BARNADAS, EPISTLE OF. The title of this an cient composition is found in the Stichometries (or catalogues of the sacred books) of the ninth century ; but from that period to the seventeenth century the work itself remained entirely unknown. Jacob Sirmond, a Jesuit, in copying the transcript of a Greek manuscript of Polycarp's Epistle to the Phi lippians, which belonged to Turrianus (a member of the same order), discovered another piece ap pended to it, which proved to be the Epistle (so called) of Barnabas. It was also found in two manuscripts of Polycarp, at Rome, which Cresso. lius collated. Sirmond sent a copy to the Bene dictine, Hugo Menard, who had not long before found an ancient Latin translation of the Epistle of Barnabas in the Abbey of Corbey. About the same time Andreas Schottus (also a Jesuit) obtained a manuscript containing the Epistles of Polycarp and Barnabas ; this was transcribed by Claudius Salmastus, and given, with a copy of the Corbey version, to Isaac Vossius. Vossius shortly after paid a visit to Archbishop Usher, who was then preparing for publication an ancient Latin version of the shorter Ignatian Epistles. It was agreed between them to annex to this work the Epistle of Barnabas. But it had hardly been sent to press when the great fire at Oxford occurred (1644), in which the manuscript was destroyed, with all the archbishop's notes, and only a few pages saved which were in the corrector's hands. These were afterwards inserted by Bishop Fell, in the Preface to his edition of Barnabas, Oxford, 1685. The cu-st edition of Barnabas appeared at Paris, in 1645 ; it had been prepared by Menard, but, in consequence of his death, was edited by Luke d'Acherry. In the following year a new and much improved edition was published by Vossius, for which he collated three manuscripts ; it was appended to his editio princeps of the Ignatian Epistles. In 1672 Cotelerius published his magni ficent edition of the Apostolic Fathers. Besides the Greek text, and Corbey's version of Barnabas, it contained a new translation and valuable notes by the editor. The reprint, in 1724, contained additional notes by Davis and Le Clerc. In 1685 two additions appeared • Bishop Fell's, already noticed, and one by Stephen le Moyne, at Leyden, in the first volume of his Varia Sacra, with copious notes. It is also contained in Russel's edition of the Apostolic Fathers, Lond. 1746, and in the first volume of Galland's Biblioth. vet. Patrum, Yen. 1765. A convenient edition is that by Hefele, in his Patrum Apart. Opera, Tiib., 1839 and 1842. [The latest is that of Dressel in his Patr. Apost. Opp. Lips. 1857.] Four German translations have appeared, by Arnold (1696), Gliising (Hamb. 1723), Grynceus (1772), and Most it was translated into English, by Archbishop Wake ( The genuine Epistles of the Apostolic Fathers, etc., Lond. 1693 and 1710) ; and a French translation by Le Gras is inserted in Desprez's Bible, Paris, 1717. On comparing the Corbey version with the Greek text, it appears that the latter wants four chapters and a half at the beginning, and the former four chapters at the end ; thus each supplies the deficiencies of the other. To a very recent period
all the Greek manuscripts were found similarly defective ; plainly sheaving that they were all de rived from the same source, and formed only one family of manuscripts ; but early in 1859 Tischen dorff obtained from the monastery on Mount Sinai an invaluable manuscript, containing about twenty books of the Old Testament, in the Septuagint version, the New Testament complete, and, at the end, the whole of the Epistle of Barnabas, and the first part of the Shepherd of Hermas. In his Notitia ed. Cod. Bib. Sinaltici, Lipsix, 186o, he has given a facsimile of one column of the Epistle of Barnabas, and two of the Shepherd of Hennas.
The Epistle of Barnabas consists of twenty-one chapters. The first part (i. 17) treats of the abro gation of the Mosaic dispensation, and of the types and prophecies relating to Christ ; the last four chapters are composed entirely of practical direc tions and exhortations. The names and residence of the persons to whom it is addressed are not mentioned, on which account, probably, it was called by Origen a Catholic Epistle (Origen. Contr. Gels. lib. i. p. 49). But if by this title he meant an epistle addressed to the general body of Chris tians, the propriety of its application is doubtful, for we meet with several expressions which imply a personal knowledge of the parties. It has been disputed whether the persons addressed were Jewish or Gentile Christians. Dr. Hefele strenuously con tends that they were of the former class. His chief argument appears to be, that it would be unneces sary to insist so earnestly on the abolition of the Mosaic economy in writing to Gentile converts. But the Epistle of Paul to the Galatians is a proof to what danger Gentile Christians were exposed in the first ages from the attempts of Judaizing teachers ; so that, in the absence of more exact information, the supposition that the persons ad dressed were of this class, is at least not incon sistent with the train of thought in the Epistle. But more than this : throughout the Epistle we find a distinction maintained between the writer and his friends on the one hand, and the Jews on the other. Thus in chap. iii., ' God speaketh to them (the Jews), concerning these things, ' Ye shall not fast as ye do this day,' etc. ; but to as he saith, Is not this the fast that I have chosen ?' etc. ; and at the end of the same chapter, ' He bath shewn these things to all of us that we should not run as proselytes to the Jewish law'—' ante ostendit omni bus nobis ut non incurramus tanquam proselyti ad illornm legem.' This would be singular language to address to persons who were Jews by birth, but perfectly suited to Gentile converts. In chap. xiii. he says, ' Let us inquire whether the covenant be with us or with them' (the Jews), and concludes with quoting the promise to Abraham (with a slight verbal difference), Behold I have made thee a father of the nations which without circumcision believe in the Lord,' a passage which is totally irrelevant to 7ewish Christians. For other similar passages, see Jones On the Canon, part. iii. chap. 39.