Smith's Bible Dictionary.pdf - Online Christian Library

Smith's Bible Dictionary
lastly, by women of loose character for purposes of concealment. (Genesis 38:14) Among the Jews
of the New Testament age it appears to have been customary for the women to cover their heads
(not necessarily their faces) when engaged in public worship.
Veil Of The Tabernacle And Temple
[Tabernacle; Temple]
Versions, Ancient, Of The Old And New Testaments
In treating of the ancient versions that have come down to us, in whole or in part, they will be
described in the alphabetical order of the languages. AETHIOPIC VERSION.—Christianity was
introduced into AEthiopia in fourth century through the labors of Frumentius and AEdesius of
Tyre, who had been made slaves and sent to the king. The AEthiopic version which we possess is
in the ancient dialect of Axum; hence some have ascribed it to the age of the earliest missionaries,
but it is probably of a later date. In 1548-9 the AEthiopic New Testament was also printed at Rome,
edited by three Abyssinians. ARABIC VERSIONS.—
•Arabic versions of the Old Testament were made from the Hebrew (tenth century), from the Syriac
and from the LXX
•Arabic versions of the New Testament . There are four versions. The first, the Roman, of the
Gospels only, was printed in 1590-1. ARMENIAN VERSION.—In the year 431, Joseph and
Eznak returned from the Council of Ephesus bringing with them a Greek copy of the Scriptures.
From this a version in Armenian was made by Isaac, the Armenian patriarch, and Miesrob. The
first printed edition of the Old and New Testaments in Armenian appeared at Amsterdam in 1666,
under the care of a person commonly termed Oscan or Uscan, and described as being an Armenian
bishop. CHALDEE VERSIONS.—Targum, a Chaldee word of uncertain origin, is the general
term for the Chaldee, or more accurately Aramaic, versions of the Old Testament.
•The Targums were originally oral, and the earliest Targum, which is that of Onkelos on the
Pentateuch, began to be committed to writing about the second century of the Christian era; though
if did not assume its present shape till the end of the third or the beginning of the fourth century.
So far, however, from superseding the oral Targum at once, it was, on the contrary, strictly forbidden
to read it in public. Its language is Chaldee, closely approaching in purity of idiom to that of Ezra
and Daniel. It follows a sober and clear though not a slavish exegesis, and keeps as closely and
minutely: to the text as is at all consistent with its purpose, viz. to be chiefly and above all a version
for the people . Its explanations of difficult and obscure passages bear ample witness to the
competence of those who gave it its final shape. It avoids, as far as circumstances would allow,
the legendary character with which all the later Targums entwine the biblical word.
•Targum on the prophets,—viz. Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Kings, the
twelve minor prophets,—called Targum OF Jonathan BEN-UZZIEL. We shall probably not be
far wrong in placing this Targum some time, although not long, after Onkelos, or about the middle
of the fourth century. 3 And 4. Targum of Jonathan ben-Uzziel and Jerushalmi-Targum on the
Pentateuch .—Onkelos and Jonathan on the Pentateuch and prophets, whatever be their exact date,
place, authorship and editorship, are the oldest of existing Targums, and belong in their present
shape, to Babylon and the Babylonian academies flourishing between the third and fourth centuries
A.D. EGYPTIAN VERSIONS.—Of these there are three,—the Memphitic, of lower Egypt, the
Coptic, of upper Egypt, and the Thebaic, with some fragments of another. The Thebaic was the
earliest, and belongs to the third century. GOTHIC VERSION. In the year 318 the Gothic bishop
and translator of Scripture Ulphilas, was born. He succeeded Theophilus as bishop of the Goths
786
William Smith