New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-07-15
SYRIAC GOSPELS.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE sINAITIc PAIlMP-
SEST


@ sv ST THE IF F TH s sSNsRiHTTee
PIiMPsEsT. BY Agnes Smith LEWIS N; r;
A. 3. $50 .pp., 7hxa Macmillan & Co. Lonoon
The syriac manuscript translated In this VOL
ums was discovered by Mrs. Lewis in the con-
vent of ST. Katherine on Mount Sinai In 1892. 1t
will be remembered that In the same place
Tischendorf m 1874 discovered the famous 81
naIt,c manuscript Of the Bible. The document
found by Mrs. Lewis was thick volume, written
on vellum, the leaves II which had 50 closely
adhered to each other that they could be sepa-
rated only by the application Of steam. Under
meath later writing containing the lives OF GER
tain female saints was a Syriac version OF the
four Gospels written IT. the older and more
clumsy Syc,ac character. On second visit to
the convent In 1893 Mrs. Lewis. assisted by Pro-
lessor Bensly and Professor j. Rendel Harris.
Transcribed the entire text sometimes bringing
Il out by the aid Of chemicals. and photographed
the pages
Early versions Of documents have a peculiar
value in determining questions as to the anthem
ITCHY, genuineness date and text OF the orig1-
nails. version Of the second or third century
implies a much earlier date for Its original. Tor
IN that early age 1t required many years for
document to acquire circulation and recog-
milton sufficient to insure its translation into an
other language. We have. for instance. clear
evidence that a Latin version Of the Scriptures
was In circulation in Western Europe toward
the end Of the second century. Taking into ac-
count the time necessary for the version to be-
come current. and the time necessary for the
original document to have acquired sufncfent
Importance to lead to its translation the Latin
version Of the New Testament would throw the
original Gospels and Epistles back to the close
Of the first century.
Versions. moreover, are helps in Interpretation.
The Greek Of the New Testament. for instance
is interpenetrated with Semitic elements. The
question which is constantly before the New
Testament scholar is. What meaning did certain
Greek words convey to a Semitic mind? Valu-
able help is afforded here by the septuagnt. or
Greek version of the Old Testament. which grew
out Of the fusion Of Greek and Oriental thought
in the third century before Christ.
Versions, again. furnish important aid In de-
termining the different families of Greek texts.
We naturally ask on what form Of the Greek
text the version was based, whether Alex
andrian or Byzantine Latin or Asiatic 1t may
have been made from several different texts
as VAS the Peshitto or Syriac Vugate. which
adopted readings from three sources. ~.-e
A Syriac version has special value Syriac
or Aramaic was the first language into which
the New Testament was translated. so that
early versions In that tongue have closer
affinity with the Greek text than others. The
Greek was commonly written by men VINO
thought In Aramac. as IL apparent for instance
In the Greek Of the Fourth Gospel. Aramac was
a Semitic dialect originating In the district OF
Aram, which comprised all the people OF syria
and Mesobotamia northward to the Taurus and
eastward to the Tigris Through contact with
non-Semitic races the language became mixed
and corrupt and fell into two branches. the
northeastern and southwestern; the former OF
which developed into Syriac. and the latter bore
the name Of Chaldee. After the exile Aramaic
became the popular language Of Palestine. and
was the language ordinarily used by Christ,
though he probably spoke Greek on occasion
Christianity entered Syria very early. Paurs
Journey to Damascus was undertaken In order to
exterminate the Christians there and his mis-
sionary labors began at Antioch. At Odessa, In
northwestern Mesopotamia, the beginnings OF
the Christian faith 60 back to the former half
Of the second century, and possibly, to the latter
half Of the first. The legend Of the correspond
ence between Abgards OF Odessa and Jesus
Christ is familiar, and Eusebius declared that he
had found in the archives Of Odessa and trans
lated a letter Of Abgarus to Jesus and reply by
our Lord. About the middle Of the fourth
century Syrian literature entered upon its golden
age 1t was especially rich in translations.
mostly Of ecclesiastical writings. though in the
nth century a translation Of the works Of
Aristotle vas undertaken.
1t Is evident, therefore. that Syriac tran
script of the four Gospels dating from the fifth
century. which is the date assigned to the Sinai
lation made in the second century. is a matter
Of no ordinary interest to New Testament STU
dents In order, however, to reach any just esti-
mate Of Its value 1t is necessary to know what
other syriac versions Of the Gospels there are.
and, II possible. how this stands related to
them.
There is, flrst the Peshitto. or Peshitta. some
times called the Syriac vulgate. The word means
simple" and was applied to this version either
because Of its simple Syriac style. free from ALE
Eorical and mystical paraphrases. or because Of
Its simple form. distinguished from Grecized
versions which were full Of daggers and asterisks
in order to mark different readings. The Peshitto
was not known 10 European scholars until 1852.
and the first edition appeared at Vienna In 1855.
1t contained all that Is now known Of the ver-
sion, namely, the entire New Testament except
IL Peter, II and III John. Jude and the Apoc
alypse. 1t Is accurate. faithful and idiomatc.
DIR. schaff remarks that 1t IL as unfettered as an
original composition in Syriac and that its
genius is like that of Luther's German version.
About the beginning of this century however.
Griesbach and Hug perceived that the Peshtto
was not the original Syriac. but revision Of
more ancient version. This was inferred from
the fact that 1t differed from early versions gen.
orally. and from other important early docu-
mentary authorities in the support which It gave
to a late Greek text. 1t is considered probable
that the revision made under high
thority, at great ecclesiastical centre like
Odessa or Nsibis or Antioch. and In the latter
part Of the third or in the fourth century.
This conclusion was confirmed by the discov-
cry In 1872 of considerable fragments OF another