The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-05-28

tenn OF vowel points. II did not reach lie
, present elaboration in the case Of the Hebrew.
rs we have said. until the seventh century A.
y. at Babylon. and the middle OF the eighth
century in Palestine. Tho work Of the Western
Massorites eliminated in the tenth century In
the text OF Ben Asher. which became the
standard text upon which all subsequent
manuscripts in the West and all printed edi-
lions have been based.
One cannot but recognize that a certain kind
OF teXtual criticism was used In the most
ancient times by the Sopherlm and Massor-
ties. who have transmitted to us the tradi-
tional Hebrew text OF the Old Testament. The
work Of Origen. Lucian. Hesychius and Jerome
upon the Greek Bible. the work by which they
endeavored to improve upon the Septuagint
version was also teXtual criticism, SO far as
they industriously sought to get the best text
OF Scripture. All their work. however. was car
ried on IN a crude fashion. and without definite
principles. Biblical tcxtual criticism began In
the era OF the Reformation. Erasmus led the
movement 40 far as the Greek Bible was con-
cerned. His Greek New Testament. issued in
1910. passed through many editions. and be-
came the basis for the study OF that work
among Professionals. With reference to the Old
Testament the Protestant reformers were
chiefly Influenced by two Jewish scholars:
the one. Elias Ievita. lived and died
In the Jewish faith: the other. Jacob
Ben Cayim. became n Christian. It was
then a common opinion among the Jews
that the vowel points and accents among
the Hebrew Scriptures had come down from
Ezra. and even from Moses and Adam. Levita
exploded these traditions. The Reformers re-
jected the inspiration Of the Massoretic ira
ditional pointing. and only accepted the I'M
pointed text. Luther did not hesitate to speak
Of the vowel points as mere human inventions.
about which he did not trouble himself. Calvin
acknowledged that the vowel points we're the
outcome Of great diligence and sound ira
dit!on. but. nevertheless. were to be used with
care and selection. Zwingli attributed great
value to the Greek and Latin versions. and dis
puted the trustworthiness OF the Massoretic
signs. The post Reformation Protestant divines
drlfted away from this position. and allowed
themselves to become entanRled in the bonds OF
rabbinical traditionalism Until very recently.
Biblical scholars have hesitated to go back ofthe
Maesoretic' text. in which. as we have eaid.
the vowel points were inserted not earlier than
the middle OF the seventh century A. ID. The
English revisers OF the Old Testament were
only willing to place the results Of textual
criticism in the margin Of their revisions, and
the American revisers. under the headship Of
W. H. Green. objected to the insertion Of
textual criticism even In the margin. More
recently. Olu Testament scholars nave strongly
urged the application OF textual criticism to
the Old as well as to the New Testament.
Crate. the Jewish scholar. has pointed out that
we ought not to speak OF a Massoretlc text
that has been made sure to us. but rather OF diff
ferent schools Of Massorites. and that we should
follow their example, and remove impossible
readings from the text. According to w. Rob-
ertson Smith. 1T has become gradually clear
to the vast majority Of conscientious students
that the Septuagint Greek version Is really OF
the greatest value as a witness to the early
state Of the text" The fact that the New Tes-
lament does not base its citations from the Old
Testament upon the original Hebrew text. but
uses. ordinarily. the S%eptuaRint. and some
times AramRic translations. has always given
trouble to the apologists.