It is not necessary to follow the history of the text of the
Vulgate since Jerome's day. Suffice it to say that the
simultaneous use of the Old Latin and Vulgate led to a
corruption of both texts, which has not yet been thoroughly
removed. The present standard text is that called the
_Clementine_, from Pope Clement VIII., under whose auspices the
Vulgate was edited in 1592. This is better than the preceding
_Sixtine_ edition, A.D. 1590, but not by any means the pure text
of Jerome, as it might be recovered, proximately at least, by a
careful collation of ancient manuscripts and quotations.

The oldest and best manuscript of the Latin Vulgate Old and New
Testaments, is the _Codex Amiatinus_ in the Laurentian Library
at Florence. It belongs to the sixth century, and exhibits the
text of Jerome in a very pure form, carrying us back to about
120 years from Jerome's death. The _Codex Fuldensis_ is said to
belong to the same century. There are other good manuscripts
more or less complete of the eighth and ninth centuries.

Many other Latin versions have appeared in modern times,
sometimes in connection with the original text, and sometimes
separately, which it is not necessary to notice in detail.

II. SYRIAC VERSIONS.

6. The ancient Syriac version called the _Peshito_ belongs, in the
judgment of biblical scholars, to the second century. It comprises the
Old Testament as well as the New. The version of the Old Testament was
made from the original Hebrew, and thus has the honor of being the
oldest translation of the Hebrew Scriptures for Christian use, the Old
Latin version having been made from the Septuagint. The version of the
New Testament was made in connection with that of the Old, so that both
together constitute one work.

Syrian tradition makes extravagant claims in respect to the
antiquity of the Peshito, telling us that it was executed by men
sent to Palestine by the apostle Thaddeus (whom tradition
connects with the founding of the church at Edessa), and by
Abgarus, King of Edessa, a contemporary of the Saviour. The Old
Testament was sometimes referred to a still earlier age--that of
Solomon and Hiram, or that of the captivity of the ten tribes.
Without giving credence to such traditions, we may well believe
that it belongs to the earliest period of the Syrian churches,
and cannot be p