HKB
labors, and with their limited means and restricted libraries, to obtain much of this knowledge? Some of it they may obtain, but much of it they will not, and cannot.
The only way in which the vast stores of Biblical learning accumulated during the last two hundred and forty-seven years, by the labors of seven and a half generations toiling in succession, each generation beginning where that which preceded it left off, and each adding something to the stock which it received, can become available for the general benefit of the people, is by an improved text and translation of the Bible, into which, as far as possible, they shall all be brought, and to the perfection of which they shall contribute. This is the task which has been undertaken in the present work, and with what degree of success, the public will judge. The text which has been followed in this translation, is that of Tischendorf, published at Leipsic in 1850. It is not only a great improvement on the received text, but on the critical texts that are in general use in this country. Tischendorf follows Griesbach, Lachman and others, and availing himself of their labors, together with his own accurate collations of manuscripts extending to nearly all the most ancient manuscripts in the world, and following in the steps of Lachman by editing solely from ancient authority, has brought the text of the New Testament to a degree of perfection not anticipated or even hoped for in past ages. It is a high recommendation of this translation, and will command for it an additional respect from all competent judges, that it follows this highly improved text. Readers will be able by this to see what is the Bible and what is not. It is not claimed for the text of Tischendorf that it is perfect; no text can be; but it is claimed for it, that it retains no known interpolation in the sacred books, and omits nothing known to belong to them. Future laborers will doubtless make some improvements on the text of Tischendorf, as he has done on that of Lachman; but they cannot be expected to change it essentially.
I have deviated from Tischendorf in omitting Jesus as the proper name of Barabbas in two instances in Matt. xxv. 4, and occasionally in punctuation, and have retained two important interpolations in the text, duly noted as such, Mark, xvii. and John, x. 8.
The recent work of Trench on the English Bible came to hand after considerable progress had been made in stereotyping this volume. The translator was highly gratified to find that nearly all the improvements and corrections suggested by that eminent scholar were already made in this work, together with many others.
The arrangement of the books and divisions of the chapters and verses in this Translation are believed to be great improvements on those in common use. As such they are commended to the attention of translators and editors in different languages, and it is hoped will be found satisfactory.
The chronology of the New Testament is involved in great obscurity. The Christian Era was first proposed by Dionysius Exiguus, about A.D. 550, and was gradually adopted in the seventh and eighth centuries. By a mistake of Dionysius it was made to commence from four to six years too late. The birth of Christ was from 4 to 6 B.C.; his baptism, in the fifteenth year of Tiberius, A.D. 24; his death, probably, A.D. 28; and the events recorded in the first part of Acts prior to the death of Herod, A.D. 44, occurred considerably earlier than the dates usually assigned to them.
Matthew and Luke probably wrote their gospels A.D. 62 or 63; Mark and John, theirs A.D. 65-68. Acts was written A.D. 63. All the books of the New Testament were probably written before the destruction of Jerusalem, in the interval of seventeen years from A.D. 53 to 70.