336 UNIVERSAL ERUDITION. 



rufalem and in Judea, but Greek mixed with fome 

 Hebraic expreffions , the Romans afterward en- 

 tering Palaftine, and becoming conquerors of 

 that country, fpoke their own language there : 

 and at lad the Jewifh nation was totaly difperfed. 

 We (hall only add, that the Rabbinic is a very 

 copious language, and that there is fcarce any 

 part of fcience of which the Rabbins have not 

 treated, but always with an enthufiafm that is 

 natural to them : there have been among them 

 even poets and orators. 



X. The Talmudic is another dialect or par- 

 ticular idiom of the Hebrew, in which the Tal- 

 mud, or the book compofed by the Jews that 

 contains all the explications of their law, is writ- 

 ten. This language differs greatly from the 

 pure Hebrew. M. Buxtorff has compofed a Chal- 

 daic, Talmudic and Rabbinic dictionary. We 

 have alfo a work of the emperor Conftantine, 

 intitled Clavis Talmudica; and one of Otto, 

 called Vitas do&orum Mifnicorum > befide feve- 

 ral others. 



XL We ftiall conclude this article with fay- 

 ing a few words concerning the Hebrew charac- 

 ters in general. Thefe are the ancient Heb- 

 rew, the modern Hebrew, the fquare and the 

 Rabbinic Hebrew. The fquare Hebrew is fo 

 called from the form of its letters, which are 

 more regularly fquare, and have their angles 

 better defined than the Hebrew of the Rabbins. 



The 



