The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-02-24

GSlIROUGH III. II. Beidleman from the
III publishers DOdd, Mead IL Co, has
III been received part seven of the
III Polychrome Bible, being the book
of Judges, translated by Rev. DR..
| G. +. Moore, a professor in Andover
| Theological seminary Although num-
bered as part seven this is really the first
one of the twenty parts into which it has
been proposed to divide the Old Testa-
ment ready for publication. The scope
and aim of the Polychrome Rible deserve
a word of explanation. Perhaps we cam
not give this better than in the language
of the publishers. In their prospectus
they say:
Long years of preparation, and col
laboration upon a vast scale, have been
devoted to this work, which is perhaps
| the greatest yet attempted in the field of
Biblical scholarship. The Authorized Ver-
| sion of 1911 was the work of English
| scholars. The Revised Version was the
| joint production of England and America,
| although many of the readings and rem
derings preferred by the American COM
mittee were not adopted by the English
! revisers. The Polychrome Bible will have
| the unique distinction of representing the
| united Biblical scholarship of the civilized
| world. In its band of translators we find
! side by side with the most eminent Bib
| lical scholars of America, such as Presi-
| ident Harper, of Chicago; Drs. Moore, of
Yale; Ward, editor of the Independent,
New York; Brown, of Union Theological
| seminary; Morris Jastrow ir., of Phla-
| delphia; McCurdy, of Toronto, etc, the
| leading English scholars like Drs. Cheyne,
| Driver George A. Smith, Ryle, Martin
! eau, etc, as well as Drs. Wellhausen,
| Kautzsch, Siegfried, Stade, Budde, Cor
nill Kittel Delitzsch and others, repre-
senting the best scholarship of the conti-
nent.
1.-THE projectors of this great enterprise
| consider that the Revised Version was an
unsatisfactory compromise, which de-
| stroyed the charm of the older transla-
tion while failing to give the reader the
! full results of modern research. In the
present work nothing is omitted which
can secure this end. The translation is
| based upon a thoroughly revised He
| brew text, which has been rendered into
modern literary English. The text is ac-
| companied by pictorial Illustrations from
Assyrian and Egyptian monuments, pho
| tographs of Biblical sites, etc, together
! with explanatory notes and historical and
| critical introductions to the several books
| These comments represent the ripest
fruits of research, Though based upon
| the combined Biblical scholarship of the
! world, this Is not a book for scholars
! only, but for the people. Heretofore it
! has been necessary to read the Bible with
| the aid of commentaries, glOgsaries, etc.
The Polychrome Bible Is translated into
the language of today.
"One of the most striking features of
the work is its printing. TO give the read
er, In visible form, the results of modern
criticism as to the different sources from
which some of the Old Testament books
have been made up, the text is printed on
| variously colored backgrounds exhibiting
the composite structure of the books 1t
thus records the present general agree
ment of the most competent Biblical
scholars. These are all men who thor
| oughly believe in the inspiration of the
| Bible, but who feel that the time has
come to make accessible to the general
public the results arrived at by the most
eminent specialists who have devoted
their lives to these Investigations"
A cursory examination OF the part now
offered indicates at least that the Poly
chrome Bible will be a very interesting
publication. Its mechanical get-up leaves
nothing to be desired. Whether there is