THE

CRITICAL REVIEW.

For the Month of February, 1779.

Sacrorum Evangeliorum Verfio Syriaca Philoxeniana ex Codicibus manufcriptis Ridleianis in Bibl. Coll. Nov. Oxon. repofitis nunc primum edita: cum Interpretatione et Annotationibus Jofephi White, A. M. Coll. Wadh. Socii, et Ling. Arab. Profefforis Laudiani. Tom. II. Oxonii. E Typographeo Clarendoniano, 1778. The Syriac Philoxenian Verfion of the Gospels, &c. By the Rev. Jofeph White, &c. 2 vols. 4to. Oxford. 17. 18s. boards.

AT

T the commencement of the fixth century, one Syriac tranflation only of the New Teftament exifted; which had been compofed in a free and paraphraftical manner, for the ufe of the common people, and thence probably received the appellation, which it has ever fince retained, of the Simple Verfion. It had fuffered, before that period, a confiderable degree of change, and had then become fo extremely incorrect, as to demand the interpofition of authority. It was judged a more eafy and eligible task to execute a new verfion, than to expunge the errors of the old. A literal tranflation appeared neceffary in order to obviate the inconveniences which had arifen from the diffufe and explanatory turn of the former. In the year 506, therefore, a literal tranflation was begun, under the direction of Xenaias, more commonly called Philoxenus, bishop of Mabug or Hierapolis in Syria, by Polycarp his vice-bishop or fubftitute. We must of courfe conclude that Polycarp made ufe of the best and most ancient original Greek text that could be procured, which we may reasonably afcribe to the third or fourth century, and which is confequently of higher antiquity than any copies now extant *. This Version is

Si vis igitur Syrorum doctorum fententias, evangeliftarum et apoftolorum fenfumi explicantium intelligere, adi fimplicem : fin quis fuerit GERMANUS TEXTUS CODICUM GRÆCORUM IN QUINTO ET SUFERIORIBUS SECULIS inquiras, Heraclcenfem Philoxeniane Verhonis Recenfionem pervolve atque fcrutare. Ridl. Differt. p. 72.

VOL. XLVII. Feb. 1779.

*

written, not, as the Simple, in the Antiochene, but in the Babylonic or Aramaan dialect of the Syriac language; and is moft religiously faithful to its Greek text, which it follows, not only in every minute diftinction of the fenfe, but even in the peculiar turn and mode of expreffion. Polycarp finished his work in the year 508, and inscribed it to its patron Philoxenus. In the year 616, Thomas of Charkel or Heraclea (who had also been bishop of Mabug, but was then an exile in Egypt) refiding at Alexandria, a place highly eminent for learning, and having fearched the libraries of that city for the very valuable MSS. with which Origen and Pierius had furnished them, twice collated the Philoxenian Verfion with two (fome mention three) Greek copies of the most approved authority, in the library of the Antonian monaftery. These collations he judiciously inserted in the text and margin. The Greek copies which he collated, were foon after destroyed, when the Saracens burnt the Alexandrian libraries. The learned Dionyfius Barfalibæus, towards the clofe of the twelfth century,' restored the Heraclean (i. e. Thomas's) Revifal, or improved Edition, of Polycarp's Tranflation. Mr. Samuel Palmer, travelling by land to the East Indies, fent a present of two MSS. from Amida or Diarbec, the chief city of Mefopotamia, a province of Syria, to the celebrated Ridley, as we learn from Mr. Palmer's Letter, dated at Baffora, June 4, 1730. These MSS. are diftinguished in the work before us by the names of Codex Heracleenfis and Codex Barfalibai.

When it shall be confidered, that the very ancient text from which Polycarp compofed his Verfion, is no where extant, that the copies which Thomas collated are irrecoverably loft, that his collation was evidently made with a view to preserve the genuine readings, the learned world will not only look upon this work as a curious and critical performance, but will regard it as fomething more, and conceive a high opinion of its value and its use. Such were the arguments and confiderations that induced the archbishops + Potter and Secker, and other great and learned men, to recommend the ftudy, revisal, and finally the publication of the Codex Heracleenfis, with a collation of the Codex Barfalibai, to Dr. Ridley, whofe property they were. The Bodleian library contains another copy, the collation of which has produced nothing more than a few various readings. That learned and eminent critic was, at that

Let the following example fuffice. The Greek compound Eu Sonia is rendered by two Syriac words correfponding to bonitas voluntatis, and wegienne by two words which answer to cinxit pofuit. This circumftance is not mentioned by the editor.

time, far advanced in years: he applied himself, however, with incredible pains to learn the Syriac language; and though he wanted both an inftru&tor and proper books, furmounted every obstacle. A Latin translation was not included in his plan. He was employed for feveral years in the laborious task of tranfcribing the four gofpels in Syriac from the Codex Heracleenfis, adding at the bottom of the page the various readings from the Codex Barfalibai and Codex Bodleianus. He had gone thus far in his undertaking, when the infirmities of old age rendered him unable to proceed, and imposed on him the melancholy neceffity of difcontinuing his defign. His transcript he gave to the university of Oxford; and his MSS. were left at his death to the library of New College. We cannot continue our account of the work before us better, than by the fubfequent quotation from the editor's preface.

• Mihi tandem hoc munus attributum eft ob humaniffimam commendationem Roberti Lowth nuper Oxonienfis epifcopi, nunc Londinenfis. Erat itaque apud eruditos fumma expectatio Verfionem Philoxenianam brevi in lucem emiffam fore. Hoc quidem fi ita eveniffet, non minus mihi commodi, quam omnibus voluptatis attuliffet: fed prorfus aliter contigit. Si causas igitur ob quas tamdiu opus productum fuit, obiter attingam, non abs re facere videbor. Vifum eft itaque rei typographicæ curatoribus textui Syriaco interpretationem Latinam fubjiciendam effe. Quod arduum fuiffe et difficile experiundo didici: multo fane operofius quam textus Syriaci exfcriptionem, in qua tamen una celeberrimus Ridleius plures annos confumpferat. Præterea textum ipfum Syriacum, quia exfcriptum Ridleianum, ob literarum nexus fere femper omiffos, typographi ufui non fatis commodum erat, multo cum labore totum ipfe iterum exfcripfi. Neque hoc de viro qui mihi amiciffimus fuit, inique intelligi velim: quod ideo tantum a me dictum eft, ut ignaviæ crimen a me ipfo amoveam.

• Sed et illud difficillimum erat, quod tamen apprime neceffarium arbitratus fum,' de lectionibus aftericis et obelis notatis regalam quandam, et veluti canonem criticum ftatuere, unde de lectionum iftarum auctoritate accuratius decerneretur. Neminem in hac re adjutorem habui, ne antecefforem quidem, fi Wetftenium excipiam, cujus tamen fententia a noftra longe diverfa eft. De ea infra agetur.

Quod ad notulas attinet, quas ad calcem evangeliorum adjeci, quamvis paucæ fint, et præcipue ad grammaticam fpectent, multo omnino in iis temporis confumpfi, quod æqui rerum æfti matores, fpero, facile agnofcent. Accedit, quod pofterioribus duobus annis adeo infirma ufus fuerim valetudine, ut fæpe typographicis erroribus corrigendis morofam operam impendere vix potuerim,'

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This

The Syriac text of the Heraclean edition is marked with afterifks and obeli; a method which Origen firft adopted in his Hexaplar and Tetraplar editions of the Septuagint. The learned editor concludes that thefe marks have no reference to the Simple Verfion that the words marked with afterisks were fupplied by Thomas from the Greek copies which he collated, and were by him inferted in Polycarp's text; and that the obeli are used to denote thofe words which were found in Polycarp's text, but did not exift in the Greek copies. He adds, that, this pofition being established, the agreement and difagreement of the copies of the fifth and the preceding centuries is immediately difcovered and afcertained. The following paffage, extracted from the 9th chapter of St. John, will ferve as a fpecimen of the manner in which the afterisks, obeli, and final marks are used.

'John IX.

7. Et dixit ei, Abi, lava in baptifterio Siloam (quod exponitur, Miffus). Abiit igitur et lavit, et venit videns. 8. Vicini ergo, et illi qui videbant cum prius, quod mendicus effet, dicebant, Nonne hic eft qui fedebat et mendicabat ? 9. + Alii dicebant, Hic eft; alii autem, Similis ei eft: ipfe autem dicebat, Ego fum. 10. Dicebant ergo ei, Quomodo # igitur aperti funt oculi tui? 11. Refpondit ipfe, et dixit, Homo qui dictus eft Jefus, lutum fecit, et illevit fuper oculos meos, et dixit mihi, || Abi ad baptifterium Siloam, et lava. Quum abiiffem § autem et laviffem, vidi. 12. Dixerunt igitur ei, Ubi eft ille? Dixit, Nefcio. 13. Adducunt eum ad Pharifæos qui quondam cæcus fuerat, &c.

The words thus referred to (+) in the margin being an addition, and not being inferted in the text, are, according to Mr. White's hypothefis, the collation of fome critic pofterior to Thomas, probably James of Edeffa. The other various readings diftinguished by thefe references ($) are attributed by the fame hypothefis to Thomas: that he could not have inferted them in the text, is obvious. The number of various readings inferted in the text by means of afterisks and obeli, and of the readings in the margin, and the Syriac explications of Greek words, amounts to 820. It would be a task of much labour and difficulty to make an estimate of the number of various readings which will accrue to the Greek Teftament from the original tranflation by Polycarp.

talii] Lectio Marg. (alii) Autem.

alii autem, Similis ei eft] Marg. (alii autem) Dicebant, Non ;fed fimilis (ei eft).

|| Abi ad baptifterium Siloam, et lava] Marg. (Abi, et) Lava in baptifterio Siloam.

Autem] Marg. Igitur.

The

The prefent edition is not lefs remarkable for the fplendor and elegance which it has received from the Clarendon Press, than for the labour and learning which the profeffor invariably appears to have beftowed upon it. The work is introduced by an elegant dedication to the chancellor of the univerfity. The preface presents to our view a history of the Philoxenian Verfion, an Enquiry concerning the Antiquity and Utility of the Simple Verfion compiled from Dr. Ridley's Differtation; an Account of the MSS. which we have mentioned above; and aSection on the Afterisks, Obeli, and marginal Readings. We transcribe the following paffage from the concluding section.

Prius quam finem fecero, liceat mihi grates dignas preli Clarendoniani delegatis perfolvere ; quod munus adeo honorificum mihi demandaverint. Simul reipublicæ literariæ gratulor, quod hoc prelum hominum candore et doctrina primariorum ductu hodie regatur illorum, inquam, hominum qui operibus utiliffimis. publicandis ftrenue patrocinantur, et quorum unicum votum effe videtur venerandum Oxonii nomen amplificare, et doctrinæ ac religioni quam plurimum prodeffe. Item cuftodi et fociis Coll. Nov. gratias refero, quorum in manu funt Cl. Ridleii MSS. quod eofdem mihi privatim, magno meo commodo, benignifime mutuo crediderint. Ex hac etiam occafione gratias omnibus reddo qui in me beneficia contulerunt, iis præfertim viris digniffimis qui unanimi fuffragio in cathedræ Arabicæ Præfidem me co-optarunt.'

The editor has omitted, not injudicioufly, the genealogical tables, Eufebius's Epiftle to Carpian, and the two tables of the Decalogue, which are prefixed, in the MSS. to St. Matthew's Gospel. The Syriac text is printed with the editor's Latin translation underneath, and the marginal readings at the bottom of the page. At the end of each of the evangelifts a Syriac note is added: the following are the notes at the end of Matthew and Mark:

1. Here ends the holy Gospel of Matthew the Evangelift, which he delivered in the Hebrew language in Palestine. 2. Here ends the holy Gospel of Mark, which he delivered in Latin at Rome.

The ftory of the woman taken in adultery, which the Codex Heracleenfis does not exhibit, is added feparately at the end of St. John, from the Codex Barfalibai. Then follow three Syriac notes, accompanied with Latin tranflations, refpecting the feveral dates and the different editors of the Philoxenian Verfion.

Ridley's Collation of MSS. is incorporated with the editor's annotations we copy what our author fays on this fubject.

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