1677, Mr. Samuel Lee, a scholar of enlarged views, who had studied the prophetical writings with great attention, published a small volume, entitled, "Israel Redux, or The Restauration of "Israel.". He calculates the event from the prophecies of Daniel and of St. John, and commences the great period of 1260 years, not from A. D. 608, which we think correct, but from a. D. 476, which brings it to 1736. He then adds, "After the great conflicts with the Papal powers "in the West, will begin the stirs and commotions "about the Jews and Israel in the East. If then "to 1736 we add 30 more, they reach to 1766; "but the times of perplexity are determined (by

Daniel) to last 45 years longer. If then we "conjoin those 45 years more to 1766, it produces "one thousand eight hundred and ELEVEN, for "those times of happiness to Israel.”*

* See "Israel Redux," page 122. printed in Cornhill, London, 1677.

VERSIONS

VERSIONS OF THE SCRIPTURES

FOR THE JEWS,

IN THE ORIENTAL LANGUAGES.

SINCE writing the above, the Author has received the following communication from the Rev. David Brown, dated Calcutta, March 15,

1810:

"Dr. Leyden, of the College of Fort-William, in "a letter communicated to me yesterday, has offered "to conduct Translations of the Scriptures in the "following Languages; viz.

1. AFFGHAN,

CASHMIRIAN,

2.

3. JAGHATAI,

4. SIAMESE,

5. Bugis,

6. MACASSAR,
and

7. MALDIVIAN.

"The Jaghatai is the original Turcoman Language, "as spoken in the central districts of Asia. The Bugîs "is the language of the Celebes. The Macassar is

spoken at Macassar, in the Celebes, and in the great "island of BORNEO.

"Dr. Leyden is assisted, as you know, by learned "natives in the compilation of Grammars and Vo"cabularies in the above languages, and entertains no " doubt that he shall be able to effect correct versions "of the Scriptures in them all."

Thus, sooner than could have been expected, are we likely to have the Bible translated into the language of the CELEBES. * But who can estimate the importance of a translation of the Scriptures into the languages of Affghana and Cashmire, those Jewish regions!

The Jaghatai or Zagathai, is the language of Great Bucharia, which was called Zagathai, from a son of Zenghis Khan. It is an auspicious circumstance for Dr. Leyden's translation of the Jaghatai, that Prince Zagathai himself embraced Christianity, and made a public profession of the Gospel in his capital of Samarchand.+ There were at that period above a hundred Christian Churches in the province; and some of them remain to this day. We are also informed, both by the Nestorian and Romish writers, that there was a version of the New Testament and Psalms in a Tartar Language. Dr. Leyden will soon discover whether this was the Jaghatai. That language is spoken in Bochara, Balk and Samarchand, and in other cities of Usbeck, and Independent Tartary. This is the country which Dr. Giles Fletcher, who was Envoy of Queen

*See p. 86 for an account of the importance of this language.

+ See Mosheim's Eccl. Tartar History, p. 40.

Elizabeth, at the Court of the Czar of Muscovy, has assigned as the principal residence of the descendants of the Ten Tribes. He argues from their place, from the name of their cities, from their language, which contains Hebrew and Chaldaic words, and from their peculiar rites, which are Jewish. Their principal city Samarchand is pronounced Samarchian, which Dr. Fletcher thinks might be a name given by the Israelites after their own Samaria in Palestine. (See Israel Redux, p. 12). Benjamin

of Tudela, who travelled into this country, in the twelfth century, and afterwards published his Itinerary, says, "In Samarchand, the city of Tamerlane, "there are 50,000 Jews under the presidency of "Rabbi Obadiah: and in the mountains and cities "of Nisbor, there are four tribes of Israel resident, "viz. Dan, Zabulon, Asher and Naphthali." * It is remarkable that the people of Zagathai should be constantly called Ephthalites and Nephthalites by the Byzantine writers, who alone had any information concerning them.† The fact seems to be, that, if from Babylon as a center, you describe a segment of a circle, from the northern shore of the Caspian Sea to the heads of the Indus, you will enclose the

*See Benjamini Itinerarium, p. 97. Theophanes, p. 79.

territories containing the chief body of the dispersed tribes of Israel,

This design of Dr. Leyden to superintend the translation of the Scriptures in SEVEN new languages marks the liberal views and the enterprising and ardent mind of that scholar, and will be hailed by the friends of Christianity in Europe as a noble undertaking, deserving their utmost eulogy and patronage. It will give pleasure to all those who have hitherto taken any interest in "the restoration of learning in the East," to see that the College of Fort-William is producing such excellent fruit. May its fame be perpetual ! *

*There are now several Orientalists, members of the Asiatic Society, who have been engaged in translating the Holy Scriptures. We hope hereafter to see the name of Mr. Colebrooke added to the number. Mr. C. is the Father of Shanscrit Literature, and has lately published an Essay on the Shanscrit Poetry and Metres. How much gratified should we be to see a version of the Pentateuch from his pen! or at least a Critique on the New Testament, which has been already translated into Shanscrit. Mr. C. is the proper man to oppose the Pentateuch to the Hindoo Cosmogony, and to invite the Brahmins to contemplate the Mosaic Records, in classical Shanscrit. This would be a work worthy of his great erudition; and his name, as a Shanscrit Scholar, would then, indeed, live for ever. Mr. Colebrooke has ever shewn kindness to the humble Missionaries, who have been cultivating the Shanscrit Tongue; he has supplied them with books, and afforded them every liberal aid; it will give him no regret, at his last hour, to think that he has had it in his power, in any degree, to promote the cause of Christianity.