To assign the reasons why these Tracts have been selected in preference to others on the same or similar subjects, of equal or superior merit, could serve no important purpose.— The Selector does not lay claim to the praise of having made the best possible choice,—he will be contented, if competent judges allow that he has made a good one. It is scarcely requisite to add, that the Editor does not by any means consider himself as answerable for the accuracy of all the statements, or the soundness of all the principles contained in these Tracts, even where he has not thought it necessary to express his dissent. His responsibility goes no farther than what is involved in a recommendation of them, as, on the whole, well fitted, if judiciously used, to cultivate the taste and the talent for principled and satisfactory interpretation of the Holy Scriptures.

JOHN BROWN.

CONTENTS.

ON THE LANGUAGE OF PALESTINE IN THE

AGE OF CHRIST AND THE APOSTLES, BY DE

ROSSI AND DR. HEINR. FRIEDR. PFANNKUCHE.

TRANSLATED

BY THORL G. REPP.

Page

§ 1. Hebrew, the Language of Palestine before the

Babylonian Captivity

§ 2 Substitution of Babylonian-Aramaic for Hebrew

rendered easy, 1, by the Affinity of these Tongues ;

2, by Aramaic Colonies

.

§ 3. The Jews that returned from the Captivity spoke

only Aramaic; Aramaic was also the Language of

Business in Palestine during the Persian dominion

§ 4. Aramaic was maintained in Palestine during the

dominion of Alexander

§ 5. And, under his Successors, the Greek-Egyptian

Rulers. For, 1, The internal Government and the

Religion of the Jews was preserved. 2, The Aramaic

Language was preserved even by the Jews who had

long been domiciled in Egypt

3

7

10

§ 6. The Aramaic preserved under the Syro-Macedo-

Page

15

nian Kings-during this dynasty, Greek was only

the Court language. These Rulers founded many

cities where Aramaic was spoken; proofs that these

were not Greek Colonies-Palmyrean Inscriptions

in Aramaic Aramaic preserved under the Romans

-those who adopted Foreign Customs and Fashions

among the Jews held in abhorrence-Antiochus Epi-

phanes unsuccessful in extirpating the Aramaic

§ 7. Independence gained by the Maccabees favourable

to the Aramaic-spoken by the Soldiers of Judas

Maccabeus-Hebrew and Aramaic Coins, whether or

how far genuine ?-Greek not spoken at the Courts of

the Jewish Kings-Aramaic Writings of this period 24

§ 8. Aramaic preserved 500 years after the Captivity,

and also after Pompey's Conquest

§ 9. Indirect Proofs-No Foreign Colonies-Inter-

course with Babylonian Jews-Aramaic names in

the New Testament-Aramaic Targums-Jesus

spoke Aramaic Aramaic Writings of this period-

Pertinacity of Jews in preserving their Nationality 31

§ 10. Direct Proofs, 1, From the New Testament; 2,

From Josephus; 3, From the Talmudists

§ 11. Quality of the Language of Palestine in the Age

of Christ-Specimens from the New Testament—

from Josephus-the Jerusalem Dialect-the Gali-

lean Dialect-the Samaritan Dialect-the Phoenician

Dialect what name should be given to the Palesti-

nian Language in the Age of Christ

§ 12. What means the term HELLENISTS?

30

51

64

78

DISSERTATION ON THE TRUE NATURE AND

GENIUS OF THE DICTION OF THE NEW

TESTAMENT, BY HENRY PLANCK.

TRANSLATED

BY ALEXANDER SIMPSON PATTERSON.

Page

91

Although by Salmasius, Fischer, and Sturzius, the

later Greek Speech has been more accurately ex-

plained than it had previously been, yet even these

writers were not in every respect successful in the

performance of their task. But it can scarcely be

told, how many and how great mistakes have been

committed in regard to this matter by Interpreters of

the New Testament

The origin and genius of the later Greek Speech. Be-

fore the times of Alexander the Great, every one, in

writing, employed his Native Dialect-after the Con-

quest of Greece, authors almost universally followed

one Dialect, namely, the Attic, which, from being

common to all, and composed of what belonged to the

more Ancient Dialects, not without an infusion of

the New Speech in ordinary use, was called the Com-

mon or Hellenic Dialectἡ κοινη, or ἑλληνικη διαλεκτος 111

But the Vulgar Speech that began at the same time to
be generally used, in which, as in its principle, Sa-
cred Hellenism consists, was produced by a confusion

Page

of all the Dialects, in such a way, however, as that
the language which had obtained in certain districts,
formed the basis of the New Speech. And neither
the Macedonian or Alexandrian, nor the Common
Dialect (noun), is a right appellation for this Com.
mon Tongue

. 117
The sources of acquaintance with the constitution of
this later mode of speech are of three kinds. The
first comprehends the common authors (oi xoivos)—
another consists of Grammarians or Atticists, Scho-
liasts, and Lexicographers-the third consists of writ-
ings composed in this very language

Traces of the Common Greek Speech are to be met with
in the New Testament,

1. In words which have passed from foreign tongues in-

to the Greek Language

124

. 127

2. In the Orthography and Pronunciation of Words 128

3. In the flection of Nouns and Verbs

4. In variety of Gender

132

5. In the forms of Words

6. In those words which either belonged to the more
Ancient Dialects, and became part of the Common
Tongue, or were altogether new, and began to be
used by the later Greeks

7. In those significations of words, which, not being

found in the more Ancient Language, seem to have

been either lately received into use, or not of very

good standing

8. In the usus loquendi

168

179

184