The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-10-28

The National Museum is in possession
| of superb collection of the various edi-
lions of the Bible that have, in all ages
and among nearly all peoples during the
Christian era, transmitted the sacred word
to mankind.
Among the many editions one notices a
| Syriac New Testament published in Ham
! burg, Germany, in 1864. The Oldest Syriac
! version of the Bible is the Peshitta c'cor-
rect" or "simple') the most accurate OF
! the ancient translations. 1t is referred to
| in the commentaries of Ephraim, the Sy-
rian, in the fourth century. and was al
| ready at that time an old book.
There is a copy of the Latin Bible, folio
edition, printed by Anthony Coburger,
Nuremburg 147S. The Latin Bible goes
! back to a Latin translation made from
! the Septuagint in the second century, and
known as Vetus ITALIA, or "Old Italic."
| The present version, however, is due to
| St Jerome CHieronymus), and was made
| by him in Bethlehem between 1888 and 4O7
a. D. 1t was for long time the Bible
| of the Western Church. and large part
| of the Eastern. Though no doubt based
on the Septuagint, the translation was
| made with reference to the original He
| brew with which Jerome was well ac-
quainted The translation is commonly
| called the Vulgate, a name which was
originally given to the Septuagint. 1t Is
| still the Bible of the Roman Catholic
| Church An edition was printed by Guten-
! berg between 1450 and 1855, being the first
| important specimen of printing with NOV
| able types.
The Bible on exhibition in the National
Museum is one of the twelve Coburger
| Latin editions. 1t is printed on 46S leaves.
| In double columns, with 81 to SO lines to
the column. 1t has no title page, sigma
| lures, catchwords, or initials. The in
itial letters of paragraphs are printed by
hand. On the top of the first page is writ
ten in ink: "Societatis Jesu Mouachi,"
and in the middle Of the page. Appreciate
= Canisio 1878" approved by
Canisius 1879 Cansius (Peter), born
| 1924, died 1897. was celebrated as a Jesuit
missionary and scholar and was the first
provincial of the order in Germany.
A folio edition of the King James Bible,
known as the Authorized Version print
ed at London by Robert Barker 1913, is a
notable feature of the collection.
The preparation of new English Bible
was decided upon at a conference held at
Hampton Court January 16 and IS, 1904.
In that year King James l issued com
mission to fftyfour eminent divines to
undertake the work. 1t was not begun,
howe~er, until 1907. when seven of the
original number had died. The forty-sev-
en- survivors were divided into six COM
mittees, two sitting at Oxford, two at
Cambridge, and two at Westminster. In
1910 their work was completed and then
revised by committee Of six. Although
universally known as the Authorized
off bar Z icol
or civil, has ever been found for such au-
thorization. The first edition was printed
by Robert Barker in 1911.
A photograph of a couple of pages from
the famous Ethiopic Version of the Bible,
in the possession of the National Museum,
is also seen. The original copy (Which
is not on public view was obtained from
King Theodore, Of Abyssinia by Lord
Napier and by him presented to General
Grant. This Ethiopic version was made in
the fourth century, probably by Frumen-
thus, the Apostle of ETHIOPIA. 1t has forty
six books in ALL containing, in addition to
the cannon, large number of apocryphal
books.
The collection contains also, Hebrew
Bible printed without vowel points, Ant
werp 1573-74; a Hebrew Bible. the first
American edition in that language. pub
lished in Philadelphia in 1914; the first
American edition of the Greek Testament,
printed by Isaiah Thomas in 1900; Bishop
Asbury's Testament, with hundreds of the
texts for his sermons marked in his own
handwriting. Francis Asbury, it will be
recalled, was the first Bishop of the
Methodist Church ordained In America.
He was born in Staffordshire, England. in
the year 1745, and died in Virginia in 1916.
There is a fac smile of John Wycliffe's
was condemned for its inaccuracies i'm
mediately upon its publication; also
copy of Tyndale's Version of the New
Testament. Tyndale was a disciple of
Martin Luther. A New Testament trans
lated by Constantine Tichendorf, Leipzig,
1859, Vol. 1000, of the TanchnitZ series,
was deposited by Dr. G. Brown Goode,
who has contributed several other vol
umes to the collection. This translation
was based on the labors Of Tichendorf in
revising the Greek text, which he was en-
abled to do owing particularly to his dis
covery of the Snaitic Ccdex. The edition
is said to point out many errors in the
Authorized Version" and to have paved
the way for the Revised Edition"
copy of the Old Testament in the
Spanish language, printed in Amsterdam
Holland, in 1861 is notable in SONG re-
ton was printed in the middle of the six
toenth century. 1t bears the title, THE
Biple in the Spanish Language, Translated,
Word for Word, from the Hebrew Exam
ined by the Inquisition with the Privile-
GUM of the Duke Of Ferrara." 1t is there
fore generally known as the "Ferrara
Bible" The copies of this translation are |
divided into two classes-one appropriate |
for the use of the Jews, the other suited |
to the purpose of Christians. This trans !,
lation is extremely literal. and has indi-
Gated with an asterisk. the words which |
are, in the original Hebrew equivocal, or |
capable of different meanings.
A copy of the -Four Gospels" printed |
In the Fiji Islands in 1S47, is a monument |
to modern missionary work. There Is also
seen a photograph copy OF the manuscript
ascribed to 300 a. d. 1t (the Originally is
an Egyptian papyrus, and is now in
Vienna. II consists of sixteen sheets, writ
zen on both sides, and contains the great
IT part of Zechariah from the fourth chap
er. and part OF Malachi. 1t is written in
lncnl characters tcaptals), and contains
10 divisions between the words.
copy of Luther's Bible, German trans
alton, edition of 1854, is valuable speci-
men. The New Testament appeared in
522, and the Old Testament, In parts, be-
ween 1923 and 1892. The complete Bible
lppeared In 1894 Previous to Luther's
,ersion there were In use at least ten dis
met German versions. literal TRANSACTIONS
II the Latin Bible.
"Codex Alexandrinus." printed in type
o represent the original manuscript and
In London in 1916 is an inter
sting feature OF the collection. This fac
'imile of the Alexandrian or Egyptian text
II the Bible appeared In four volumes. the
irst three containing the Old Testament
md the fourth the New. The original
from which the reprint was
made was presented to King Charles