Word of God, they could not exist.

Some writers say that Ptolemy Philadelphus, the king of Egypt of that
time, having heard the Jews speak of their Book, and wishing to have a
copy of it to place in his great library, sent all the way to Jerusalem
for seventy learned scribes who should translate the Book into Greek.

Now, however, it is believed that the Jews of Alexandria did the work
entirely themselves, although their Greek Bible is still called the
'Septuagint'--that is, 'The Scriptures of the Seventy'--in memory of
the old tradition.

[Illustration: FRAGMENT OF THE 'SEPTUAGINT'--THE OLD TESTAMENT IN
ANCIENT GREEK, THE FIRST WRITTEN TRANSLATION OF THE BIBLE EVER MADE]

Gradually, as the years passed, the Greek language spread to other
nations, until at last it became, as we have seen, the leading language
of the world. Even to-day, as you know, this old Greek tongue is
taught in many of our schools and colleges, and those who can read it
tell us that there is no language so beautiful; none with words so
sweet to the ear, nor in which such deep thoughts can be expressed.

Thus we see how God used the learning of the heathen Greeks to make His
Book known to the world!

For hundreds of years the Bible had been a Book for the people of
Israel alone; but now, as the time drew near when the Son of God
Himself should come to the world--that the world by Him might be
saved--the Scriptures, which had since the days of Moses spoken of His
coming, were sent out to the nations by God Himself in order to prepare
the way.

The Jews of old divided all dwellers on the earth into two classes: the
Jews--that is, themselves; the Gentiles--that is, all the other nations.

But now the wall of separation was to be broken down, and the words of
the Prophet Isaiah were to be fulfilled, '_The Gentiles shall come to
Thy light._' (Isaiah Ix. 3.)

Now that God's Holy Word had been translated into Greek, the one
language which every man of those days wished to learn, the message
could ring through all the Gentile cities: 'A King, a Saviour, is
coming; be ready to meet Him!'

So the Scriptures went forth, north, south, east, and west, and we
think they reached to that far eastern city in which those three wise
men lived who afterwards travelled to Bethlehem, seeking the Messiah,
and saying, '_Where is He that is born King of the Jews?_' (Matthew ii.
2.)

The Bible had indeed taken a strong leap forward now!

For long centuries i