Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-02
THE EARLIEST ExTAET BIBLE MSS.
Valuable and Interesting Fac-Simile Re-
productions Secured for the Western
Theological Seminary.

Valuable and Interesting Fac-Simile Re.
productions Secured for the Western
Theological Seminary.
Through the efforts of DR.. M. B. Riddle,
aided by some friends, the Theological Sem
mary, of Allegheny, has just come into pos
session of two notable sets of fac-simile re-
productions of early Bible manuscripts.
These manuscripts. Aleph (codeT Sind't'-
cus) and B (code1 UdticanieS) are
uncials dating from early in the fourth cen
tury, and are of the highest value not only
by reason of their completeness and anti
ouity, but also for the internal evidence
they afford of being a near approach to the
original writings.
Aleph is written on parchment in large
uncisls-that is large, square capital letters
with four columns to a page. 1t is the
most complete known manuscript in exist,
ence containing all the New Testament and
most of the Old Testament in the LAA
version. In addition to toese 1t has
the Epistle of Barnabas and a part
of the Shepherd of Hermas. 1t is supposed
by many scholars to be one of the 90 copies
which Constantine the Great had prepared
in A. D. 331. But whether this be true or
not Aleph and B do not date later than 35O
A, D. When we recollect how few manu-
scripts of Greek or Roman classics date
earlier than the tenth century, MS OF
Virgil is said to belong the fourth
and one of Dion Cassius to the fifth cen
tury. while nearly all the remainder OF
classic MSS are as late as A. d. 9OO-we
can see how superior is the MS evidence for
the New Testament to that of most other
ancient writings.
The discovery of Aleph by Tischendorf is
an interesting story. 1t was found In the
convent of St. Catharine, at the foot of Mt.
Sinai. in February, 1859. In 1874 Tischen-
dorf had been at the convent and accl-
dentally discovered 43 leaves of a manu-
script of the Old Testament in waste
basket where they had been thrown by those
who were too ignorant to understand the
value of the treasure in their keeping. This
fragment was afterward known to be part
of Aleph. Again in 1853 he visited the
convent. but failed to add anything to his
discoveries. On third visit in 1859 he &C
cidentally discovered this Manuscript, just
at time when hewas about to return home,
and much to his delight was permitted to
take it, as loan, to Cairo. Here he, with the
assistance of two friends, set TO work to copy
the entire manuscript lest he should not be
able to secure it for permanent possession.
But in October of that year be was over
loved to receive permission to take it to
Europe, where it afterward became the
property of the Gear of Russia through an
interchange of presents between him and the
authorities of Sinai. 1t is now in the In
perial Library at St. Petersburg.
The COPY secured by the library of the
t. af
and published, 1862, at the expense of the
Gar, Alexander II, in celebration of the first
millennium of the Russian Empire. 1t is
contained in four volumes. As the edition
was so limited copies are rare and costly.
But few of them are in this country. Union,
Princeton, Andover and Hartford are, 1t is
said, the only other theological semlnarles
possessing copies.
Manuscript B is as old as Aleph and
while not nearly so complete is probably
more accurate. It was brought to Rome
about the year A. D. 1850 and was entered
on the Catalogue of the Vatican Library,
which was made in 1875 Itcontains nearly
all the Old Testament in the Xxx version
and the New Testament up to and including
Hebrews tx IA. This manuscript was
known in 1888, but it was kept from public
use for long period. The pressure OF in
tereSt, however, DeCdIu6 30 SGTOuS bndG
scholars were finally given permission to
examine it; but so great were the
restrictions even then that the ex-
aminations were thought to be hurried
and unsatisfactory, and the editions which
were given to the world as a result were far
from accurate. However, at last complete
and critical quasi-fac-simile edition of the
whole manuscript was published at Vercel-
lone, under the auspices of the Papal
authorities, in six folio volumes, the first
appearing in 1869 and the last in 1881.
This edition is really very fine one, and
while of course not equal for educational
purposes to fac-simile copy, it is of ex-
ceedingly great value and the library of the
seminary is to be congratulated on securing
a copy Of it.
The agreement of these two ancient manu-
scripts on particular reading is practically
conclusive-especially when reinforced bv
any other early testimony. These copies
will be of great assistance TO DR.. Riddle in
teaching his classes textual criticism, and
will be highly appreciated by future classes
in the seminary.