Pascal Chronicle, Eusebius, the Catena of Nicephorus, Augustin, Julius, Hilario, and Syncellus; by the Coptic, Sclavonic, and Armenian versions; by the Codex Ambrosianus and the Codex Coislinianus already described in a preceding Number, (p. 218,) and by the MSS. in Dr. Holmes's Catalogue numbered, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 25, 29, 32, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 58, 59, 64, 71, 73, 74, 76, 77, 78, 84, 85, 106, 107, 108, 118, 128, 129, 130, 131, 134, 135.

But, what, in our own opinion, completes the evidence in vindicating this addition is, that these interpolations, as they are termed, are found in all the copies of the Samaritan text, and Samaritan version, which have been hitherto discovered. In the Hebrew and Samaritan the passage stands thus,

Now the sojourning of the children of Israel [and_their fathers] which they sojourned in Egypt, [the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan] was four hundred and thirty years.' The additions in the Samaritan text, which, with the Hebrew, make precisely the same sense as the Septuagint, are here distinguished by being printed in the Samaritan character. On this important addition Dr. H. makes the following remark;

The children of Israel sojourned in Egypt during a period only of 215 years; and their fathers sojourned in Canaan during a previous period of 215 years; and the specified sum of 430 years, will not be completed unless both these periods are laid together, as the version of the Seventy implies they were. That the Hebrew text originally stood correspondent to the Septuagint, appears from the Samaritan. And it is to be observed further, that St. Paul, Galatians iii. 17. represents the law, as 430 years posterior to the covenant made with Abraham. When that Patriarch quitted Haran to sojourn in a strange country, then it was that the covenant with him took place; and the law was given almost immediately after the Exodus from Egypt. The intermediate years were 430. See Exod. xii. 41. First An. Account. p. 14.

Here then is a most important addition, ascertaining the genuine reading of an (otherwise) obscure and self-contradictory text, which the Septuagint has preserved; and which, without doubt, existed in the Autograph of the Hebrew original.

The ancient Jews were struck with the difficulty in this text, and endeavoured to solve it. In a Rabbinical Treatise called Rabboth, written, according to some, so early as A. D. 195, or according to others 300, or later, which contains expositions of the Pentateuch and Megilloth, the passage stands VOL. II.

thus,

,in the land of Egypt - במצרים ובארץ כנען ובארץ גושן ; thus

and in the land of Canaan, and in the land of Goshen. Though this is good collateral evidence, that at a very early period the passage was suspected to be imperfect, yet, after the readings preserved by the Septuagint and Samaritan, we need be under no obligation to the critical emendation of this ancient Rabbin. On the whole number of four hundred in this text, we find no disagreement in Dr. Holmes's MSS.; but the number thirty, is written by one MS. TETOVT (50.) and by another TEXOVT TETE (35.); all the rest agree with the Hebrew

text.

Many additions of various importance, serving in general to the perfection and integrity of the text, might be noticed; but we shall content ourselves with only a few more specimens, which, though not all in the volume immediately under review, form a part of the printed text of the Septuagint.

In Deut. xxvii. 26., we read, in the present Hebrew text, Cursed be he that confirmeth not the words of this law to do them. St. Paul quotes this passage Gal. iii. 10. thus, It is WRITTEN, Cursed is every one that continueth not in ALL things which are written in the book of the law to do them. The present Hebrew text omits the word kol, ALL, though it is absolutely necessary to the sense in this place. The Septuagint in all its copies, whether printed or MS. expresses the words with the Apostle. The Samaritan agrees with both, and some MSS. collated by Kennicott and De Rossi confirm this reading. It is therefore reasonable to conclude that the word, which is preserved by the Septuagint and the Apostle in their tās, was originally in the tiebrew text.

But a more serious and important omission than any yet noted, is that in Psal. xiv. after yerse 3d. where six whale verses are found in the Septuagint, which no longer exist in the Hebrew text. And should it be supposed that the Greek translators had added these merely from fancy or caprice, the supposition will be immediately corrected by considering that St. Paul, under the immediate inspiration of the Holy Spirit, quotes all these verses, Rom. iii. 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18. verbatim and literatim from the Septuagint. Therefore we may safely conclude, as in the preceding case, that these words, in former times, constituted a part of the Hebrew text, though it has now irrecoverably lost them. Had not this passage been found in a version long held in the highest credit even by the Jews themselves, what could we have thought of the Apostle's inspiration or fidelity, who quoted them as a part of divine revelation! The obligations we are under to the providence and mercy of God, for the preservation of this most ancient and important version, transcend the most enlarged

com

comprehension. That the verses referred to are omitted in this place by the Codex Alexandrinus, we are sufficiently aware; but we also know, that this is not the only instance in which this MS. endeavours to accord with that Hebrew text, which was either carelessly edited, or wilfully corrupted, by the Jews. What further light Dr. Holmes's collation may yet afford us, on this passage, can only be seen when that part which contains the Psalms shall be published.

It is well known that the cxlv. Psalm is one of those which are called Acrostic Psalms, each verse beginning with a consecutive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. As the letters in this Alphabet are 22 in number, this Psalm should consist of 22 verses; but the reader will find that there are only 21 verses in all our Bibles, whether Hebrew or English. One verse is evidently wanting, and, by the order, it is that which begins with the letter NUN, and which should come in between the 13th and the 14th verse. This verse exists thus in the Septuagint, though in the Tetrapla editions it is under the obelisk of Origen: Πιρος Κύριος εν πάσι τοις λόγοις αυτού,

Και όσιος εν πασι τοις εργοις αυτού.

Which we may presume stood in the original Hebrew,

נאמן יהוה בכל דבריו וחסיד בכל מעשיו

Jehovah is faithful in all his words,
And merciful in all his works.

This verse, though necessary to complete the Acrostic, is lost from all copies of the Hebrew text, printed or MS., one MS. excepted, which is preserved in the Library of Trinity College, Dublin, supposed to have been written about the middle of the 14th century, and numbered by Kennicott 142. That this verse was in the Hebrew copy used by St. Jerom, is evident, from its being still extant in the Vulgate, Fidelis Dominus in omnibus verbis suis: et sanctus in omnibus operibus suis. It is also preserved in the ancient Syriac, and in versions made immediately from the Septuagint; such as the Arabic and Ethiopic. Whether Dr. H.'s collation of MSS. will tend to confirm the arguments that support the authenticity of this insertion, wel cannot yet decide; at present the evidence in its favour is more than presumptive.

The Scripture Chronology, especially, in the ages of some of the ante and post-diluvian Patriarchs, has exceedingly per plexed Chronologists Critics and Divines. The printed Hebrew text, the Samaritan, the Septuagint, and Josephus, are all different. The following Tables of the Genealogies of the ante and post-diluvian Patriarchs, according to the three former, will at once exhibit the discordances.

Z 2

In the first period, the sum in Josephus is 2256. In the second 1002; agreeing nearly with the Septuagint, but differing materially from all the rest. In this second Table the

Samaritan and Septuagint are the same, only the latter adds 130 years for Cainan, and 100 to Nahor. While we deplore the unsettled state of the Scripture Chronology in the different systems of learned men, we shall forbear entering into this unprofitable Controversy: non nostrum tantas componere litis. Yet, as it may be reasonably supposed that Dr. H.'s collation of various readings from MSS., &c. may throw some additional light on this still obscure subject, our readers will naturally expect some account of them in this place.

Could we affirm with Kennedy, (Scrip. Chron. p. 141.) That the Jewish Hebrew text has never been corrupted in the article of Chronology, either by Jew or Pagan, either by chance or design; and that it has been transmitted to us in its original integrity, not only as to necessary points of faith and practice, but also in respect to its computations;' the question would be settled, and the possessor of a Hebrew bible, or of a complete faithful translation of its contents, might rest perfectly satisfied, and leave the discordant Chronologies of the Samaritan, the Septuagint, Josephus, and several of the Fathers, to those whose delight is in the non bene junctarum discordia semina rerum. But while men of the most comprehensive minds, assisted by sound learning and genuine piety, have felt themselves embarrassed with chronological difficulties even in the Hebrew text, and firm friends to divine revelation, deeply versed in studies of this nature, have contended, some for the superior accuracy of the Samaritan, and others for that of the Septuagint, we should pause before we attempt to decide, and welcome every ray of light which in the course of Divine Providence may beam upon the subject. With this view, we shall collect from these

various

various readings what we deem important to the subject in question, referring simply to the verses in the Sacred Text, which our readers may collate with the numbers as they stand in the preceeding Tables.

Gen. v. 3. Adam's age before the birth of Seth, according to the printed text of the Septuagint, was 230 years. In this the majority of the MSS. agree but those numbered 31 and 121, (the Codex Cæsareus and the Codex Venetus, the former of the 13th. the latter of the 11th. century) have тgianovтa xx τριακόσια έτη, 330 years, with which the Aldine edition and Theophylact agree: but the Sclavonic and Armenian versions have 130 according to the Hebrew.

Ibid. v. 6. All the MSS. agree in 205, with the printed

text.

*

Ver. 12. Cainan lived 170 years. One MS. the Codex Ferrariensis has 180.

Ver. 21. Enoch lived 165 years. The Codex Coislinianus has 65 with the Hebrew. All the rest agree with the printed

text.

Methuselah lived 167.-Some MSS. of good note have 165; others 167, and 180: but the greater number and the most respectable have 187, which accords with the Hebrew, and appears to be the reading that should be received into the

text.

Ver. 28. Lamech lived 188.-One Arabic version has 182, with the Hebrew.

Gen. xi. v. 13. A second Cainan is mentioned here by the Septuagint: but the whole passage is omitted by the Coder Coislinianus numbered 82 by Dr. H. by the Codex Basilianus, and by a MS. of the Armenian version; those MSS. however are comparatively recent, the first being of the 12th or 13th century, the age of the second unknown, but probably not earlier; and the copy of the Armenian version, which omits the passage, was evidently written in the 16th century.

Ver. 16. Eber lived 134 years-One MS. reads 140 years and another, (the Codex Coislinianus No. 15. a most accuratę and valuable MS.) reads 34, with the Hebrew.

Ver. 18. Peleg lived 130 years--Many valuable MSS. have 134; in this the Complutensian and Armenian editions agree. Ver. 20. Reu lived 132 years. One MS. only (the Codex Coislin. numbered 82 by Dr. H.) accords with the Hebrew in the number 32.

Ver. 22. Serug lived 30 years. another 136 years.

One MS. reads 135, and

Ver. 24. Nahor lived 179 years. The Codex Coislinianus in uncial letters, marked X. in Dr. H.'s catalogue, and al

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ready