SYRIAC VERSIONS of the Bible. Of these several exist, two of which are of considerable importance. 1. " The Peshito (literal) Version," also called "The Old Syriac Version," is one of the most ancient and valuable translations of the Bible. The date of its execu tion is unknown ; but it is certainly of a high antiquity. It is re ferred to by hphrem the Syrian, in the middle of the 4th century, as generally known and used, and therefore it must have been in existence a considerable time before. Modem critics have referred its date variously to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd centuries, the majority to the 1st. The opinion now generally adopted is that of Michaelis, who ascribes the translation of both Testaments to the most flourishing period of the Syrian Churches, namely, the end of the 1st and the beginning of the 2nd century.
The version of the Old Testament was certainly made from the Hebrew, which it closely follows ; but there are indications of the translator having made use of the Septuagint and of the Chaldee para phrase. The great antiquity of this version, much higher than thatof any existing Hebrew manuscript of the Old Testament, makes it a most valuable source of biblical criticism. It is on the whole a very good translation, but not equal throughout. A different method of interpretation is followed in different books, for instance in the Penta teuch and the Chronicles. From this circumstance Jahn infers that it was the work of different persons. Several peculiarities tend to prove that the translators were Christians, and probably converted Hebrews.
The version of the New Testament contains the four Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, the Epistles of Paul (including that to the He brews), the First Epistle of John, the First Epistle of Peter, and the Epistle of James. It is undoubtedly one of the best versions of the New Testament in any language, and is used as their standard by the churches of Syria and the East.
The version of the Old Testament was first printed in the Paris Polyglott, but from an imperfect manuscript ; the passages which were wanting were indifferently translated by Gabriel Sionita from the Vulgate. This text, revised by the help of four manuscripts, was
reprinted in Walton's Polyglott, but was on the whole carelessly done. The best version is that of the Rev. C. Buchanan and Professor Lee, published by the British and Foreign Bible Society in 1816, which has been translated by the Rev. James Murdock, and was published in New York in 1851. The version of the New Testament was first brought into Europe by Moses of Mardin, who was sent by Ignatius, the pa triarch of Antioch, on a mission to Pope Julius III. in 1552. It was first printed at Vienna in 1555, at the expense of the emperor Fer dinand I.
There is a later and very inferior translation of the books of the New Testament which are wanting in the Peshito, namely, the second Epistle of Peter, the second and third of John, the Epistle of Jude, and the Apocalypse, made from the original Greek, probably in the 6th century.
2. The Philoxenian, or Syro-Philoxeuian Version of the New Testa ment, is so called from Philoxenus, bishop of Hierapolis, in the pro vince of Aleppo (488-518), under whose auspices it was translated by Polycarp. It was revised by Thomas of Heraclea in 616. It is trans lated from the Greek text, but is very inferior to the Peshito.
In 1842 an imperfect copy of the four Gospels was brought by Arch deacon Tattam from the monastery of St. Mary Deipara in Syria, and is now in the library of the British Museum. It has been carefully edited, and translated by Dr. William Cureton, who considers its date to be of the 5th century. It differs from the Peshito, as well as from the Septuagint and the Greek in many passages, which are pointed out by Mr. Cureton in the printed edition published in 1858.
There are other Syriac Versions, not of sufficient importance to require a separate notice.
A list of the editions of the Syriac Versions is given in the 'Biblio graphical Appendix' to the second volume of Horne's ' Introduction.'