the kingdom, both Jews and Christians; in order that it may go forth in as perfect a form as may be. So that it is possible, that before the end of the present year, some part of the Gospels may be presented to the Jews, as the FIRST FRUITS of the Jewish Institution. It is remarkable, that this should be the very year which was calculated long ago, by a learned man, as that in which "the times of happiness to Israel" should begin. In the year 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, 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 being "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."*

VERSIONS OF THE SCRIPTURES
FOR THE JEWS.

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, has offered to conduct Translations of the Scriptures in the following Languages; viz.

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

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

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 Vocabularies 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

* See page 104 for an account of the importance of this language.

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

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 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 Nap"thali."* It is remarkable that the people of

* See Benjamini Itinerarium, p. 97.

Zagathai should be constantly called Ephthalites and Nepthalites by the Byzantine writers, who alone had any information concerning them.* The fact seems to be, that, if from Babylon as a centre, 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 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 !+

* Theophanes, p. 79.

+ The republic of letters has now to lament the loss of Dr. Leyden. (1814.) This distinguished ornament of Oriental Literature, died in the island of Java.