occafion on which it was written prefixed. This we fee was the custom of the Jews, not only from the prophecies, which have the name of the prophet, and the time and occafion of writing them; but likewife from particular odes or fongs. Thus in Exod. xv. 1. it is said, "Then fang Mofes and the "children of Ifrael this fong unto the Lord." And in Deut. xxxi. 30. "And Mofes fpake in the ears of all "the congregation of Ifrael the words of this fong." Alfo in Judges, v. I. we have the fong of Deborah and Barak. That the Pfalms in fome cafes at least had their titles alfo, is beyond all doubt; thus we read in 2 Sam. xxii. 1. the fame title which is prefixed to Pf. xviii. That the fame opinion with respect to these titles antiently prevailed amongst the Jews, may be inferred from their custom, handed down it should seem from a very remote period, of finging the infcription or title together with the Pfalm, and by no means fuffering them to be feparated. The connection likewife of fome of the Pfalms is such as evidently to point out the occafion on which they were written, and with which the titles exactly correfpond; as in Pfalm iii. which the title fays was written when David fled from his fon Abfalom: alfo in Pfalm cxlii. which is faid to have been written by David when he was in the cave. But as most of the Pfalms were dedicated to the public worship of God, and fung on various occafions, the

original occafion of writing the Pfalm was of course omitted, and thus the genuine title lost.

Those who came after, endeavouring to repair this breach, added titles without due regard to the connection of the Pfalms; fo that as they now stand, we can only by critical enquiry endeavour to afcertain whether they are authentic or not. Theodoret, whofe opinion is chiefly followed, thinks that the Hebrew titles alone are to be confidered authentic ; but even they will be found not always correct. Thus Pfalm li. is faid to have been written on occafion of David's adultery with Bathsheba; but from verse 6,

it

appears very evident that this could not have been the occafion of the Pfalm. It is alfo generally admitted that the Pfalms xiv. lxiii. lxix. which are in the titles attributed to David, were written at a later period. So alfo Pfalm 1. is attributed to Asaph, though all the Pfalms in the first book, ending with the lxxii. are said to be "the prayers of David." The lxxix. Pfalm also which is ascribed to Afaph, who was contemporary with David, 1 Chron. xv. 17. xxv. 2. 2 Chron. xxix. 30. is by Archbishop Newcome fuppofed to have been written during the captivity. The titles therefore, though of very high antiquity, are nevertheless of little or no authority.

As to the canonical authority of the Pfalter there can be no doubt, fince we find it often referred to

by the Apostles, as well as by Chrift himself; and it may be prefumed, that the Pfalms exifted in their time, in the present form alfo; for the fecond Pfalm is cited as the first, in Acts xiii. 33; and it appears that the first was prefixed as a kind of preface to the whole book; for Michaelis informs us, that in the Caffel manufcript, which he himself collated for Kennicott, the first Pfalm is not numbered, but is placed as a kind of preface; and that which is usually noted Pfalm ii. or is here marked : fee Marth's Michaelis, vol. I. page 488; and this is confirmed by the discovery of another manufcript, written in 1298: fee ibid, page 244.

The Pentateuch was first translated into Greek by certain Alexandrian Jews, in the reign of Ptolomy Philadelphus, about 285 years before the birth of Christ. Some of the other books, as Kennicott thinks, were tranflated after the reading of the law was prohibited by Antiochus Epiphanes, anno 170 before Christ; and the reft were tranflated previous to the year 130 before Christ; for the prologue to Ecclefiafticus, in that year, speaks of the other books as being tranflated, which is the earliest period of any translation of thefe books on record: This is called the Septuagint Verfion, from an ancient tradition, that it was completed by feventy or seventytwo interpreters.

The first edition of the Greek verfion of Aquila of Pontus, a profelyte of the Jewish religion, was published in the year of Chrift 128; and the fecond, with Rabbinical notes and commentaries, about the year 130. This verfion of Aquila was made with the view of ferving, as far as poffible, the Jews in their controverfies with the Chriftians. The verfion of Theodotion, who was alfo a convert to the Jews from the Marcionites, was made about the year 180; and that of Symmachus, about the year 200. Of the difference between these three latter translations, St. Jerome thus fpeaks: "Aquila, Symmachus & "Theodotion diverfum pene opus in eodem opere prodiderunt, alio nitente verbum de verbo exprimere, alio fenfum potius fequi, tertio non multum a "veteribus difcrepante." A few fragments only of thefe verfions have come down to us. Origen, between the years 230 and 250 of Chrift, having obferved many corruptions in the Septuagint, endeavoured to restore it as nearly as he could to its original integrity. He therefore took the pains to collate the copies, and make out a more perfect edition, forming all doubtful and difcordant paffages by the concurring fenfe of the other verfions. This being done, he proceeded to the work called the Hexapla, which consisted of fix columns, the 1. Hebrew in its proper character; 2. Hebrew in Greek characters; 3. Aquila's verfion; 4. Symmachus's; 5. the Septuagint, with marks denoting what was

redundant and deficient, supplying at the fame time the deficiencies from the other verfions; 6. The verfion of Theodotion. After this edition had lain fifty years concealed or neglected at Tyre, Pamphilus and Eufebius copied out the fifth column, and having made fuch alterations as they thought nëceffary, they delivered it to the churches of Paleftine, whence it was afterwards called the Paleftine Edition. The fecond column might perhaps at first view appear entirely useless at prefent; but in truth it furnishes a clue to discover the mode of reading Hebrew in his time, and to ascertain the rules according to which vowels were to be inferted, previous to the Maforetic invention of the points.

About the fame time two other editions of the lxx. were published; one by Lucian, compiled from the various editions of the won, or common Greek version, which he collated and corrected by the Hebrew text; and which was afterwards read in all the churches from Conftantinople to Antioch, and adopted by the Syrians. The other by Hefychius, formed by copies of the own collected in Egypt; and which he is fuppofed to have brought ftill nearer to the Hebrew ftandard than Lucian. This edition was read throughout Egypt, and in the church of Alexandria. These three editions, fays St. Jerom, divided the world between them. The celebrated editions now are the Alexandrian, Vati