Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-05-16
The OLD TESTAMENT.
The Revision Of the Old Testament, Al.
ter fourteen Years Of Arduous Labor,
is at Last Completed.

LONDON, MAY 10.
Copies of the revised version OF the Old
Testament were given TO the newspapers at
midnight last night. A semi-oficial article
prepared for the London Times reads SUBJ
stanriaIly as follows:
FINALLY the international work of years
has come to close. The revised version of
the New Testament was issued Nav, 1881.
and now the revised Old Testament will soon
be published in all parts of the English
speaking world. This revision is the most
Important event in the history of the English
Bible since the publication Of King James
publication in 1911. The success Of the Old
Testament may not be - great as that of the
New, Of which more than Z million copies
were sold on the day Of publication, and
more than three million copies before the
close ofthe year. But it will probably be
more favorably received and less
severely criticised, for it in.
wolves no changes Of the Hebrew text.
All errors Of translation have been removed,
and the revision will be pronounced by every
competent bible reader to be very great i'm
provement 1t presents the results of the
combined labor of large number Of the best
Hebraists and biblical scholars of England
and the United States. The new version is
not good version in place of bad one, but
great improvement of good version. The
movement for the present revision was in
augurated by the Convocation of Canterbury,
the mother church of the Anglo-Saxon Chris
tendon. May "a, 1870, and steps towards the
contamination Of the complete revision were
almost immediately taken. It was voted to
invite the cooperation Of some American
divines. The result was the selection of Ger
tain gentlemen who were fitted for the work,
NJ 10 m ho lad sv,
biblical learning by the American public,
and the submission of their names to Buhop
Elliott and Dean Stanley 10 representing the
English body, and in the autumn Of 1882 the
American committee began the work two
years later than the English committees.
Although the American committee were
two years behind in their work, they pressed
forward with such alacrity that they finished
their labors with their English brethren. The
officers were:
President--Phillip Schoff, D. d. L. d.
Secretary-George e. Day, d. D.
Advisorary member on questions of Ara.
bic-Beyront Syria.
The meetings of the American committee
were held every month, from September to
May, inclusive, in each year, at the rooms
in the bible house in New York. summer
meeting was held usually in Newhaven, An
dover or Princetown.
The old testament was minutely consider
ed and discussed. The work was reviewed
in very careful manner, twice, from begin
ming to end.
An arrangement was made between the
English companies and officers connected
with the University presses of Oxford and
Cambridge, by which the revised version in
Great Britain became the property of these
institutions on the condition that the large
expenses incidental to the preparations OF
work in that country, should be paid by them.
The copyright accordingly passed into their
control. The American committee refused
to sell their copyright
The attitude of the English committee
toward the suggestions of the American re.
visors, was always that Of readiness to give
them most respectful consideration.