Mexico weekly ledger., 1890-08-21
NOTES FOR THE CURIOUS.
The Manuscript and Versions of
the Holy Bible.
To the Editor of the Ledger.

~ the EuitOf OF the Ledger.
MEXICO, Mo-, Aug. 14.-The fol-
lowing are the principal ancient
translations of the Holy Scripture
and may be of interest to biblical
students and others.
First comes the Septuagint (or
Greek) Old Testament. 1t is SO
called because it is supposed to
have been translated by the seven
ty-two, or Sanhedrim of Alexandria,
for the use of the Grecian Jews.
Others say because it was approved
by the Sanhedrim at Jerusalem.
Many of the Jews looked upon it
as an inspired translation. 1t is
the most valuable of all transla-
tions and was the one used by
Christ and the Apostles. 1t con-
tains the Apocrypha as used in the
Episcopal church. 1t has canoni-
cal authority as all branches of the
Greek church. The Greeks claim
that where the Hebrew Bible diff
ters from the Septuagint it has
been changed by the Jews since
our blessed Lords time and by the
Rabbls in the interest of Judaism
and against the Christians.
The next is of Chaldee or Tar
jums, as they are called. Tarjum
means Translation or paraphrase.
The origin of these paraphrases
may be traced back to the time Of
Ezra. (See Neh. S:8.) The two
oldest are those of Onkelos (the
friend of Gamaliel, mentioned in
Acts 5:34), and Jonathan ben Uziel,
the disciple of Hillel.
The third is the Syriac or Peshi-
to. 1t is called Peshito from its
being SO simple, so literal, correct.
It is the oldest Christian transla-
ton and was made by the Jewish
Christians who lived in Palestine
and other parts of Syria. This
version is very old, as Ephraem,
the Syrian, who was born about
the year 800, in his commentary
had to define many of its words,
his countrymen having lost their
meaning.
The Samaritan is reckoned as
fourth. 1t is simply translation
of the Pentateuch into the dialect
of Samaria.
The Latin was first made in
North Africa and had wide cir
culation, but as it was provincial,
not classical Latin, it was not used
in Italy, as were the Greek New
Testament and Septuagint. The
inhabitants of Italy understood
Greek. Afterwards more polish
ed translation was used, the italia.
st. Augustine tells Us that transla-
tions were very common in his
day. The Vulgata-Latin being
the vulgar or common language of
civilized Europe and North Africa
the term Vulgata edition was ap-
piled to the Septuagint by the
early Christian, as Greek was their
common tongue. The New Testa-
! ment and Liturgies all were writ
ten in Greek and not Latin. St..
Jerome, who was one of the most
learned men of any age, made the
Vulgata, though the present Ro-
man Catholic edition is not his,
but contains portions of other YER
sions.
The Ethiopic is the only au-
thorized version among the Abys-
sinian Christians and Jewish
Falashas. It is read in their SER
vices, though the Ethiopic has
long ceased to be spoken.
The Gothic was made by Bishop
Ulphilas in the early part of the
fourth century, and in an alphabet
he constructed from Greek, Latin
and Runic. This version is one OF
the most critical and correct OF
any that has been made. Though
an Arian, there is not the slightest
taint of Arianism IN his transla-
tions. He was bishop of the
Goths, a half-clvilized barbarian
race that one hundred years late,
over-run Rome and sacked it, YET
he was one of the finest scholars OF
his day.
| Tht Armenian was made by a
very learned Monk named Mercob,
for which he invented an alphabet
of thirty-six letters. The Sacred
: Scriptures being in syriac, which
the common people did not under.
stand, he translated the Bible into
Armenian. He was also the father
and founder of Armenian literature
as he translated a number of Greek
and Syriac works.
The Havonic was made in the
9th century. A copy of the Havonit
gospels of the date 1856 was useC
, by the Kings of France on which
to take the oath of coronation.
The Arabic is simply different
l portions of the Bible, made at diff
: ferent times from A. D., 800, Il
1927 by Jews, samaritaans ant
Christians. The first was mad,
by Rabbi Saadia Hagaon, and th'
last--the complete new testament
. by the Church of England.
The Anglo Saxon, in English