his Biblical pursuits, inserted by him in his Dissertatio Generalis, (a valuable edition of which, with many additions, was published by Bruns, in octavo, at Brunswick, in 1783), is a curious specimen of the language of a Jew, when he attempts to express modern, and, in respect to him, foreign ideas, in the Hebrew language. One of the most striking peculiarities in the Greek Testament is, the total absence of the dual number. Mr. Marsh's observations on this singular circumstance, (see his note 67, to ch. 4. 55. of Michaelis), deserve great consideration.

II. 2. With respect to the History of the Septuagint, There scarcely is a subject of literature upon which more has been written, or of which less, with any degree of certainty, is known. The popular account of its being made in the reign of Ptolemy Philadelphus, at the suggestion of Aristeas, and under the direction of Demetrius Phalereus, by seventy or seventy-two Jews, shut up in cells, appears to be generally exploded. The prevailing opinion is, that it was made at Alexandria, at different times, and by different interpreters; but that all of them were Jews. The Pentateuch, the book of Job, and the Proverbs, are the parts of the version most admired. The principal editions are,Aldus's, published in 1518, from several manuscripts, with frequent glosses, and some mixtures from the other versions ;-the Roman, published in 1587, from the Vatican

Manuscript, but not exactly, some readings of consequence having been transferred to it, and some chasms in it having been filled up, from other manuscripts ;-Mr. Grabe's, printed at Oxford in 1707, from the famous Alexandrine Manuscript; and Professor Breitinger's, published at Zurich, in Switzerland, in 1730-1732, in four volumes quarto. The last edition is particularly valuable, because it not only contains the text of Grabe's edition, or the Alexandrine Manuscript, but because, in the margin at the bottom of the page, it has the principal variations of the Roman edition of 1587, or the Vatican Manuscript. To these editions should be added, the Complutensian, published in 1515. Owen says, that it adheres to no particular copy; but that, taking out of all, the readings which came nearest to the Hebrew text, it may be looked upon rather as a new translation, than the antient Greek version of the Seventy. Before him Monsieur Huet had observed, (Dissertations Recueillis par Monsieur l'Abbé de Tilladet, Paris 1712, vol. i. p. 473-475,) that," when the version of "the Seventy was printed in the Bible of Complutum, the Editors did not follow the Ancient 66 Manuscripts of that version, but altered the copy before them, from citations in the

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writings of the fathers, so that the text pub"lished by them was irregular, confused, and

"subsequent time it came to be compared with "the Ancient Manuscripts, which ought to have "been done by the Editors, it lost its authority.' The version of the Septuagint is generally cited by the fathers. Respectable writers, as Salmasius, Bochart, Capellus and Abarbanel, have asserted, that it was the text made use of by Josephus, in the composition of his Hebrew Antiquities: the contrary opinion is maintained by Dr. Hody, but he concedes that Josephus followed it on some occasions: and it seems generally admitted that it was always followed by Philo. That the Evangelists sometimes cite the version of the Seventy, even in places where it differs from the present Hebrew Text, is clear: but, as the writer of the critique on this Work in the British Review for December 1799 justly observes, we must not "therefore conclude, that Christ himself quoted "from the Septuagint. He conversed with the "Jews of Palestine in the language of their "country, that is the Aramæan; his quotations "therefore were in that language; and, if he did "not use the words of an established Targum, "which however is not improbable, he must be "supposed to have given his own Aramæan trans"lation, not of a Greek version, but of the "Hebrew original. On the other hand, in Greek Gospels, written for the use of Greek Chris"tians, quotations from the Old Testament, even such as had been made by Christ himself, were

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frequently delivered in the words of the esta "blished Greek version, in the same manner as "an English translator, in rendering a German

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theological work, would use the words of the "established English version of the Bible, where "the author had quoted that of Luther." Monsieur Huet, (de claris interpretibus), observes, that the Asiatic Jews, whose metropolis was Babylon, used the Paraphrase of Onkelos; the western Jews, whose capital was Alexandria, used the version of the Septuagint; the Jews of Palestine used the Targum of Jerusalem.

It may not be improper, in this place, to observe, that it is by no means clear, what language was generally spoken in Palestine, in the time of our Saviour. Some, as de Rossi in Italy, and Pfankuche in Germany, maintain it was the Syriac or Aramæan; others, as Diodati of Naples, contend it was the Greek: a middle, and certainly a very probable opinion, is that of Professor Paulus, who, in his two Programmata, lately published at Jena, with the title, "Verosimilia "de Judeis Palestinensibus, Jesu etiam atque Apostolis, non Aramaa dialecto sed Græca

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quoque Aramæaizante, locutis," seems to prove, that, though the Aramæan was, at the time, the mother language of Palestine, the Greek, or Hebræo-Greek, was likewise so current in Galilee, and still more at Jerusalem, that our Saviour and his apostles, might, when they judged it best

adapted to their purposes, employ it in their conversations or writings, equally with or in preference to the Syriac.

A splendid edition of the Septuagint is now preparing at Oxford, under the care of Dr. Holmes. It is an imitation of Dr. Kennicott's Bible, containing a collation, from manuscripts found in the different libraries, both in this country and on the continent. Those collations have, of course, in general been made, and the descriptions given, by persons resident in the several places, and Dr. Holmes has certainly employed, for this purpose, men of distinguished literary character. The first volume, comprizing the whole Pentateuch, is published, and presents a great number of various readings; the comparative claims of which to genuineness, we hope some future Griesbach will estimate but it will be a most arduous task, on account of the probable intermixture of the other versions with that of the Septuagint. Dr. Holmes has also published Daniel in the Versions of Theodotion and the Seventy, with various readings of manuscripts, printed editions, fathers, and ancient versions.-Something of the same comprehensive kind as Dr. Holmes's collation, should be attempted for the ancient Latin versions; but this, on account of their variety, will be a still more arduous enterprize.

The Septuagint has always been of the highest authority in the church of Rome: but in the