VERSIONS AND TRANSLATIONS

VERSIONS AND TRANSLATIONS

Primary: Primary importance is traditionally accorded to three groups of versions or translations: Latin, Syriac and Coptic versions

Secondary: Six versions or translations are placed: Gothic, Armenian, Georgian and Ethiopian, Arabic and Slovenian.

1.   Latin

    The Latin version can be divided into two: the old Latin version and the Vulgate (also known as Jerome Translation). In the classification, it is identified by “it:itala.”

Old Latin: The Old Latin versions came into existence in the 3^rd century and it circulated in North Africa and Europe. The exact number of this version is not known. Some have been handed down in the form of manuscripts, others in the form of quotations. It is identified by “it” and sometimes a superscript is added. No Old Latin mss has a complete text of the NT.

Vulgate: Around AD382, Pope Damascus requested the most capable Biblical scholar Sophronius Eusebius Hieronymus, known as Saint Jerome to undertake a revision of the Latin Bible. Within a year or so, Jerome was able to present Damascus with his scroll, a revision of the four gospels. In the classification, it is identified by vg. At present, there are numerous, more than 10,000 mss of the Vulgate.

2.   Syriac

There are five types of Syriac: Old Syria, Peshitta, Philoxenian, Harcklean, and Palestinian Syriac.

1.   Old Syriac: The Old Syriac version is preserved in to date in two mss. They contain the four gospels. Both of which have large gaps. The first one is a parchment mss preserved in the British Library. Written in a clear estrangella style. It is usually referred to as “Syr^c” The second Palimpsest mss copied in the 4^th and 5^th centuries which was discovered in a monastery of Saint Catherine in Mt. Sinai in 1893 “Syr^s”

2.   Peshitta: This version of the NT was prepared about the beginning of the 5^th century probably in order to replace or supplant the Old Syriac translation. More than 350 mss of the Peshitta NT existed. They do not contain the whole of the NT and in accordance with the Syrian canon, omits 2 Peter, 2 and 3 John, Jude and Revelation. It is identified by Sy^p4

3.   Philoxenian and Harclean: They contain the whole NT and are represented by 130 mss. They are identified by Syr^ph and Syr^hhmg. The Philoxenian mss was produced in AD508 for Philoxemus, Bishop of Mabbug by Polycarp. It was rescued in 616AD by Thomas of Harckel (Harclea) who was the Bishop of Mabbug at that time who added marginal notes derived from two or three Greek mss.

4.   Palestinian Syriac (Syro-Palestinian): It is identified by Syr^pal. It is preserved in 3 mss taken from the 11^th and 12^th centuries.

3.   Coptic

Coptic is the latest form of ancient Egyptian language which is derived from Hieroglyphs. There are three derivatives Hieratic and Demotic scripts. In the first century of the Christian era, the language can be written in Greek majuscules with the addition of 7 letters or characters taken from the Demotic. There are different versions under this,

1.   Sahidic Version (Cop^sa)

2.   Boharic Version (Cop^bo)

3.   Middle Egyptian Version(Cop^meg)

4.   Fayyumic Version (Cop^fay)

5.   Achmimic Version (Cop^ach)

6.   Sub-Achmimic Version (Cop^achz)

4.   Other versions

1.   Gothic Version (go^th): Originally comes from a 4^th century community in what is now Romania. The mss are few in number (about 6) but they are relatively early, going back to the 6^th century. One of the important mss is the Codex Argenteus from the 6^th century. It is written on a purple parchment with gold and silver letters. At present, this mss has 188 leaves. It contains the four gospels in the order – Matthew, John, Luke and Mark.

2.   Armenian Version (arm): It is sometimes called the queen of the versions. It is regarded as one off the most accurate of all the early translations. With the exception of the Latin Vulgate, more mss of this version are extant than any other. Scholars have catalogued around 1244 copies of all or part of the NT.

3.   Georgian (geo): They are fewer in number compared with the Armenian but the exact number is not known. The mss can be divided into two groups: Those representing an old translation with many early variant readings and those which are more recent representing the Georgian Vulgate with a text close to the Greek minuscules.

4.   Arabic Version (ar): The earliest translation of the gospels into Arabic probably date from the 8^th century. The mss fall into five main groups:

a.    Those made directly from the Greek text

b.   Those made directly from or corrected from the Syriac Peshitta

c.    Those made directly from the Coptic, whether Sahidic or Boharic or some other dialects

d.   Those too distinct, eclectic recension (?) produced by the Alexandrian patriarchate.

e.    Miscellaneous mss which are characterized by being cast into the form of a rhymed prose made classic by the Quran.

5.   Ethiopic Version (eth):  There are many great mss but mainly of recent date (that is later than the 13^th century). There are a few known exceptions. Three mss from the Abba Garima Monastery in Aduwa dated to the 10^th and 11^th centuries and containing the Gospels.

6.   Slavonic version (slav): The first Slavonic version is attributed to Cyril and Methodius in the 9^th century. The mss run into hundreds. He oldest one fall back to the 10^th century. But even they attest different types of texts which suggests that there were several versions already in existence.

Mention may be made of three more versions of the East of which there remains but a trace:

1.   Nubian Version: A language spoken in the South of Upper Egypt. The mss consist of a mere ten leaves.

2.   Middle Persian version: There may have well existed a version in Middle Persion of which nothing is left.

3.   Sogdian version: A language of Iraq, this mss consists of around 30 leaves of which 23 leaves are from the 10^th century (consisting the gospels).