than that
of Aquila. The third version was formed about the year 200, by
Symmachus, who having been first a Samaritan, afterwards, upon some
disgust turned Jew. In this translation he had a double view of
thwarting both the Jews and Christians. St. Jerom extols the
elegance of his style, but says he walked in the steps of
Theodotion; with the two former translators he substituted [Greek:
neanis] for [Greek: parthenos] in the famous prophecy of Isaiah, (c.
vii. v. 14,) and in that of Jacob, (Gen. xlix. 10,) [Greek: ta
apokeimena autoi] for [Greek: oi apokeitai] Both which
falsifications St. Justin Martyr charges upon Aquila, (Dial. cum
Tryphon. p. 224, 395, 284, ed. Thirlbii.) and St. Irenaeus reproaches
Aquila and Theodotion with the former, (p. 253, ed. Grebe.) Many
additions from these versions, and several various readings daily
creeping into the copies of the seventy, which were transcribed, to
apply a remedy to this danger, Origen compiled his Hexapla, &c., of
which see some account in the appendix to April 21. Before the year
300 three other corrected editions of the old Greek version were
published, the first by Lucian, the second by Hesychius, and the
third by Pamphilus the martyr. The first was made use of in the
churches, from Constantinople to Antioch; that of Hesychius was
received at Alexandria, and in the rest of Egypt; and the third in
the intermediate country of Palestine, as we are informed by St
Jerom, (_Praef. in Paralip. et Praef. in Explic. Daniel_.) The edition
of Lucian came nearest to the [Greek: koine] or common edition of
the seventy, and was the purest as St. Jerom (ep. ad Suniam et
Fretel. T. 2, col. 627,) and Euthymius affirm, and is generally
allowed by modern critics, says Mr. Kennicott, (diss. 2, p. 397.)
The excellent Vatican MS. of the seventy, published (though with
some amendments from other MSS.) by Cardinal Carafa, at the command
of Sixtus V., in 1587, is said in the preface to have been written
before the year 390; but Blanchini (Vindiciae vet. Cod. p. 34)
supposes it somewhat later. It is proved from St. Jerom's letter to
Sunia and Fretela, and several instances, that this Vatican MS.
comes nearest to the [Greek: koine], and to Lucian's edition, as
Grabe, (See Annot. in ep. ad Sun. et Fretel. T. 2, col. 671,)
Blanchini, (Vindiciae, p. 256)