BIB 59 most excellent in such a tongue (as the published in 1672, with explanations of Apocrypha to Andrew Downs:) and the literal and spiritual meaning of the then they met together, and one read text; which was received with wonOf the New Testaments in the translation, the rest holding in their derful applause, and has often been rehands some Bible, either of the learned printed. tongues, or French, or Spanish, or French, which have been printed seis that of F. Amelotte, of the Oratory, Italian, &c. If they found any fault, parately, one of the most remarkable they spoke; if not, he read on." [King James's Bible is that now read by au- composed by the direction of some thority in all the churches in Britain.] French prelates, and printed with anNotwithstanding, however, the excel-notations in 1666, 1667, and 1670. The the libraries in Europe, and collated lency of this translation, it must be ac- author pretends he had searched all knowledged that our increasing acquaintance with oriental customs and the oldest manuscripts; but, in examinmanners, and the changes our languageing his work, it appears that he has has undergone since king James's time, produced no considerable various readare very powerful arguments for a new ings which had not before been taken translation, or at least a correction of notice of either in the London Polyglot, the old one. There have been various or elsewhere. The New Testament English Bibles with marginal refer- of Mons, printed in 1665, with the ences by Canne, Hayes, Barker, Scat- archbishop of Cambray's permission, tergood, Field, Tennison, Lloyd, Blay- and the king of Spain's licence, made ney, Wilson. &c. but the best we great noise in the world. It was conby pope Innocent XI. in 1669; and in have, perhaps, of this kind, are Brown's || demned by pope Clement IX. in 1668; and Scott's. 25. BIBLES, Ethiopic. The Ethio- several bishoprics of France at several pians have also translated the Bible times. The New Testament, publishinto their language. There have beened at Trevoux, in 1702, by M. Simon, printed separately the Psalms, Canticles, some chapters of Genesis, Ruth, Joel, Jonah, Zephaniah, Malachi, and the New Testament, all which have been since reprinted in the Polyglot of As to the Ethiopic New London. Testament, which was first printed at Rome in 1548, it is a very inaccurate work, and is reprinted in the English Polyglot with all its faults. with literal and critical annotations upon difficult passages, was condemned by the bishops of Paris and Meaux in 1702. F. Bohours, a Jesuit, with the assistance of F. F. Michael Tellier and Peter Bernier, Jesuits, likewise published a translation of the New Testament in 1697; but this translation which was owing to the author's adheis for the most part harsh and obscure, There are likewise French transla26. BIBLES, Flemish. The Flemish ring too strictly to the Latin text. Bibles of the Romanists are very numerous, and for the most part have no tions published by Protestant authors; author's name prefixed to them, till one by Robert Peter Olivetan, printed that of Nicholas Vinck, printed at in 1535, and often reprinted with the Louvain in 1548. The Flemish ver- corrections of John Calvin and others; sions made use of by the Calvinists till another by Sebastian Castalio, re1637, were copied principally from that markable for particular ways of ex But the Synod of Dort pression never used by good judges of of Luther. having, in 1618, appointed a new trans-the language. John Diodati likewise lation of the Bible into Flemish, depu-published a French Bible at Geneva in method, in that he rather paraphrases ties were named for the work, which 1644; but some find fault with his was not finished till 1637. The oldest the text than translates it. Faber Sta27. BIBLES, French. French Bible we hear of is the version palensis translated the New Testament of Peter de Vaux, chief of the Wal-into French, which was revised and denses, who lived about the year 1160. Raoul de Preste translated the Bible into French in the reign of king Charles V. of France, about A. D. 1383. Besides these, there are several old French translations of particular parts of the Scripture. The doctors of Louvain published the Bible in French at Louvain, by order of the emperor Charles V. in 1550. There is a version by Isaac le Maitre de Sacy, accommodated to the use of the reformed churches in Piedmont, and printed in 1534. Lastly, John le Clerc published a New Testament in French at Amsterdam, in 1703, with annotations taken chiefly from Grotius and Hammond; but the use of this version was prohibited by order of the states-general, as tending to revive the errors of Sabellius and Socinus. 28. BIBLES, German. The first and This most ancient translation of the Bible in blus's Bible. The second Greek Bible the German language is that of Ulphi- is that of Venice, printed by Aldus in las, bishop of the Goths, in the year 1518. Here the Greek text of the 360. An imperfect manuscript of this Septuagint is reprinted just as it stood version was found in the abbey of Ver-in the manuscript, full of faults of the den, near Cologne, written in letters of copyists, but easily amended. silver, for which reason it is called edition was reprinted at Strasburg in Codex Argenteus; and it was published 1526, at Basil in 1545, at Frankfort in by Francis Junius in 1665. The oldest 1597, and other places, with some German printed Bible extant is that of alterations, to bring it nearer the HeNuremburg, in 1447; but who was the brew. The most commodious is that author of it is uncertain. John Emzer, of Frankfort, there being added to this chaplain to George duke of Saxony, little scholia, which shew the different published a version of the New Testa- interpretations of the old Greek transment in opposition to Luther. There lators. The author of this collection is a German Bible of John Ekeus in has not added his name, but it is com1537, with Emzer's New Testament monly ascribed to Junius. The third added to it; and one by Ulemburgius Greek Bible is that of Rome, or the of Westphalia, procured by Ferdinand Vatican, in 1587, with Greek scholia, duke of Bavaria and printed in 1630. collected from the manuscripts in the Martin Luther having employed ele- Roman libraries by Peter Morin. It ven years in translating the Old and was first set on foot by cardinal MonNew Testaments, published the Penta- talbo, afterwards pope Sixtus V. This teuch and the New Testament in 1522, fine edition has been reprinted at Paris the historical books and the Psalms in in 1628, by J. Morin, priest of the 1524, the books of Solomon in 1527, Oratory, who has added the Latin Isaiah in 1529, the Prophets in 1531, translation, which in the Roman was and the other books in 1530. The printed separately with scholia. The learned agree that his language is pure, Greek edition of Rome has been printand the version clear and free from in- ed in the Polyglot Bible of London, to tricacies. It was revised by several which are added at the bottom the vapersons of quality, who were masters rious readings of the Alexandrian of all the delicacies of the German lan- || manuscript. This has been also reguage. The German Bibles which printed in England, in 4to. and 12mo. have been printed at Saxony, Switzer- || with some alterations. It was again land, and elsewhere, are, for the most published at Franeker, in 1709, by Bos, part, the same as that of Luther, with who has added all the various readings little variation. In 1604, John Piscator he could find. The fourth Greek published a version of the Bible in Bible is that done from the AlexanGerman taken from that of Junius and drian manuscript begun at Oxford by Tremellius; but his turn of expression Grabe in 1707. In this the Alexanis purely Latin, and not at all agree- drian manuscript is not printed such as able to the genius of the German lan- it is, but such as it was thought it guage. The Anabaptists have a Ger- should be, i. e. it is altered wherever man Bible printed at Worms in 1529. there appeared any fault of the copyJohn Crellius published his version of ists, or any word inserted from any parthe New Testament at Racovia in ticular dialect: this some think an ex1630, and Felbinger his at Amsterdam cellence, but others a fault, urging that in 1660. the manuscript should have been given absolutely and entirely of itself, and all conjectures as to the readings should have been thrown into the notes. We have many editions of the Greek Testament by Erasmus, Stephens, Beza; that in the Complutensian Polyglot, the Elzevirs, &c.; and with various readings by Mill, Bengeiius, Wetstein, &c. Those of Wetstein and Griesbach, are thought by some to exceed all the rest. 29. BIBLES, Greck. There are many cditions of the Bible in Greek, but they may be all reduced to three or four principal ones; viz. that of Complutum, or Alcala de Henares; that of Venice, that of Rome, and that of Oxford. The first was published in 1515 by cardinal Ximenes, and inserted in the Polyglot Bible, usually called the Complutensian Bible: this edition is not just, the Greek of the LXX being altered in many places according to the Hebrew text. It has, however, been reprinted in the Polyglot Bible of Antwerp in that of Paris, and in the quarto Bible commonly called Vata 30. BIBLES, Hebrew, are either manuscript or printed. The best manuscript Bibles are those copied by the Jews of Spain: those copied by the Jews of Germany are less exact, but BIB 61 it is much inferior to the other Hebrew more common. The two kinds are easily distinguished from each other; the former being in beautiful characters, like the Hebrew Bibles of Bomberg, Stevens, and Plantin: the latter in characters like those of Munster and Gryphius. F. Simon observes, that the oldest manuscript Hebrew Bibles are not above six or seven hundred years old; nor does Rabbi Menaham, who quotes a vast number of them, pretends that any one of them exceeds 600 years. Dr. Kennicott, in his Dissertatio Generalis, prefixed to his Hebrew Bible, p. 21, observes, that the most ancient manuscripts were written between the years 900 and 1100; but though those that are the most ancient are not more than 800 or 900 years old, they were transcribed from others of a much more ancient date. The manuscript preserved in the Bodleian Library is not less than 800 years old. Another manuscript not less ancient, is preserved in the Cæsarian Library at Vienna. The most ancient printed Hebrew Bibles are those published by the Jews of Italy, especially of Pesaro and Bresse, Those of Portugal also printed some parts of the Bible at Lisbon before their expulsion. This may be observed in general, that the best Hebrew Bibles are those printed under the inspection of the Jews; there being so many minutia to be observed in the Hebrew language, that it is scarcely possible for any other to succeed in it. In the beginning of the 16th century, Dan. Bomberg printed several Hebrew Bibles in folio and quarto at Venice, most of which were esteemed both by the Jews and Christians: the first in 1517, which is the least exact, and generally goes by the name of Felix Pratensis, the person who revised it: this edition contains the Hebrew text, the Targum, and the commentaries of several rabbins. In 1528, Bomberg printed the folio Bible of rabbi Benchajim, with his preface, the masoretical divisions, a preface of Aben Ezra, a double masora, and several various readings. The third edition was printed, 1618, the same with the second, From the but much more correct. former editions, Buxtorf, the father, printed his rabbinical Hebrew Bible at Basil, in 1618; which, though there are many faults in it, is more correct than any of the former. In 1623, appeared at Venice a new edition of the rabbinical Bible, by Leo of Modena, a rabbin of that city, who pretended to have corrected a great number of faults in the former edition; but, besides that, 62 BIB of the Samaritan texts, and of the He brew manuscripts from the printed text of Vander Hooght, are placed separately at the bottom of the page, and marked with numbers referring to the quarto volumes of various readings have also been published by De Rossi, of Parma, from more than 400 manuscripts (some of which are said to be of the seventh or eighth century,) as well as from a considerable number of rare and unnoticed editions. An edition of Reineccius's Hebrew Bible, with readings from Kennicott and De Rossi, has been published by Dodderlein, and will be found a useful work to the Hebrew student. paper bad: it is done with a great deal of care; but the editor made use of no manuscripts but those of the German libraries, neglecting the French ones, which is an omission common to all the three. They have this advantage, how-copies from which they are taken. Four ever, that, besides the divisions used by the Jews, both general and particular, into paraskes and pesukim, they have also those of the Christians, or of the Latin Bibles, into chapters and verses; the keri ketib, or various readings, Latin summaries, &c. which made them of considerable use with respect to the Latin editions and the concordances. The little Bible of R. Stevens, in 16mo. is very much prized for the beauty of the character. Care, however, must be taken, there being another edition of Geneva exceedingly like it, except-lian Bible published by the Romanists 31. BIBLES, Italian. The first Itaing that the print is worse, and the text less correct. is that of Nicholas Malerme, a BeneTo these may be added dictine monk, printed at Venice in 1471. some other Hebrew Bibles without It was translated from the Vulgate. points, in 8vo. and 24mo. which are The version of Anthony Brucioli, pubmuch coveted by the Jews; not that lished at Venice in 1532, was prohibited they are more exact, but more portable by the council of Trent. The Calvinists than the rest, and are used in their likewise have their Italian Bibles. There synagogues and schools. Of these there is one of John Diodati in 1607 and 1641; are two beautiful editions; the one of and another of Maximus Theophilus, Plantin, in 8vo. with two columns, and in 1551, dedicated to Francis de Medithe other in 24mo. reprinted by Rapha- cis, duke of Tuscany. The Jews of Italy lengius, at Leyden, in 1610. There is have no entire version of the Bible in also an edition of them by Laurens, at | Italian; the Inquisition constantly reAmsterdam, in 1631, in a larger cha- fusing to allow them the liberty of printracter; and another in 12mo, at Frank- ing one. fort, in 1694, full of faults, with a preface of Mr. Leusden at the head of it. merous, may be all reduced to three 32. BIBLES, Latin, however nuHoubigant published an elegant edition classes; the ancient Vulgate, called of the Hebrew Bible at Paris, in 1753, also Italica, translated from the Greck in 4 vols. folio: the text is that of Van-Septuagint; the modern Vulgate, the der Hooght, without points; to which he has added marginal notes, supplying the variations of the Samaritan copy. Dr. Kennicott, after almost twenty years' laborious collation of near 600 copies, manuscripts and printed, either of the whole or particular parts of the Bible, published the Hebrew Bible in 2 vols. folio: the text is that of Everard Vander Hooght, already mentioned, differing from it only in the disposition of the poetical parts, which Dr. Kennicott has printed in hemistichs, into which they naturally divide themselves; however, the words follow one another in the same order as they do in the edition of Vander Hooght. This edition is printed on an excellent type: the Samaritan text, according to the copy in the London Polyglot, is exhibited in a column parallel with the Hebrew text; those parts of it only being introduced in which it differs from the Hebrew. The numerous variations, both of the Samaritan manuscript from the printed copy greatest part of which is done from the Hebrew text; and the new Latin translations, done also from the Hebrew text, in the sixteenth century. We Vulgate, used in the primitive times in have nothing remaining of the ancient the western churches, but the Psalms, Wisdom, and Ecclesiastes. Nobilius has endeavoured to retrieve it from the works of the ancient Latin fathers; but it was impossible to do it exactly, because most of the fathers did not keep close to it in their citations. As to the modern Vulgate, there are a vast number of editions very different from each other. Cardinal Ximenes has inserted one in the Bible of Complutum, corrected and altered in many places. R. Stevens, and the doctors of Louvain, have taken great pains in correcting the modern Vulgate. The best edition of Stevens's Latin Bible is that of 1540, reprinted 1545, in which are added on the margin the various readings of several Latin manuscripts which he had BIB 63 from the originals by Protestants. The most esteemed are those of Munster, Consulted. The doctors of Louvain revised the modern Vulgate after R. Stevens, and added the various readings of Leo Juda, Castalio, and Tremellius; several Latin manuscripts. The best the three last of which have been reof the Louvain editions are those in printed various times. Munster pubwhich are added the critical notes of lished his version at Basil in 1534, which correct edition in 1546. Castalio's fine Francis Lucas, of Bruges. All these he afterwards revised: he published a reformations of the Latin Bible were made before the time of pope Sixtus V. Latin pleases most people; but there and Clement VIII.; since which people are some who think it affected: the best have not presumed to make any altera-edition is that in 1573. Leo Juda's vertions, excepting in comments and sepa- | sion, altered a little by the divines of rate notes. The correction of Clement Salamanca, was added to the ancient VIII. in 1592, is now the standard Latin edition, as published by R. Stethroughout all the Romish churches: vens, with notes, under the name of that pontiff made two reformations; Vatablus's Bible, in 1545. It was conbut it is the first of them that is follow-demned by the Parisian divines, but ed. From this the Bibles of Plantin printed, with some alterations, by the were done, and from those of Plantin Spanish divines of Salamanca. Those all the rest; so that the common Bibles of Junius, Tremellius, and Beza, are have none of the after-corrections of considerably exact, and have undergone the same Clement VIII. It is a heavy a great number of editions. We may charge that lies on the editions of pope add a fourth class of Latin Bibles, comClement, viz. that they have some new prehending the Vulgate edition, cortexts added, and many old ones altered, rected from the originals. The Bible to countenance and confirm what they of Isidorus Clarus is of this number; There are that author, not contented with recall the catholic doctrine a great number of Latin Bibles of the storing the ancient Latin copy, has corthird class, comprehending the versions rected the translator in a great number from the originals of the sacred books of places which he thought ill rendered. Inade within these 200 years. The first Some Protestants have followed the is that of Santes Pagninus, a Dominican, same method; and, among others, Anunder the patronage of Leo X. printed drew and Luke Osiander, who have each at Lyons, in quarto, in 1527, much es- published a new edition of the Vulgate, 33. BIBLES, Muscovite. See Nos. teemed by the Jews. This the author corrected from the originals. 38 and 39. improved in a second edition, In 1542 there was a beautiful edition of the same at Lyons, in folio, with scholia published 35. BIBLES, Persian. Some of the under the name of Michael Villanova nus, i. e. Michael Servetus, author of the scholia. Those of Zurich, have like- fathers seem to say that all the Scripwise published an edition of Pagninus's ture was formerly translated into the Bible in quarto; and R. Stevens re-language of the Persians; but we have printed it in folio, with the Vulgate, in nothing now remaining of the ancient 1557, pretending to give it more correct version, which was certainly done from than in the former editions. There is the Septuagint. The Persian Pentateuch, also another edition of 1586, in four co-printed in the London Polyglot, is withlumns, under the name of Vatablus; and we find it again, in the Hamburg edition of the Bible, in four languages. In the number of Latin Bibles is also usually ranked the version of the same Pagninus, corrected or rather rendered literal, by Arias Montanus; which correction being approved of by the doctors of Louvain, &c. was inserted in the Polyglot Bible of Philip II. and since in There have been vathat of London. rious editions of this in folio, quarto, and octavo; to which have been added the Hebrew text of the Old Testament, and the Greek of the New. The best of them all is the first, which is in folio, 1571. Since the reformation, there have been several Latin versions of the Bible 34. BIBLES, Oriental. See Nos. 12, 13, 15, 19, 20, 23, 35, 41, 42. out doubt, the work of rabbi Jacob, a Persian Jew. It was published by the Jews at Constantinople in 1551. In the same Polyglot we have likewise the four evangelists in Persian, with a Latin translation; but this appears very modern, incorrect, and of little use. Walton says, this version was written above four hundred years ago. Another version of the Gospels was published at Cambridge by Wheloc, in the seventeenth century. There are also two Persian versions of the Psalms made from the vulgar Latin. 36. BIBLES, Polish. The first Polish version of the Bible, it is said, was that composed by Hadewich, wife of Jagellon, duke of Lithuania, who embraced |