As to the critical value of this recension compared with that of the Peshito, it has many older and better readings than the latter. But it has also inferior ones. It is therefore unfair to the Peshito to select a number of texts in which the Cure tonian Syriac readings are obviously better and more ancient ; omitting the places in which it is the reverse. In Luke xxiv. the fortiet'h verse is omitted, contrary to the Peshito and the most ancient uncial IVISS. A B In Matt. xxii. 35 nal Xelnov is read by the Curetonian ; but it is absent from the Peshito, which is supported by B and N. In Matt. vii. 22 the words have we not eaten and drunk in thy name?' are inserted without any MS. authority, ap parently from Luke xiii. 26. In Matt. xi. 23 in stead of the usual Greek text it has thou shalt not be exalted to heaven but ;' contrary to all authority and betraying at the same time a Greek original with i.th. In Matt. xxi. 9 it is added a.t the end, 'and many went out to meet him, and were rejoic ing and praising God concerning all that which they saw,' words wholly unauthorised. In xxi. 23 Staciaraort is omitted without authority. In xxiii. 18 from 65 cav to 4-rtv are also left out, contrary to all external evidence. In Luke viii. 16 is the un authorised addition he set forth another parable.' In Luke xi. 29 except the sign of the prophet Jonas' is omitted, contrary to MSS. Luke xx. 12 is omitted without authority. In xxii. ver. 2o is wanting, and 19 is put before 17; 3i861,terov is also absent in 19 without authority. In John v. 8 we have the addition go away to thy house.' So too in the ninth verse, and he took up his bed,' is omitted. In vi. 20 013E200e are left out, against MS. authority. In Matt. i. 8 three kings are put in the verse, Ahazia, foash, Amuzia, which are not in MSS., and are contrary to the 17th verse. The opinion of so late a writer as Bar Salibi about the omission of these names, or even that of Mar Yakub the Persian, is of no account against all MSS. and the context.
A good deal of importance is attached by Cureton to the fact of St. Matthew's Gospel having a title attached to it, ...IL%) lab 0, whereas the others have none. There is a small hole in the vellum immediately before not large enough to have admitted a Dolath. As to the meaning of 1_,3.0...%) it is difficult to de cipher. The distinct gospel' gives little sense. Nor does it appear to signify explained; interpreted or translated after the analogy of ei-iDn in Neh.
vfii. 8 ; because the Hebrew word not that meaning in the passage. It is highly improbable that it denotes interpretation from one tongue into another. It cannot be a general title, because there is no space between the name of Matthew and it. There is not even room for a Dolath between them. The most probable supposition is that of Gildemeister, that it is an epithet of the apostle, denoting him to be a separated or select one. As a title of honour attached to his name, it may stand before as well as after it. This view has historical support, for in the Eastern church the epithet is applied to the apostle exclusively, Matthew the chosen (see Zeitschrift der deutschen (hen Gesellschaft, vol. xiii. p. 472, et seq.) It is unnecessary to notice the arguments of the Abbe Lehir (Etude sur ancienne version Syriaque des Evangiles recemment decouverte et publie, par le Dr. Cureton, Paris 1859), because they are
mostly directed to the support of the view which Dr. Cureton advocates. As far as his remarks go, Ewald has written conclusively upon the recension, deciding, as all scholars who have critical sagacity must do, in favour of the Greek original of Matthew and the priority of the version to the Peshito (Yahr bucher der biblischen Wissenschaft, vol. ix.) VII. The yerusakm or PaleEstino-Syriac ver sion of the N. T. This was discovered by Adler in a Vatican MS. (No. 19). From the subscrip tion to the MS. it seems to have been written in a monastery at Antioch A. D. 1030. The dialect is peculiar, uncouth, and barbarous, being a mix ture of Chaldee and Syriac similar to that of the Jerusalem Talmud. The character is also peculiar, approaching the Hebrew letters, but not very dif ferent from the Estrangelo. Dolath usually wants the 'diacritic point. The letter Pe has two forms, according as it is pronounced f or p. The MS. is merely a lectionary or evangelistarium contain ing lessons from the four gospels for the Sun days and festivals in the year. The version was made from the Greek, probably in the 6th century, and could only- have been local. It is difficult to tell whether it formed part of a more extended version, or was taken simply from a Greek evange listarium. The latter view throws its origin too late-viz. not before the 8th century. The only complete passage published till recently was owing to Adler-viz. Matt. xxvii. 3-32 ; and scholars could only repeat or work upon what he gave. But the version has been published entire by Count Minischalchi Erizzo at Verona 1861, 1864, 2 vols. 4to ; the first containing the text, with a Latin translation ; the second, prolegomena and a glossary. We are grateful to Minischalchi for his beautiful edition of the MS. ; but his prole gomena are disappointing ; showing besides nu merous mistakes, little capacity for criticism. Critical editors of the Greek Testament cannot now overlook this very valuable document, whose readings are so important. It contains the fol lowing portions of the gospels : all Matthew ex cept iii. 12 ; V. 34-41 ; vi. 25-34 ; vii. 19-23 ; viii. 14-19 ; x. 9-15, 23-31, 34-36 ; xi. 16-26 ; xii. T 29, 38-50 ; xiii. 1-43, 55-58; xiv. 1-13, 35-36 ; xv.
1-20, 29-31 ; xvi. 1-12, 20-28 ; VAL 20, 27 ; xviii. 5-9, 21, 22 ; XiX. I, 2, 13-15 ; xX. 17-28 ; xxi.
44-46; xxvi. 40-43 ; all Mark except 12-34, 45 ; ii. 13, 18-22 ; 6-35 ; iv. ; v. 1-23, 35-43 ; vi. 6-13, 31-56 ; vii. 1-23 ; viii. 1-26, 32, 33 ; ix. 1-15, 31, 41-50 ; x. 1-31, 46-52 ; xi. 1-21, 26-33 ; xii. 27 ; XiV. ; XV. 1-15, 33-42 ; all Luke except I. 69-75, 77-79; iii. 23-38; iv. 1-15, ; v. 1246, 33-39 ; vi. t 1-16, 24-30, 37-49 ; vii. 17, 18, 30-35 ; viii. 22-25, 40; ix. 7-26, 45-56; x. 13-15, 22-24; Xi. 1-26, 34-54 ; xii. 1, 13-15, 22-31, 41-59 ; xiii. -to, 3o-35 ; xiv. 12-15, 25-35 ; xv. 1-10 ; xvi. 1 9, 0-18; xvii. t, 2, 20-37 ; XVill. I, 15-17, 28-34 ; XiX. II-48 ; xx. 9-44 ; xxi. 5-7, 20-24, 37, 38 ; xxii. 41, 46-71; XXiii. 1-31, 50-56; all John except it. 23-25 ; iit. 34-36 ; iv. 1-4, 43-45 ; vi. 34, 45, 46, 71 ; vii. 3o-36 ; xi. 46, 55-57 ; xiii. 18 30 ; XiX. 21-24.