Page:Ragg Gospel of Barnabas.djvu/5



Two articles in the Journal of Theological Studies may be said to have paved the way for the present publication. The first of these, by Dr. William Axon, appeared in April, 1902; the second, by one of the present editors, exactly three years later.

The translation of the Arabic glosses was begun by Major Marriott, D.S.O., and has been completed by Professor Margoliouth (to whose valuable Note on p. xlviii we desire here to call attention): that of the Italian text, together with the general editing of the MS., is the work of Lonsdale and Laura Ragg. The translators have endeavoured to preserve the archaic form and something even of the crudeness of the original. Where the text follows that of the Bible exactly, they have adopted the language of the Revised Version, from which also has been adapted, with slight modifications, the form into which the Scripture references are cast. The more obvious important parallels from the Qorân will be found either cited or referred to in the footnotes, which, for the rest, have been reduced perforce to the smallest possible dimensions.

Appended to the Introduction will be found the most important passages bearing on the &apos;Barnabas