Ethiopic Version

Ethiopic Version

The libraries of Europe contain some, although very rarely complete, manuscript copies of a translation of the Bible into the Geez dialect (see Ludolf, Historia AEthiopica, Lond. 1684; also Platt's Catalogue of AEth. MSS., London, 1823). This version of the Old Testament was made from the Greek of the Septuagint, according to the Alexandrian recension, as is evinced, among other things, by the arrangement of the Biblical books, and by the admission of the Apocrypha without distinction. Tradition assigns it to Frumentius as the author, but it probably proceeded from various Christian hands. Dorn supposes (De Psalterio AEthiopico, Lips. 1825) that the translator consulted the Hebrews original, but this is disputed by Gesenius and Rodiger (Aligem. Litt. Zeit. 1832). It is divided into four parts: The Law, or the Octateuch, containing the Pentateuch and the books of Joshua, Judges, and Ruth; The Kings, in thirteen books, consisting of two books of Samuel, two of Kings, two of Chronicles, two of Ezra (Ezra and Nehemiah), Tobit, Judith, Esther, Job, the Psalms; Solomon, in five books, consisting of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Canticles, Wisdom, and Sirach; Prophets, in eighteen books, consisting of Isaiah, Jeremiah's prophecy and Lamentations, Baruch, Ezekiel, Daniel, and the twelve minor prophets; lastly, they have also two books of the Maccabees. Besides this, they possess an apocryphal book of Enoch, which they place next to that of Job. The critical uses of this version are almost exclusively confined to the evidence it gives as to the text of the Septuagint. The version of the New Testament was made directly from the Greek original (see Bode, N.T. AEth. cum Graeco collatum, Brunswick, 1753). It follows the verbal arrangement of the Greek very closely, and has mistakes that are only to be explained by the confusion of words which resemble each other in that language. It is difficult to determine what recension it follows, but it frequently agrees with the Peshito and the Itala. It is impossible to ascertain the date of the execution of either of these translations, but they may both be ascribed with much probability to the beginning of the fourth century. — Kitto, s.v. Although there are several MSS. in Europe containing the Ethiopic version entire, only parts have yet been printed: the Psalter, first by Potken, along with Canticles (Romans 1513, 4to); also by the Bible Soc. (Lond. 1815), with notes by Ludolf (Frcft. 1701, 4to); the Canticles alone. by Nissel (Lugd. 1660, 4to); Jonah, in Lat. by Petraeus (ib. eod. 4to); Ruth, by Nissel (ib. eod. 4to); Malachi, in Lat. by Petraeus (ib. 1661, 4to); Joel, by the same (lb. eod. 4to); first 4 chapters of Genesis, by Biircklin (Freft. 1696, 4to); Jonah, with a glossary, etc., by Staudacher (ib. 1706, 8vo); various fragments, by Bode (Helmst. 1755, 4to). Dillmann is publishing for the first time the O.T. entire (Biblia V.T. AEth., Lips. 1860 sq., 4to). The whole New Testament has, however, appeared. It was first published by three Abyssinians (Rome, 1548-9, 3 vols. 4to), reprinted in Walton's Polyglot (London, 1857, fol.; volume 5, with a Latin version, also 1698). Platt has edited the entire O.T. in Amharic (Lond. 1840, 4to). The Gospels were edited anew from MSS. by Platt (Lond. 1826, 4to), and the whole N.T. by the same in 1830. Bode published translations and critical editions of several portions: Ep. to Hebrews (Rome, 1548, 4to), Matthew's Gaosp. (Hal. 1749, 4to). See Rosenmuller, Handb.f. d. Lit. d. bibl. Krit. 3:65 sq.; Davidson, Biblical Criticism, 2:202 sq.; Dillmann, in Herzog's Encyklopadie, s.v. (See Versions Of The Bible).