UNDER this Title we comprehend all the Bibles written or translated into Syriac, Samaritan, Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Armenian, &c. of which we shall make but one Article, wherein we shall speak of those who procured the Editions of them, or translated them into these different Languages.
Syriac Bibles.
We have said something of Syriac Bibles in the Dictionary, under the Article of Bibles, and shall not repeat here what we have there mentioned. The Syriac Bible was first printed in le Jay’s Polyglot, in 1645, with a Latin Version by Gabriel Sionita. Abraham Echellensis translated Ruth, and John Hefronita the five Books attributed to Solomon. This Edition is not entire, the following Books being wanting in it, viz. Tobit, Judith, Esther, Jeremiah’s Epistle, and Baruch’s, with the Fragments of Daniel, and the Second Book of Maccabees. The whole New Testament is of the Translation of Guido Fabricius Boderianus, Edward Pocock, and Lewis de Dieu.
The Syriac Version of le Jay’s Bible is reprinted in the Polyglot of England, with the Addition of the Books of Esther, Judith, Tobit, Jeremiah’s Epistle, and Baruch’s; the Story of Susanna, part of the Song of the three Children, and the Second and Third Books of Maccabees. Walton says, he has corrected and amended this Text in many Places; but M. Simon assures us, that the same Faults which are in the Paris Edition, are all to be found in that of London.
Psalmi Davidis cum Canticis veteris & novi Testamenti Syriacè & Arabicè. These Psalms were printed at Mount Libanus in 1610.
Psalmi Syriacè sine punctis, editi à Thomâ Erpenio, cum versione Latinâ, in 4to. Lugd. Batav. 1625.
Psalmi Davidis Syriacè cum punctis, & versione Latinâ Gabrielis Sionitæ, in 4to. Paris. 1625. Novum Syriacè cum Testamentum punctis, à Widmanstadio, two Vols. in 4to. Viennæ, Austriæ, 1555, — 1562. This is the first and most esteemed Edition of the New Testament in Syriac. The Second Epistle of St. Peter, the Second and Third of St. John, that of St. Jude, and the Revelations, are not in it, though the Syrians receive them as Canonical; because, say the Editors, these Pieces were not in their Copies. John Albert Widmanstadt, the Author of this Edition, was a German, a Catholick, Chancellor of Austria, and a Lawyer, about the Year 1555. He was perfectly Master of the Syriac Tongue.
Novum Testamentum Syriacè caracteribus Hebraicis sine punctis, in 24mo. Antwerpiæ, Plantin. 1575.
Novum Testamentum caractere Syriaco, cum versione Latinâ Tremellii, in 4to. Cothenis Anhaltanorum, 1621, 1624. In all these Editions the four Canonical Epistles above-mentioned are wanting, and the Revelations: But since the Edition of the Paris Polyglot, the New Testament is generally found entire, with Boderianus’s Version. F. le Long’s Bibliotheca Sacra may be consulted concerning the Editions of particular Books of Scripture, published separately in Syriac.
The New Testament in Syriac was printed at Leyden, 1708, in 4to. together with a Syriac Dictionary, containing a Concordance of all the Words in this New Testament. Charles Schaaf undertook this Work with Leusden: Upon the Death of the latter, Schaaf alone finished it. He has added to it a new Latin Version, and various Readings, taken from preceding Editions and Manuscripts.
The Samaritan Bible.
We have spoken before of the Hebrew Pentateuch, written in these old Characters, which were in use among the Jews before the Babylonish Captivity; but as the Samaritans, who make use of it, no longer understand the ancient Hebrew, they have translated it into their own Language, which is a Mixture of Syriac, Chaldee, and Hebrew. This Translation was printed in the Polyglot of Paris, with Morinus’s Latin Version, in 1645, and since reprinted in that of England.
Besides this Samaritan Version, it is said that there is one in Arabic, and one in Greek. See Walton, Proleg. xi. paragr. 20. Morinus, and F. le Long’s Bibliotheca Sacra.
Arabic Bibles.
We have spoken largely enough of Arabic Bibles in the Dictionary, under the Article Bibles. The Arabic Edition of le Jay’s Polyglot contains all the Books of the Old and New Testament, excepting the First Book of Maccabees, which is wanting. The Pentateuch is the Work of Rabbi Saadias Gaon, an eminent Jew, who translated it from the Hebrew: The Latin Version is by J. Hesronita. The other Books of Scripture are translated into Arabic from the Greek, and the Latin Version in the Polyglots is by Gabriel Sionita. This Author was of Syria, a Maronite of Mount Libanus, and Professor of the Syriac and Arabic Tongues at Paris. He was sent for to this City, to be employed in le Jay’s Polyglot, and taught there in the Royal College in 1650. He then passed for one of those who best understood the Oriental Languages. Nevertheless, the Latin Versions put out by him are not without Faults.
Walton has reprinted the same Arabic Version, but says he has corrected it in several Paces.
Biblia Arabica Romæ edita jussu Urbani Octavi. Vetus Testamentum, absolutum est anno 1647, novum anno 1656. But as this Edition did not agree entirely with the Vulgate, the Congregation De propagandâ Fide caused it to be revised, and the Work was not published till the Year 1661. Vide Diarium eruditorum Italic. Romæ Edit. 29. Januar. 1572, ab Abbate Nazario.
Novum Testamentum Arabicè, curâ Thomæ Erpenii, in 4to. Leidæ, è Typogr. Erpenianâ, 1616.
Evangelia Arabicè absque punctis, & cum figuris, in fol. Romæ è Typog. Medicea 1591. item 1619.
The Ethiopic Bible.
We have not all the Bible printed in the Ethiopic Characters or Language. Theodore Petreus published the four first Chapters of Genesis at Leyden, in 4to. 1660. George Christian Burcklin printed them them, with the Latin Version, at Frankfort, in 4to. 1696. They were put out again in Germany, in 1702, and 1707.
The Book of Ruth was printed at Leyden in 4to. by John George Nissелius, in 1660. The Psalms have been printed frequently: For example, by John Potken, in 4to. Romæ 1513. by Ludolphus, at Frankfort, in 4to. 1701. and in the Polyglots of Paris and England. The Canticles likewise, and the Prophets Joel, Jonas, Zephaniah and Malachi, were printed separately in Ethiopic, at different Places. Novum Ethiopicè, Testamentum Romæ, in 4to. 1548.
Epistolæ 13 Pauli Ethiopicè, 1549. Romæ. This Edition is very faulty: It is that notwithstanding which Walton has followed in his Polyglot; the Ethiopic Psalter he has taken from the Editions of Rome and Cologn; the Canticles, with the New Testament, from the Edition of Rome, and the Latin Version of Dudley Loftus, corrected by Edmund Castle. Ludolphus affirms, that this Edition abounds with Faults; and that the English have farther added new ones to the Edition of Rome, because the Ethiopians, under whose Direction the Roman Edition was published, had but an imperfect and mutilated Copy.
Job Ludolf, or Leutholf, mentioned in this Article, was a German of Erford, Counsellor to the Emperor and Elector Palatine. He understood the Oriental Languages, and particularly the Ethiopic. He died in 1704.
Epistolæ Jacobi, tres Joannis, & Judæ, Ethiopicè & Arabicè*, cum punctis* vocalibus, & versione Latinâ Theodori Petræi, in 4to. Leidæ, Elzevir, 1654. Ludolphus says this Book is full of Faults.
The Persian Bible.
Pentateuchi versio Persica charactere Hebræo, interprete Jacobo filio Joseph Tawos Judæo. Constantinopoli, 1546. This Bible is printed with the Hebrew, Chaldee, and Arabic: The Hebrew is in the Middle, Onkelos’s Paraphrase on the Left, the Persian Version on the Right, and the Arabian at the upper End of the Page. This very Version is printed in the Polyglot of England, with a Latin Version by Thomas Hyde.
Evangeliorum versio Persica, cum versione Latinâ Abrahami Wheloci, Londini, 1652, 1657. Abbot Renaudot maintains, that this Translation is made from the Syriac, and not from the Greek, as the Editors pretend. Abraham Whelock was an Englishman, Professor of the Arabic and Saxon Languages at Cambridge. He died in 1654.
Evangelia Persicè*, ex interpretatione* Simonis filii Joseph. Taurinensis juxta codic. Pocockianum, cum versione Latinâ Samuelis Clerici. This Version is in the Polyglot of England, and taken from the Syriac; it is different from Whelock’s.
The Bible in the Turkish Language.
We have not all the Bible printed in this Language, but only the New Testament, printed at London, in 4to. 1666, translated by William Seaman.
Albert Bobovius, a Polonian, and an Apostate from the Christian Religion, having turned Turk, and taken the Name of Ali Beigh, at the Request of Levinus Warnerus translated the Bible into the Turkish Language. Warnerus sent it to Leyden, to be there printed; but it continues still in Manuscript, and is lodged in the public Library of that Town. Bobovius, otherwise Bobowski, was Principal Interpreter to Mahomet IV. Emperor of the Turks. He lived about 1660, and died in his Apostacy.
Armenian Bibles.
Biblia Armenia impressa Amstelodami, in 4to. ann. 1666. This Armenian Version is made from the Septuagint; it is very beautiful, and performed with great Care: there are Cuts in it which represent the History of Scripture. It is said notwithstanding, that the Armenians did not like it, though procured by James Caracterus, their great Patriarch.
Biblia Armenica studio Theodori Petræi, in fol. Amstelod. 1670.
Biblia Armenica Constantinopoli, in 4to. erant subprælo, ann. 1707.
Psalmi Armenicè*, in 8vo. Romæ* 1565. Venetiis 1642. Amstelodami 1661. in 4to. Ibidem, in 1666, in 24to. &c.
Novum Testamentum Armenicè*, in 8vo*. Amstelod. 1668. Idem nitidioribus typis, in 8va. ann. 1698.
Coptick, or Egyptian Bibles.
There are many Manuscript Copies of the Coptick Bibles; but we know of none that are printed. See F. le Long’s Bibliotheca Sacra, tom. 1. of the folio Edition; and upon all these Bibles in the Oriental Languages, see Lipenius’s Bibliotheca Theologica, tom. 1. p. 146.