The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1899-11-22
HOW THE BIBLE CAME TO Us.
LECTURE THIRD, THE BIBLE IN
TRANSACTIONS.
BY Rev. Albert r. Bond.
rContinued.l
II. THE NEW TESTAMENT TRANS,
AmInNrc

LATIoNS.
There are several classes OF
these.
l.. THE LATIN GROUP.
The oldest Latin version is the
African. made perhaps at Cam
TRACE about the middle of the
second century A. d. The earli-
est Latin trans alton in Europe is
known as the European Latin
and dates from the fourth CEN
tury. This in course OF time per-
petuated itself in revision, the
Italian, and finally this was pass
ed through the critical hands Of
Jerome, who produced the Vul-
gate.
The history of the Latin Vul-
| gate is interesting. The arrival
at Rome in 352 CT a monk from
Bethlehem, when the western
world was looking for man to
translate the Bible into the Ver-
nacular, was indeed timely. So
phronius Eusebius heterogeneous,
more Familiarity known as Jerome,
was born at Stridon in Dalmatia
in 329 A, D.; and spent his early
life in scholarly pursuits that
brought wide reputation to him.
Jerome was a fighter, and his
polemics were keenly felt, for his
convictions found unchecked ut
terance. He began translating
the New Testament at Rome, but
before its completion in 1856 he
had departed from this sinful
city. He used the former Latin
translations, and made diligent
uses of the accessible Greek.
MSS. He then began on the Old
Testament, translating from the
Hebrew. Contrary to expecta-
tions, his work was not favorably
received by the clergy, whose
use of former versions made them
bitter against the radical changes
of Jerome. The author Of that
version, so extensively used as
to become the vULGATA, common,
translation did not live to see the
fruitage of his labor in the popu-
lar recognition Of his service.
| The Council of Trent (1546) de-
clared it "authens;c," and it was
put forth as infallible in 1890 by
Pope Sixtus E, although mis-
takes in it soon called for a re-
vision. The Vulgate has the
honor of being the first book
printed in Europe. The popular
use of this version did more than
any other agency to mould the
Latin language of Latin Chris
tianity. A new language was
almost created by it.
2. THE sYRIAc GROUP.
The Curetonian Syriac is con-
sidered the oldest, dating from
the middle OF the second century.
Until 1893, this version was
known only through one MS. /,
|, brought from the Nitrian Desert
! in Africa by Archbishop Tattam
in 1912. The name of this ver-
sion is in honor Of Rev. William
Cureton, under whose care in the
British Museum were placed the
old documents among which this
one was found, and who deci-
phered this text. Mention has
been made in previous lecture
OF the convent OF st. Catharine at
Mt. Sinai as the place of DR..
Tischeudorf' famous find. In
1898, two English ladies, Mrs.
A. S. Lewis and twin sister, with
Photographic equipment, visited
this convent. Among some old
Syriac books she found one with
many Of its pages glued together.
Investigation resulted in the dis
covery of a palimpsest whose
later text told OF sainted women.
.. but whose former text was that OF
, the Gospels. Overcoming many
difficulties, they succeeded in
photographing the entire volume.
The PeshItto, or Simple, Syr-
lac was a revision of the Cure
tonian, and was made in the late
third or early fourth century. II
I covers both Testaments. We
may not mention now others OF
this class.
8. THE EGYPTIAN GROUP.
Two independent versions have
come down to modern times.
: Both date from the second CEN
tury. The Memphitic, known
also as the Coptic, was made for
Q Lower Egypt. The version thal
became current in Upper Egypt
Itsf