjean’s prison code in the novel Les Misérables. It was chosen by Victor Hugo when he believed that he was conceived on 24 June 1801 (that is, 24-6-01). The minor planet 24601 Valjean is named after Jean Valjean’s prison code, as mentioned.
MINOR PLANET 24601:
What is a Minor Planet?
The Minor Planet Centre (MPC) is the single worldwide location for receipt and distribution of positional measurements of minor planets, comets and outer irregular natural satellites of the major planets.
Here are the details of 24601 Valjean from the Minor Planet Website:
(24601) Valjean = 1971 UW = 1999 CF40
Discovered at Bergedorf on 1971-10-26 by L. Kohoutek.
(24601) Valjean = 1971 UW
When Jean Valjean, the central character in Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables, was in prison, he was known by the number 24601. By associating this minor planet with Valjean’s name, a connection is established with one of the world’s greatest literary works. [Ref: Minor Planet Circ. 67218]
The pivotal point in the story is the forgiveness of Jean Valjean as a fleeing convict. First, he is forgiven by the Bishop of Digne (a representation of Christ), and secondly by God the Father. One of life’s greatest lessons is intricately woven into the fabric of this compelling story. No matter what you have gone through in life, no matter the pain and adversity you have faced, there is forgiveness. There is a new life in Christ available. There is an opportunity to be free. That is precisely what the hardened criminal Valjean experiences after 20 years in prison. The Bishop started the process by not condemning Valjean. The Bishop’s words, “This man is no thief,” rings in the head of Jean while holding the bag of silverware. He calls him my brother. How ironic. Those kind words shaped Valjean – he becomes a changed man. Backed up by spiritual transformation – he wears the crown of forgiveness. He found his inner soul again. He builds a new life and a career as a wealthy businessman; eventually, he becomes the mayor of his local town. His new undercover name: Monsieur Madeleine.
However, the haunting Javert – the obsessive police officer who has vowed to get Valjean back in prison where he belongs – could also be interpreted as a symbol of Satan. Satan the accuser, who never stops accusing. Even after a person truly repents and are forgiven, Satan never ceases to accuse. It is a lifelong journey to ignore the evil one’s words and speak the words of victory and forgiveness to affirm true forgiveness.
“And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.” Revelation 12:10
Read the synopsis of the Le Misérables story here: https://www.bard.org/study-guides/synopsis-les-misérables
The most important things we have to consider from this story are:
1. You need kind and forgiving people in your life.
That is where the Bishop of Digne and the redemption of Valjean comes into play. Jean needed a person that showed him, love. Someone that gave him a second chance; someone had to set him up for success. He had absolutely nothing; the Bishop provided the venture capital for a new and fresh start. The focus here is not on a return but on an attitude to help others. Admirable!
2. People with resources could change your life; make friends for yourself.
Though Valjean probably did not target the church’s wealth, however, he knew where he could find loving and compassionate people. He needed friends to help him. Food, shelter, and protection. He found much more than that. He found forgiveness, love, care and a second chance. What a fantastic opportunity compared to the treatment he had received from the prison guards and the obsessive police officer Javert. Sometimes in life, we just need a good friend.
3. You have to establish trust.
Valjean had no intention to establish trust. In fact, all he experienced was the hate of this world. The gruesome, brutal and hostile treatment had hardened his heart. The treatment in prison was atrocious. Valjean destroys the trust of the Bishop by stealing his silverware from the church. However, a fantastic turn of events unfolds – the Bishop places his unwavering confidence in Valjean. This is where everything changes for Jean. He decided to reciprocate the trust. He returns to his soul. He asks for forgiveness, and he receives it. View the intense soliloquy to see his change of heart.
5. You have to be confident and consistent.
Valjean had to be confident when he used his newfound wealth to start his manufacturing business. He had to impress the local community and treated them with respect. He had to model the way as a trustworthy and reliable person. Eventually, he is promoted to the mayor of his local town. Valjean couldn’t fake it as a caring employer. He had to be the real deal. He lived a fully transparent life caring for the sick and the poor. He had a heart for people that included his employees.
6. You have to be humble and display a servant’s heart.
Valjean had to serve the community as a humble servant. His past kept him humble – he knew where he came from. He treated his employees and friends with respect. For example, he cared for Cosette, the daughter of the dying Fantine.
7. Serve the community.
Jean had to come up with a plan that would benefit the community. His business idea had to be compatible with the needs and skills of the citizens in the town. He did precisely that – he served the community with his wealth. It was about the people and their needs.
8. Ignore the accusing voice of the enemy.
Satan will always condemn us. Years after we had been set free and fully forgiven, the enemy will come unexpectedly and remind us of our past. We have to ignore the voice of the evil one. Speak life, freedom and blessing over your life! Javert – the police officer who showed no mercy – is a type of the enemy (Satan). The Devil will always come back and haunt us with our past, irrespective of the fact that we have repented and that we are forgiven – just like Javert – the enemy is relentless. The Devil wants to strip us of our confidence; he wants to destroy us. We have to be strong. It is written:
“Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.”
Conclusion:
Moses, the leader of the Israelites, walked the desert for 40 years. I am convinced that the enemy reminded him of the Egyptian he had murdered all those years ago when he fled Egypt as an Egyptian prince. The Devil most probably reminded him of how he buried the man after killing him on many occasions. However, Moses was forgiven. He showed remorse. God forgave him. Moses humbled himself and became a servant to God and his people. God then elevated him to the position of leader of the Israelites. In fact, God chose Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt’s land – the House of Slavery. God showed himself mightily supporting Moses. For example, the ten plagues in Egypt, water out of the rock, manna and quail in the desert, the ten commandments, and the parting of the Red Sea.
Do you have sins, transgressions or iniquities? There is God in heaven who is loving, caring and forgiving. He is a merciful God, and He is willing and ready to forgive. Perhaps you feel like Jean Valjean; there is forgiveness available – at the Cross. Reach out.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 KJV
So, if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:36 NIV
Listen to the podcast:
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Copyright © 2021 by William Van Zyl
Wear Forgiveness as a Stellar Crown—like Jean Valjean, forever remembered in the Night Sky – Valjean 24601.
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Published by Five House Publishing (New Zealand)
First Publishing, 2021
About the Author:
The Author had an exciting and unique childhood. Not as you would expect – not travelling abroad – but venturing through the fields, bushes, tools sheds, and mysterious underground tunnels around his neighbourhood. His happy place was – and still is – tinkering with ideas, science, and new possibilities. While cycling, he will often get new ideas; he brings the unexpected, the unique, and creative flurry on a page or a sketch. To this day, he dreams of vicious wars and sophisticated weaponry in an innocent child’s scout cave. He loves diagrams, timelines, cross-sections, sketches, and details of sinister and hidden concepts and ideas, always looking for a new mystery to decode and encode. He investigates and explores extravagant thoughts that he includes in children’s books and stories; he loves to portray philosophers’ perspectives, articles, intriguing stories, and poetry. Academic and research work are his forte. He always offers a practical but straightforward explanation within an engaging context. Not your ordinary thinker! A lifelong scholar and teacher.
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