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The Ancestry of Our English Bible : an Account of Manuscripts, Texts, And

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The Ancestry of Our English Bible : an Account of Manuscripts, Texts, And |he Ancestry t)ur English Bible r Ira Maurice Price BOUGHT WITH THE INCOME FROM THE SAGE ENDOWMENT FUND THE GIFT OF m^nvu M, Sage zSqx ^.-i^oust v5=i..l:3;^.i.«J.. 1357 ' -.•i-,K "IT -" Np- ^°^ eiye to the librarian. 7 HOME USE RULES. AU Books subject to Recall. Books not used for Z36ld3SM instruction or research are returnable Within 4 weelcs. Volumes of periodi cals and of pamphlets are held in the library as much as possible. For special purposes they are givSn oUt for a limited time. n Borrowers should ^-ii*i^ not use their library privileges for the bene- fit of other; persons. Books not needed during recess periods should be returned to the lil^rary, or arrange- 2 01981 f ments made for their Return during borrow- ir's absence, if wanted! Books needed by more than one person are held on the reserve list. Books of special value and gift books, when the giver wishes it, are not allowed to circulate. Readers are asked to report all cases of books marked or mutilated. Do not deface books "by marks and wri^inlr. iH^ Cornell University Library BS44S .P94 1910 Ancestry of our English Bible : an accou 1924 029 271 olin Cornell University Library The original of tliis book is in tlie Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924029271595 THE ANCESTRY OF OUR , ENGLISH BIBLE ] 2 3 4 6 7 8 10 11 16 17 18 19 20 -ii-y 21 22 Vt^Of^^^ 24 ',>l*fWtUf^VAl Hebrew Text on Papyrus from the Second Century (Cook). Exodus 2o : 8-17 The Ancestry of Our English Bible An Account of Manuscripts, Texts, AND Versions of the Bible By Ira Maurice P^ice, Ph.D. Professor of the Semitic Languages and Literatures in the University of Chicago ^ FOURTH EDITION PHILADBLFHIA The Sunday School Times Company ''l-k Copyright, 1906, By The Sunday School Times Co. First edition, February, 1907. Second edition, July, 1907. Third edition, March, 1909. TO THE MEMORir OF Jennie IRboabs iprice INSPIRING, DEVOTED WIFE AND MOTHER, DURING WHOSE LAST YEAR OF PATIENT AND PATHETIC SUFFERING THESE PAGES WERE PENNED, THIS VOLUME IS LOVINGLY DEDICATED PREFACE Our English Bible is the descendant of a long line of ancestors. It is the gathering up, the focalization, of the best that is found in all the manuscripts and versions extant. It is the result of the best efforts of about seventy-five of the leading scholars of the last quarter century. How did these scholars produce our English Bible? What were the sources of their materials? Where were these materials found ? What is their character ? Where are they preserved? How were they used by scholars in the production, for example, of our Re- vised Version ? These are a few of the questions that arise in the minds of every earnest, thoughtful student of the Bible. They can be answered only by a some- what extended description and by references to many books and articles. These questions were discussed in a popular vein in a series of eleven articles in The Sunday School Times during the first three-quarters of the year 1904. Their publication in book form was announced for the autumn of the same year. But long, distressing and fatal illness in the family of the writer, and the de- cision to expand the material to more than twice its original size, necessitated the postponement of its publication. The purpose of this volume is to present in as con- vi Preface cise and popular form as possible a description of the principal versions and texts of the Bible, from the earliest known translations and manuscripts down through the middle ages, even to modern times. Now and then a version or manuscript is prefaced by a statement of the historical background, where such is required to bring out more sharply the characteristics of such document. This has been done especially in the discussion of the early versions of the English Bible, for the Bible work is best understood if we ap- preciate the historical conditions of those days. The division of the book into three parts is natural, though it may, at first, seem to need justification. The earliest versions and manuscripts do not all contain both the Old Testament and the New. In fact, the originals of the two being written in different lan- guages, is sufficient ground for treating them in two parts. Then the existence of some versions, such as the Samaritan Pentateuch, in the Old Testament alone, calls for such a division of the theme. It soon becomes apparent, however, that the line between Parts I and II cannot always be sharply drawn ; for, as in the case of the Vulgate, both Testaments are in- cluded. There is consequently some almost unavoid- able overlapping, where the version is discussed both in Parts I and II. This disadvantage is partly overcome in the case of the Vulgate by devoting the chapter in Part I to early Latin Old Testament manu- scripts, and the Vulgate down to the ninth century, and that in Part II to early Latin New Testament Pr^ace vii manuscripts and the Vulgate down to modern times. In Part III, "The English Bible," no division is made between the Old Testament and the New, both being treated under each chapter. Some portion of each chapter descriptive of a ver- sion is given to an account of the principal manu- scripts. Only such facts are mentioned as serve prom- inently to distinguish those documents in the history of the text. Of some of the great manuscripts, such as the Sinaitic, a few essential facts regarding its dis- covery are given, that we may the better know the cost of some of our most valued treasures. The illustrations are designed to set vividly before the eyes of the reader facsimile specimens of some of the earliest and most important texts and versions now in possession of the great libraries of the world, and of some private collections. These have been gathered from a large variety of sources, as is indi- cated in the "List of Illustrations." Full acknowl- edgment is here made to the firms and individuals who have so generously granted permission to repro- duce them for this volume. The names of such grantors appear in full in the "List of Illustrations." The Bibliography gives merely a selection of the literature that will prove most helpful in further in- vestigation of the theme of each chapter. The Chronological Table is intended to present only such dates as are essential in the best scheme for fastening outline facts regarding Bible translations and texts. viii Preface The diagrams illustrative of the relations of the versions and transcripts present to the eye some pat- ent facts that should be remembered. The author acknowledges his indebtedness to many writers and Authors from whom the material of this volume has been gathered and reconstructed. The Bibliography cites almost in full the sources employed in its production. The thanks of the author are due his colleagues, Professor Ernest D. Burton, for his kindness in read- ing the manuscript of Part II, "The New Testament," and for making valuable suggestions ; and to Profes- sor C. W. Votaw for reading the proofs of the same, and for indicating points of improvement in the mat- ter and forms of statements. The author, however, is alone responsible for the method of treatment. To the Publishers, who have spared no pains in making the volume attractive in form and make-up, there is also due a debt of thanks. Ira Maurice Pricb. The University of Chicago, New-Year, 1907. CONTENTS (Parentheses enclose Illustrations.) CHAPTER I. THE ENGLISH BIBLE OP TO-DAY. X. Versions in use to-day.—2. Reasons for these ver- sions.—3. Variants in the Old Testament. (Amer- ican Standard Revised Version, specimen page, p. 4). —4. Variants in the New Testament.— s- Interpre- tative marginal readings.—6. Variant readings of Hebrew and Greek manuscripts.— 7. Variant read- ings from ancient versions.—8. Classes of marginal . 1-12 readings.—9. Reasons for the variants . Pages CHAPTER II. THE BASES OP OUR PRESENT VERSIONS. 10. Available sources.— 11. The Hebrew and Greek texts used.—12. The use of the manuscripts. (Co- dex Sinaiticus (S) from Mt. Sinai, p. 16).— 13. The use of the ancient versions.— 14. The Targums and quotations in ancient writers.— 15. The revisers' apparatus criticus Pages 13-19 PART I. THE OLD TESTAMENT. CHAPTER III. HEBREW WRITING, TEXT, AND MANUSCRIPTS. 16. The Hebrew of the Old Testament.— 17. Writing and writers in the Old Testament.— 18. Other He- brew documents in O. T. times.— 19. Probable ix — Contents destruction of Hebrew books.—20. Hebrew lan- guage.—21. Origin of changes in the Hebrew text. —22. Divisions of the Hebrew text.—23. The vocal- izing of the Hebrew text.—24. Hebrew manu- scripts. (* St. Petersburg Hebrew manuscript, 916 A. D., p. 34)—25. Printed editions of the Hebrew Old Testament.—26. Published list of Hebrew variants. (*First Hebrew Bible published in America p. 38) Pages 20-38 CHAPTER IV. THE SAMARITAN BIBLE: THE PENTATEUCH. 27. Samaritan peculiarities.—28. Policy that originated the Samaritans.—29. Composition of the Samari- tans.—30. Manasseh's migration to Samaria.—31. Mt. Gerizim a center of Jehovah worship.—32. Pen- tateuch the Samaritan Scriptures.—33. Samaritan manuscripts. (* Jacob ben Aaron, high priest of Samaritans at Nablous, p. 46).—34. Printed texts. 35.
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