New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-30
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
THE B1BIIooRAPHY OF THE BIBLE.

and Other Versions Of the Bible lBotn Manu-
script and Printed Prior to the Reformstloh
ey waIer AF'9 WITH cG 4%eHsyeish fadslme:
roo PIP VII SO konf bSad Msad
Mr.. Copinger's labor Of love upon the bbog-
raphy of tho Bible has borne fruit in volume
MAGNIFICENT Of aspect and profoundly useful in
it, substance The general reader may hardly
be expected to pore these erudlte pages
with much pront but to the specialist they are
eloquent giving as they do, a minute survey
Of the whole range Of Biblical texts. And per-
haps even the general reader may find proht IN
some at least Of Mr.. Copinger's notes. he IS
deep but not an obscure scholar. and there are
passages In this book which should appeal
strongly TO readers unlearned In the lore OF early
texts For example, there 10 this passage al
once independent and reverent which brings
assurance Of the substantial integrity or me
Hebrew text to those who look with alarm upon
the disposition Of some critics to modify oid
readings In favor Of their own scholarly n.y.
potheses:
Various readings are properly attributable TO
errors OF copyists or the designed work or re-
vtsers in transmission. The holy revelation was
committed to fallible men. and though II Is true
that God might have miraculously preserved
tho original autographs Of the inspired writer's
or restrained the various scribes from error IN
transcription. He has not thought MT 10 90 SO
That He might have thought ft 10 make falli-
BILE men infallible Is true, but that He has done
90 IL not true. No book was ever 40 soleInny
and sacredly guarded from error and corruption
as the Hebrew Bible. yet il is evident that the
Bible has not been transmitted to us In the ex-
act words IN which II left the hands or the IN
spired writer's. II IL clear that the Books have
been exposed to the ordinary causes whicn oe-
and the words IN transmission have been so
guarded that however they may have been va
ried In transcription. the value Of the substance
hoo heo
when King George the Third asked Or Kennicot
on the completion OF his grea: WORK what was
scholar replied that "of the immense number
Of various readings which had been coll Esd
from manuscripts there was not one that az
fected the truth Of any Scripture fact or the
certainty Of any doctrine Of faith or moral
duty" The number OF Or. Kennicott's ard DE
Rossis various readings may be estimated a.
several thousands and yet II - an ADMITTED
fact that not enc doctrine or precept OF Reveal
tion is impeached or affected by them.
Mr. Copinger alludes TO some OF the materials
used by ancient scribes. and. after mentioning
tho statement of Pliny that the Oldest writings
were upon leaves Of the palm tree and later
upon the inner bark Of trees. he repeats the
conjecture Of Simon and DR.. Adam Clarke that
the earlier parts of the Scripture were written
in this manner: but he notes the hypothesis OF
DR.. Kennicott that the first manuscripts were
upon skins. and he finally assumes. on the most
the Pentateuch was written on linen. This ma
teriai. as know from It's remarkable preser-
walton in the tombs of the Egyptian kings. is of
extraordinary dura bility No linen manuscripts
survive however Something like two thousand
copies Of the Old Testament in Hebrew manu-
scripts have been found in various quarters OF
the globe, but, says Mr.. Copinger. we have not
q single copy known certainly to be Thousand
years old" The disappearance OF ancient He
brew manuscripts has never been satisfactorily
accounted for. MI Copnger observes. He Of
fers as the most probable solution the fact that
tho Jews were particular in regard TO the ac-
curacy Of the text that all defective copies OF
The Scriptures were little by little destroyed
He also recalls the practice Of the Jews OF de-
stroying from motives Of reverence all old and
WORKOUT copies. describing the place called the
"Gheniza" in the synagogue. where all such
copies were deposited in order that they might
be reverently disposed OF. and not fall into pro-
fame hands. Speaking Of the parchment rolls
In which the Hebrew manuscripts are preserved.
Mr. Copinger gives an interesting account OF
the manner Of their production. He says:
Minute directions given as 20 the writing
Of these synagogue rolls. They were 10 be writ
ten with pure ink only, and on parchment pre-
pared from the hide Of clean animal for this
express purpose by an Israelite. and fastened
together with strings made OF the sinews OF
tain number OF columns OF prescribed length
and breadth, each containing given number
Of lines and words; no words might be written
by heart with points nor unless they were
first orally pronounced by the copyist; the name
Of God was to be written only with the utmost
reverence. ard previous 10 writing IL the scribe
had 10 wash his pen. The want OF single l't-
ter, or the redundance OF single letter. &C.
cording to some authors, vitiated the entire CO.
dex; while others assert that IL was permissible
10 correct three such errors in any one sheet;
II more found. the copy had 10 he con-
demned profane. or unfit for religious pur-
poses When copy had been completed. ii mad
10 be examined or corrected within thirty days
after the writing had been finished. In order TO
determine whether 1t was TO be approved or re-
tected II does not appear exactly from these
directions what corrections could well be MADE
on the reading over. II the view OF some authors
be correct that single wrong letter vitiated the
manuscript.
The earliest manuscript Of the Greek text Of
the New Testament that IL preserved TO us is
that known as the Codex Sinaiticus written In
the fourth century. and now lying in the I'M
perial Library at ST. Petersburg. This manu-
script was manufactured from the skins OF ante
lopes whole skin having been required FOR
every two leaves. Mr.. Copinger notes that
parchment Of various tints was used for these
ancient texts. and that the ink was also colored
TO produce certain decorative effects great
change from the austere Hebrew practice. ST
c.hrysostom tells Of Biblical manuscripts in
which letters OF silver anu Soiu WERE cii'pi'SVu'
Less care was taken. also, in those manuscripts
to secure absolute purity in the parchment IL
was customary TO erase the letters from ancient
manuscripts and Sc: forth the New Testament
m the cleaned surface, the result being that
modern scholarship has rescued from these
naIir,psests numbers Of classical treasures
which had been previously lost to our knowl-
edge For Biblical scholars this monumental
volume will prove Of lasting value. IT is mine
Of photographed Information Of sort which
ought to assist them In more than merely oibi-
ographical ways. The broad pages are superbiy
,rtnted the fac-smles Of old manuscripts are