The Olneyville tribune. (Providence, R.I.) 1893-189?, 1894-02-10

No fewer than j, 100 ancient man
-uscript copies of the New Testament,
in whole or in part exist, their abund-
ance markedly contrasting with the
small number which have come down
10 u own day Of the classical writers.
As no miracle has been wrought 10
preserve copyists from error, the las
century added up 30, 600 various readt
ings in the New Testament man
uscripts, and the present one has
increased the number to $50, 900.
Some interesting particulars are
given in The Sunday School Teach
ers' Bible Manual" Only the merest
fraction of them are OF any conse-
quence, and their number and the
fact that they were made originally
in different parts of the world. and
from Il variety OF manuscripts, enable
biblical students to detect and elm
mate the errors and approximate 70
the original text more closely than if
the various readings were fewer.
This tedious but necessary work has
been carried out with untiring
energy.
The New Testament manuscripts
fall into two divisions" Uncials,"
written in Greek capitals with no
distinction at all between the differ
ent words, and very little even be-
tween the different lines, and eur
%sives," in small Greek letters and
with divisions of words and lines.
Prof. Roberts dates the change
between the two kinds of Greek writ
ing about the tenth century. Only
five manuscripts OF the New Testa-
ment approaching to completeness
are more ancient han this dividing
date.
The first, numbered by biblical
critics A, is the Alexandrian man
uscript. Though brought to this
country by Cyril Lucar, patriarch Of
Constantinople, as n present to
Charles l., it is believed that it was
written, not in that capital, but in
observation-disclosures its title. 1t is
Low dated in the fifth century A. ID.
The second (known as b is the
Vatican manuscript. 1t has been in
earlier period, but not till A. ID. 1859
was al edition Of it published, and
that one by Cardinal Nal. when
issued was uncritical and of little
value. But in 1868 a fac simile of
il came forth, so that now it is fully
accessible to scholars. The Vatican
manuscript dates from the middle Of
the fourth century, if not from an
earlier period.
III, th;,I IrN ~, thn EnI.,,n
manuscript, "a SO called because it
was written over the writings of
Ephraem, a Syrian theological author,
a practice very common when writing
materials were scarce and dear. 1t is
believed that it belongs to the fifth
century, and perhaps Il slightly earlier
period of it than the manuscript A.
The fourth CD, or the manuscript
Of Beza, was SO called because it
belonged to the Reformer Beza, who
found it in the monastery of st.
Ireneus, at Lyons, in 1862 A. ID. 1t
is imperfect and is dated in the sixth
century.
The fifth Called Alpha) is the
Sinaitic manuscript obtained in 1914
by Prof. Ti~schendorf from the monks
belonging to the Convent of st. Cath
arine or Mount Sinai. 1t contains
the whole New Testament. 1t is
believed that it was made in the
fourth century, and its value to the
biblical critic is very great. Any
other "uncial manuscripts that
exist are only ~fragmentary. The
manuscripts, though numer-
Gus, are of too late II date to stand
the same level for critical purposes
as the "uncials." 1t is possible
indirectly to gain access in whole or
in part to the readings in manuscripts
which have persisted.
There were early versions Of the
New Testament in different languages,
such as the Syriac, &c. In many
cases these were made from man.
uscripts not now existing, but the
translation shows what the original
must have been. Christians of the
early ages, like those now living, were
formally to quote or in
formally to allude to particular script
ure passages. When there is reason
to believe that it was done with pre-
it is easy to ascertain from
their writings what the original
reading was in the manuscript of the
New Testament in their possession.
Globe.