Page:The New Testament in the original Greek - 1881.djvu/55

 IXTRODlVTlnX TO THE AMERICAN' RIMTIOV. ilrli

lew polished, and less faithful to the original" than the latter. Both contain many Greek words, and arc of great textual value, as they independently preserve a very ancient text from different manuscripts, with the adoption of many Greek words. Schwartze and Lightfoot infer from histori- cal notices that the greatest part of the New Testament, if not all, was translated into the Egyptian dialects in the second century. \Ve have no satisfactory edition of cither version.

The editio princfps of the Mcmphitio Version for Lower Egypt is that of Wilkins (Oxford, 1710), based upon copi- ous materials, but not carried out with much critical nugaeii ty. Still, nothing better than his work has yet appeared, except an edition of the four Gospels by M. G. Schwartze (Leips. 1846 and 1847, 2 vok), and of the Acts and Epis- tles by P. Boetticher, alias P. A. do Lagarde, of Gottingen (Halle, 1852). The Apocalypse is omitted. The New Tes- tament in Coptic (Memphitic) and Arabic was published by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (1847-52), under the editorial care of " Henry Tattam, the presbyter of the Anglican Church for the Holy Patriarch and the Church of Christ in Egypt." It is beautifully printed, but of no critical value, because no various readings are record- ed. The basis of this edition is a copy belonging to the Coptic Patriarch.

The editio princeps of the Thebaic Version for Upper Egypt is that of C. G. Woide, completed by Ford, Oxford, 1799. The version is yet in a very fragmentary condi- tion, and there is need of an edition in which the fragments shall all be collected. The Thebaic Version is less valuable than the Memphitic ; its text is less pure, and shows a cer- tain infusion of those readings which arc called Western,

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