EXHIBIT OF BIBLICAL ANTIQUITIES. 1013 



Htttite lttte PLAYtER. — Cast from original, of dolerite, at the Eoyal 

 Museum, Berlin, Germany. Found at Senjirli, Asia Minor. (See 

 plate 8.) 



HiTTiTE LION CHASE. (See plate 30.) This relief, which probably 

 served to decorate the gate of a temple or palace, plainly exhibits 

 Assyrian influence. As on Assyrian hunting scenes, the lion is chased 

 from a chariot occupied by the charioteer and the archer. In front of 

 the chariot and its spirited horse the lion is attacked by two men, who 

 drive spears in the fore and hind parts of its body. The whole scene 

 combines archaism with vivid and i)owerful naturalism. The original, of 

 granite, was found at Saktschegozu and is now in the Koyal Museum 

 of Berlin, Germany, 



HiTTiTK WARRIOR, with ax and sword. (See plate 37.) Cast from 

 original, of dolerite, at the Eoyal Museum, Berlin, Germany. Found at 

 Senjirli, Asia Minor. The relief probably served to decorate the gate 

 of a temple or palace. 



COLLECTION OF BIBLES. 



The last section of the exhibit consisted of a small collection of 

 bibles, arranged so as to show the originals and the versions. It 

 included manuscripts and old and rare editions of the original texts, 

 as well as copies of the most important ancient and modern transla- 

 tions of the scriptures. This part of the exhibit was not only of 

 interest to biblical students, but also served to illustrate the study 

 of x)alieography. 



The Old Testament. — The Old Testament is mainly written in the 

 Hebrew language, which was the Semitic dialect spoken in Canaan. 

 It is cognate to Assyrian, Arabic, Ethiopic, and Aramean, and most 

 closely allied to Phenician and Moabite. Daniel ii, 4, to vii, 28, and 

 Ezra iv, 8, to vi, 18, and vii, 12-20, are written in Aramean; also a few 

 words iv Genesis and Jeremiah. 



The canon of the Old Testament is divided by the Jews into three 

 portions— the law, the prophets, and the writings — and subdivided into 

 twenty-four books. Josephns counts twenty-two books, which was fol- 

 lowed by Origen. The fixing of the canon goes back by tradition to 

 Ezra and tlie men of the great synagogue; some, however, are of the 

 opinion that the canonicity of the ])ro[)hets and writings (Greek hagi- 

 ographa, cr sacred writings) was settled much later. According to the 

 jnesent actual count the Old Testament contains thirty-nine books. 

 This, howt Ver, does not argue a different content from ancient times — 

 simply a further subdivision of books. 



Before the Exile the books were written in the ancient Phenician 

 characters which appear in some ancient Phenician inscriptions, on the 

 Moabite stone, on some coins of the Maccabees, and in the Samaritan 

 Pentateuch. In the period following the Exile and the restoration of 

 Ezra the square letters, also called "Assyrian script," which are repre- 



