The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-02-20
BY PROF.. SANDERS.
The History of the English Bible.


Professor Frank Sanders of Yale uni
versity delivered the first Of this series
of lectures Saturday afternoon at st.
Paurs parish house. The series is di-
vided into four great periods, as fol-
lows:
/. The History of the Hebrew Bible.
2. The Great Transitions of the First
Two Christian Centuries and the Com
pleton of the 'Divine Library"
8. The Bible in the Western Church
from Jerome to the Reformation.
4. The Bible of the English-Speaking
Peoples.
In the opening lecture he traced the
heritage of the English Bible from the
unpointed Hebrew Bible (450-100 E. c.
through the Septuagnit or Xxx. (250-
SO B. c., the "Old Latin Bible $50 A.
D., the Vulgata of Jerome (400 A. D.,
Wycliffe q35O A. d. and Tyndale
C525).
The New Testament comes into this
chain of descent with the "Old Latin"
Bible. The original Hebrew Testament
fhe unpointed) itself was a heritage of
many centuries of development. He
brew literature developed very early;
the Hebrews were literary people, and
we have evidence of the literary tenden-
cies of other Semitic nations, the Phoe-
nicians, Assyro- Babylonians. These
were ages of action rather than reflec-
ton, and literature was restricted, per-
haps. The literary age began as the
prophetic order developed; $50 B. C. was
the era of history making. There APP
peared about this time a great variety
of Independent writings, such as songs,
poems, stories, proverbs and codes of
law.
The period from 9E0-750 B. c. was the
era Of historical narratives, the crea-
tive age of Hebrew literature, psalms,
chronicles and proverb collections; 750-
500 B. G. was the era Of historical COM
pilations and prophetic compositions
the golden age of Hebrew literature
the final Incorporation into the Hexa-
touch. The period from 500-100 B. G.
was the era of canonicity.
Deuteronomy was the first Bible SOL
emily adopted by King Josiah and peo-
pie as the National Law of Life in 621
B. c.; was used by jeremiah and Zeph-
aniah and greatly Influenced the re-
forms of Ezra about AGO b. c. Nehe-
miah's reforms about 444 B. c. marked
the first stage Of the permanent canon
law, and the period 100000 B. G. the
second stage in the canon collection and
acceptation of the Prophets" The
third stage in the canon was the writ
ings" completed gradually after $50
B. C.
The history of the adoption Of the
Old Testament canon is regarded by
the Jews as divided into the sources
the Law, the Prophets and the Writ
ings. About 100 B. c. it is imagined
that the Old Testament was written on
rolls of skins, parchment and papyrus.
1t was never together, but in many sec
tions. 1t had not universal circula-
ton because of it's costlness Only the
wealthy possessed expensive and near
ly complete copies; the poorer people
had to be content with small fragments.
But the Synagogue, the great training |
school of the nation, where freedom of |
and reading was the rule. |
was the preserver of the democracy of |
Judaism. The scriptures were very
expounded there and gave |
rise to our traditlonary testamental leg |
acies AS they were not accessible the |
contents of the Sacred Writings existed |
almost exclusively 'in gremis populi,"
.hus to be transmitted to succeeding |
generations.