the language, confesses (1) himself unable to add any thing essential to what had been said by Walton (2) nearly two centuries before and Jahn of Vienna (3), and Bertholdt (4), have done little, if any thing more (5). Since, therefore, the only accounts we have of these versions were written so long ago; and since the art of criticism, in general, has been so greatly improved from the period at which Walton wrote; it was high time that some inquiry should be instituted into the subject. This our author has amply and ably done; and we shall extract a few of his principal observations.

The version in question is supposed to have been made by Jacob-ben-Joseph, in the city of Tus (b) at present called

where there once was a celebrated Jewish مشهد or مشهد مقدس

school. Who he was, and at what period he lived, we have no means of ascertaining he appears, however, not to have flourished before the beginning of the ninth century; since he has translated 22, Gen. x.10.byla The city of Bagdad, according to Abu'lfeda (6), was not built before the year of the Hegira 145=762 P. C. N. That the author was a Jew, appears from several passages in the work itself; as well as from its being first published by the Jews at Constantinople in the year 1546, in Hebrew letters, with the original text, the Chaldee paraphrase of Onkelos, the Arabic version of R. Saadias Gaon, and Jarchi's Commentary. From this rare edition, Hyde transcribed it in Persian characters, and printed it in the Appendix to the fourth volume of the London Polyglott.

It is evidently made from the Hebrew text, and not from any version. The style, far distant from Persic purity, strongly savours of Hebraisms: thus, Gen. i. 1. instead of l

, آسمانرا و زمین را آفرید در اول آفرید خدا مر آن we find ,Then demonstrativum of the Hebrews . آسمان ومر آن زمین

is expressed by the pronoun demonstrative

(1) Einleitung in das Alte Test. vol. i. p. 685. ed. tert.

(2) In Biblia Polyglotta Prolegom. xvi. 7.

entirely contrary

(3) Einleitung in d. göttliche Bücher d. A. Bundes. vol. i. p. 210. (4) Hist. krit. Einleit. in d. Schriften d. A. und N. T. vol. ii. p. 631. (5) Professor Bauer of Altdorf is remarkably laconic in his account of this version (Entwurf einer Einleitung in d. Schriften d. A. T. 8vo. Nürnberg, 1794. p. 198.) we transcribe the passage: "Nur der Pentateuch ist bis jezt in der Persischen Sprache bekannt, und zweimal gedruckt, in dem Polyglottenpentsteuch von 1546, und in der Londner Polyglotte. Der Verfasser dieser Ueber. setzung soll ein Jud aus Tus seyn, daher ihn die Gelehrten Tavosus nennen. Er folgt genau dem hebr. Original.”

(6) Annales Muslemici, tom. ii. p. 14, 27. ed. Reisk. Adler.

to the genius of the Persian language. The particle ♫ is constantly rendered by.

Gen. i. 14. the words

So

are

T:

o also . باشند روشناییها not باشد روشناییها translated بفرمود حدا ابر آن آدم بگفتن از همه درخت 16 .Gen. ii گفت با و یهوده دگفتن 3 .Gen. xliii آن بوستان خوردن بحوري گواه گرفتن گواه گرفت در ایما آن مرد دگفتن نه بینید The translator has - . روي من بجز برادري شما او از شما

Exod. iii. 14; and the Hebrew אהיה and אשר אהיהאהיה and

even retained Hebrew words: e. gr. w, Gen. xvii. 1. xxviii. 3.

text of whole verses, as in Numb. xxxiii. 10-35, 42-50. Frequently whole phrases are omitted: thus, Gen. iv. 16. we have

.2 .the rest being omitted. Gen. vi برون آمد پیش بهشت only

הנה כי טבת

are omitted (7). See also Gen. vii. 11. viii. 13. ix. 5, 6. x. 11. xv. 5. xvi. 1. xxii. 19. xxv. 13. xxvii. 41. These omissions seem to have proceeded, not from the fault of the Hebrew MS. from which the version was made, but from the carelessness of the translator, or perhaps of the transcriber of the version. Hyde has supplied the chasms with his own translation, enclosed between brackets: and has imitated the Hebraisms and errors of the version.

From Rosenmüller's list of remarkable translations we select the following examples:

cortina, vela پرده .Pers : جلد Arabs, Erpenii : جليد Saadias

men expansum, according to the sense of the word yp, Isa. xlii. 5. Exod. xxxix. 3. Job xxxvii. 18. and the usual opinion of the Jews. See Psalm civ. 2. This is a far better rendering than ours, "firmament."

Gen. i. 27. the words by are translated

in for بصورة شرفها الله ,informa nobili. So Saadias شريف

ma quam nobilem reddidit Deus. This last seems to convey a simple and sublime idea.

Gen. ii. 14. For the Persic and Saadias have Mosul, which city occupies the scite of the ancient Nineveh. See Assemani Bibliotheca Orientalis Clement. Vat. T. iii. P. ii.

(7) Rosenmüller, p. 6-9.

p. 710. and compare T. ii. Dissert. de Monophysit. s. voc. Mosul. Abu'lfeda, in his Tables of Mesopotamia, edited by Professor Rosenmüller in PAULUS' Repertorium für Biblisch. u. Morgenländisch. Literatur, vol. iii. speaks of a large city, then ruined,

انور اثور

called (not as printed by mistake in Paulus) situated near Mosul.

Gen. ii. 15. ¡7-12 : Pers.

5 hoj is derived

dimisit eum in horto Paradisi. The word from the old Zendic word veheschtem, which, in the Zend-Avesta (8), signifies the dwelling of Ormuzd and the celestial spirits; and is used by the modern Persians to denote Paradise (9). Gen. iv. 1. the formule nus y is here, and in general, rendered by the Persian translator, sips,gl ujjlgl s :

Ki Angeli Dei.

Gen. xxx. 19, 34, 35. ': the Persian translator has astrolabia. We had long been inclined to imagine the Teraphim were something of this kind; and the knowledge of this rendering has greatly confirmed us. Our author has a note on this passage, but it is too long for us to transcribe.

interpretes.

Gen. xli. 8. ' Gen. xlix. 14. præpotens opibus. Onkelos, y divis opibus.

Ischaschar

It appears, upon the whole, that in obscure passages, the translator has usually taken Onkelos as his guide;-that he sometimes agrees with Saadias; but it cannot be ascertained whether he made use of his version;-and that he generally illustrates ancient manners and rites by similar practices in his own age. See Gen. xxx. 14. xxxi. 19. xxxv. 17. xli. 43, 45. This may account for his translating and 22, Gen. ii. 14. x. 10. by Another instance occurs, Levit.

بغداد and موصل

xxvi. 30.

(8) Zend-A-vesta von Kleuker, P. i. p. 89. and P. ii. p. 245. ed. 2. (9) See a beautiful distich of Ferdusi (eli sl) quoted by Sir William Jones, Works, vol. ii. p. 314. and by Wilken, Chrestomath. Pers. p. 187. Lips. 1805.

ازین پس کنون تا به بس روز کار

شود چون بهشت آن لب جویبار

Rosenmüller.

و ببرم مر where we find و نیست کنم مر سردخانهای شما

Lai shiki wlis atque annihilabo frigidarias domos vestras, et succidam solares domos vestras. This can be explained only by a reference to Persian doctrines and customs. A still more remarkable example may be observed, Gen. xxx. 14., where the term '7, which, in our common version, is translated "mandrakes," in the Persie is rendered; according to Hyde's Latin Version melones odorati: but the word properly

فرهنك سعوري,means, according to the famous poetical Lexicon

whence Meninski derived his explanation of it-Pastilli melonibus parvis similes, suavi odore, qui manu gestari solent. These pastiles, Rosenmüller says (10), on the authority of Chardin (11), "quibus vel corroborandi, vel venerem excitandi vim inesse putant, Persides in pyxidibus aureis argenteisve secum gestare solent."

The result of the author's inquiries into this version is, that it accurately follows the present Masoretic text; which affords a proof that the MSS. of the Persian Jews do not contain readings essentially differing from any others. It occasionally agrees with other MSS. in slight deviations from the Masoretic text; but it has no lectiones singulares of its own. The instances which Rosenmüller has given are few in number, and not worth transcribing.

This treatise, in conformity with the usual custom in Germany, was published on the author's being made ordinary Professor of Oriental Languages in the University of Leipzig, Sept. 4, 1813. He gives notice that, on the same day, he intended to deliver a lecture, "De mythis Orientalium recte dijudicandis; but this, we believe, has not been published. On the whole, we can recommend this work to the notice of the Biblical Critic, as a learned, elegant, and instructive publication. Its value may indeed be judged of from the reputation of the author, who, as we learn, is known in Germany as "the Oriental Rosenmüller."

(10) Commentatio, p. 24.

(11) Voyages en Perse, nouv. ed. par Langlès. (Paris, 1811.) Tom. iv. p. 42.

No. XX.-VOL. III.-Aug. Rev.

2

D

592

ART. V.-A Course of Lectures, containing a Description and Systematic Arrangement of the several Branches of Divinity; accompanied with an Account both of the Principal Authors, and of the Progress which has been made at different Periods in Theological Learning. By HERBERT MARSH, D. D., F. R. S. Margaret Professor of Divinity. Part IV. On the Interpretation of Prophecy. Rivington, London. Deightons, Cambridge. 1816.

THE Work which we are about to notice is the continuation of a Course of Theological Lectures, three Parts of which made their appearance at too early a period to be considered in our publication. The eminent character and abilities of its author, who is known to have borne a conspicuous part in several very important controversies, and to have become the object of much praise and much cen sure in the religious world in consequence of the part be bore, will lead our readers to expect that we should not confine our observations to this Fourth Part, but extend them to those which have been for some time in their hands. Every thing proceeding from such a man must be worthy of attention. His productions contain allusions at least to the religious disputes of the day; and, therefore, at a time like this when controversy is fashionable, they are sought after with eagerness by a large portion of the public. The motive of this curiosity is not in all cases the same, or equally favourable to the author; yet most of his readers are gratified by the perusal of his productions. Some have the pleasure of reading a work which they admire for its ingenuity, learning, and conformity to their own sentiments; others of finding fault with opinions which they consider indefensible. There are some, likewise, whose sensations are of a compound kind, being made up of pleasure and pain; those, we mean, who find that they themselves, or their opinions, have been noticed by this formidable foe of every thing false or trivial.

It never happens that the world is unanimous with respect to the merits of a distinguished public character; one party being as eager to discover and display his faults, as another is to magnify his virtues. The springs of human action are so various, that it is, in most cases, easy to assign both a good motive and a bad one for the same act; and the characters of men are of so mixed a kind, that the same