retic text had preserved its integrity, and would not affect the question, whether the Masoretic text itself were an accurate representative of the Mosaic autograph. " But, on the other hand, as the peculiar circumstances, under which the manuscript was found, render it at least possible, that the influence of the Masora, which was extended to the African and European manuscripts by the settlement of the most distinguished 'Oriental Jews in Africa and Spain, never reached the mountainous districts in the South of India; as it is possible that the manuscript in question was derived from manuscripts anterior to the establishment of the Masora; manuscripts even, which might have regulated the learned Jews of Tiberias in the formation of their own text; the manuscript appears, for these reasons, to merit particular attention. A description and collation of it, therefore, must certainly interest every Biblical critic. Camb. Dec. 10, 1810. HERBERT MARSH." Thus far on this Indian manuscript of the Hebrew Pentateuch. We proceed to the Syriac manuscripts, given by Dr. Buchanan, Class Oo. 1. A Bible that contains the Old and New Testaments, together with the Apocrypha, and fragments of the books of Clemens. It is in what is called the Estrangelo (that is, a text written in cap. letters) character, in 2 vols. fol. No. 1, 2. Supposed to be the second copy of the ancient Syriac known in Europe. The first is just noticed by Montfaucon: he saw it in the Ambrosian Library at Milan. Diarium Italic. ch. 2, p. 11. Waltoni Prolegomena; xiii. §. xvii. This MS. is, therefore, deemed very curious and valuable. It was found in one of the churches of the Syrian Christians, The Epistles of Clemens were divided into eight Books, though the sixth contained only Fragments: the seventh is lost, as also is Book eighth. It is said to have been given by the patriarch of Antioch, of a former period, to an Indian church. A more critical account of this is given than of any other. There are drawings prefixed to the books to the books of Clemens is a drawing, wherein is written, St. Clemens, disciple of St. Peter, with a book in his hand. ter. 2. The Pentateuch; folio, in a large Estrangelo characNo. 8. 3. The Pentateuch; a Nestorian copy, in small quarto. No. 26. 4. The Pentateuch; a Nestorian copy, in small quarto. No. 27. 5. Lib. Hist. Vet. Test. No. 10. Nestorian copy; containing Judges, Samuel, Kings, 1, 2. Proverbs, The Wisdom of Jesus, the Son of Sirach, or Ecclesiasticus, Book of Ecclesiastes, Ruth, Song of Solomon, and Job, in small quarto. No. 10. 6. Lib. Hist. Vet. Test. Esdras, second and third of Maccabees, Esther, Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah, large quarto. No. 14. Written 1784. 7. The major and minor Prophets, in the Estrangelo hand, in folio. No. 7. 8. The major and minor Prophets, The Story of Susanna; a Nestorian copy, in quarto. No: 18. 9. Liber Sapientiæ, or Book of the Wisdom of Solomon, 8vo. No. 39; and in the same volume, Liber Sapientiæ, Filii Sirach, or Ecclesiasticus. 10. The Four Gospels, with the Acts of the Apostles, in quarto. No. 25. 11. Acta Apostolorum, Catholic Epistles of James, Peter, and John, in quarto. No. 31; and also Paul's Epistles. 12. Acta Apostolorum et Apocalypsis. No. 21. 18. Lectiones ex Novo Testamento. 14. Psalterium. No. 22. No: 17. 594 15. Liturgia, fol. No. 9. 16. Liturgia. No. 36. 17. Liturgia. No. 43. 18. Liturgia. No. 44. 19. Canona, or Ritual for the Altar. No. 15. ETHIOPIC MSS. BUCHANAN. Evangelium S. Johannis. No. 41. Duodecimo. In a printed note on the cover we read as follows: "This MS. of the Gospel of St. John in the Æthiopic language was found in India by the Rev. Claudius Buchanan, 1807. It was lying in the old library of an Armenian merchant, whose ancestors had lived in Hindostan for upwards of three centuries, and who had transactions with the Christians in Africa." This copy is perfect. Mr. Ley, the present learned Arabic professor, is collating it. INSCRIPTIONS ON COPPER-PLATES. Fac-similes of Chinese tablets, and Jewish tablets, eleven in number; and in the same cabinet where the plates are deposited are five Chinese printing blocks, containing, as it is said, a specimen of a Chinese Translation of the New Testament. IMPERIAL PERSIAN LETTER. This letter has not yet been translated; but there is a line of explanation at the bottom with Dr. Buchanan's name;-Solyman Aga, envoy from his Highness the Bashaw of Bagdad, to his Excellency the most Noble the Marquis of Wellesley, Governor-General of India, &c. Dated Calcutta, 20th Sept. 1804. The reader is desired to take notice, that to the end of the account of Dr. Buchanan's Eastern MSS. is to be added another Historia Judaica, which contains the History of the Jews of Malabar, and the Origin of the black and white Jews in India, in 24 chapters: thin octavo, in the Rabbinical character. No. 23. Add also, Sepher Saphirim, or Origin of the Jews of Malabar, being a Hebrew Translation of the Historical Collections, written in the Portuguese Language, by Order of Abraham Mohens, Governor of Cochin. No. 47. Sepher Saphirim, being a correct Translation of the former. Kedosheim Malabar, or New Account of the Origin of the Jews of Malabar from the Time of the Destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem. Chalkoth, N. 45, 4to. imperfect; written in the Rabbinical character. Anecdotes of Malabar History: translated from the Hebrew, by Mr. Crool, of Cambridge. P. S. Since communicating the above article to the Classical Journal, I have corrected some errors which occur in that communication, as well as in the other articles, which relate to the Cambridge MSS. and having had the opportunity of a further perusal and consideration of the Goatskin Pentateuch, I beg leave to subjoin a word or two more concerning its antiquity. On conversing with persons employed in manufacturing goatskins, (the profession is called Spanish leather-dressing) I find the testimony to the goatskins' receiving more deeply the impression of ink, and of retaining its brightness longer, confirmed. This argument, therefore, may be allowed to retain its proportionate weight in favour of a certain degree of antiquity in this Pentateuch. Still it would be hazardous to carry it too far. The oldest MSS. that are known to us (the Beza MS. for example, to mention no others) are either much mutilated, obliterated, or repaired, at least at the beginning, and from an obvious cause. This Pentateuch is clear and complete at the beginning; and its uniform clearness tells more against the extraordinary antiquity of it, than, at least, for it. The Jews have been accustomed to write their law, and other parts of their sacred writings, on rolls from the earliest, even down to modern, times: and there is nothing in the skin itself that should render it more peculiar to one place than another. They might write on a goatskin in Italy, or Germany, or in Spain, or Africa, (for the purpose of duration, or of imitating their ancestors) as well as in any part of the East. The Goatskin Roll in the British Museum was written in Africa; and it is modern. While reperusing this Goatskin roll, happening to meet with Mr. Professor Ley, he suggested, that the shape of the letter was perfectly Italian. The Italian Hebrew character was a sort of mixed character; the German inclined; the Spanish was square: the present type is that of the large quadrated form. I have seen Hebrew MSS. acknowledged for Italian, in the handwriting of the scribe prefixed: the characters were much smaller, but resembled those of this Pentateuch; and its resemblance to the Italian, or, perhaps, Spanish character, is a presumption, I think, that it was written either in Spain or Italy, and not in the East: and, if so, the argument about eastern copies of the Pentateuch must, notwithstanding this goatskin copy, stand where it did. That a Pentateuch should be written in Italy, or Spain, or Africa, and found among the Black Jews in India, cannot be considered any thing extraordinary. The roving disposition of the Jews, even for commercial purposes only, is pro * Vide Rossi. de Vet. Test, var. Lect. p. 1, c. xiv. |