The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-02-27
HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH BIBLE.
Second Lecture In the Course by Pro-
fessor Frank X. Sanders.

ACsSOI ~ ruin IA ShANuAm'
Prof. Frank X. Sanders delivered the
second lecture in the course on 1.-THE
History of the English Bible" Saturday
| treating the Great Translatlons of the
First Two Christian Centuries and the
Completion Of the Divine Library.
The first sub division, why the Old
Testament did not remain a Hebrew
Book" covered the history Of the settle
ment of the Jews in all quarters of the
commercial world, taking their Old Tes-
lament with them. 1t was the basis of
| their national life, then nearly 1000
years old, and it was natural that they
should adhere to their scriptures wher-
ever they went. The internal character
of their Testament appealed to the
minds of other nations and soon gain
ed firm foothold notwithstanding the
supreme contempt the Jews held toward
all the outside world, and their efforts
to preserve their sacred writings from
all others. The Jews faithfuiness to
his religion is an enduring monument
to the tenacity Of human faith to creed.
In the early Christian communities, the.
Hebrew Ola Testament was Invaluable
as the little Deeds Of Christianity"
The next subject, "The Septuagint,"
about 250-50 B. c., the Greek Old Tes-
lament relates to the history of the first
descent from the Hebrew Old Testa-
ment. Alexander the Great, to add to
his celebrated "Alexandrine library"
sent for copy Of the Hebrew Tesla
ment supplying his messengers with
valuable presents to the rulers Of the
nation, and asking the services Of COM
petent translators. They sent six mem
bers from each tribe, seventytwo In all,
and thus originated the name 1.-The
Septuagint," or Xxx" In the Greek
Testament the books are very different
ly arranged and named; their are fifty
one books, divided into six periods
The Law, History, Wisdom Narratives,
Prophets and Epistolary. The Hebrew
Old Testament had only thirty-four
books, which nearly agrees with our
thirty-nine books. The Greek Old Tes-
lament was occasioned by the needs Of
the Creek speaking Jews of Egypt, and
soon spread over all Egypt, Palestine
and Asia. 1t Is the earliest evidence we
have Of the original Hebrew text, as the
every day Bible Of Jesus and the New
Testament writers, as the parent of the
Coptic, Ethiopic, Gothic, Armenian,
Arabic. Georgian, Sclavonic and Old
Latin versions of the Old Testament of
the Greek church down to this day.
The third subdivision Is the History
Of the New Testament" from 80 to 100
A. D., embracing the writings Of the
Apostles. 1t is highly probable that the
Epistle Of James antedated Mark (the |
earliest of the four Gospels) fifteen |
years. Mark is credited with having
the assistance Of Peter in the construc-
ton Of his Gospel, this being evidenced |
by the logical and systematical arrange
ment present in this gospel and absent |
in the others. Matthew followed with |
what Is called his "Logia," probably a
Of the teachings Of Jesus
without the predatory setting or expla-
nation of the circumstances, without !
which it was enigmatical and vague. |
Next Luke conceived the collection of |
the historical materials into three vol |
umes, completed two and died before
the third was commenced, this explain
ing why, perhaps. his gospel ends so
abruptly. The Gospel Of John Is last in
time, and was written in 1895 A. D.
The fourth sub division is 1.-THE Tex
tual History of the Hebrew Bible to
about 800 A. d. The old Hebrew alpha
bet was extremely ruGe, written with
The consonants only, without distinction
Of paragraph, chapter or verse. Their
spoken language was changed about 500
B. G. to Aramaic, the new language,
he square writing" adopted for sacred
purposes before Christ. The oral ira
ditions had descended through many
hundreds of years, and were paraphras-
I'd in the synagogues, for the instruc-
ton of the people. "Targums" were
skilled translators from the
oral into the vernacular, during the
period from 100 to 300 A. D.; the
school of rendering was thus turned
rom the oral into the written. 27O-5OO
A, d. marks the rise of the Talmud,
collection Of all the writings of the
sacred jurs prudentes," or the Scrip
.ural commentators.
The first step in the fixation Of a
standard text was taken by the Masso-
'etes in 600-S00 A. ID. Their work is
a new translation: they
supplied the missing vowels in the old
lnpointed text; solved the problems of
doubtful TRANSACTIONS and though not
original it is extremely valuable, being
loser to the old Hebrew text, and ex-
-