BICHRI

— the compilation of which in whole or part is assigned to the 2nd or 3rd cent. a.d. Later, with indications at least as late as the 7th cent, a.d., in its present form is the Jerusalem Targum, known as the Targum of pseudo-Jonathan. This is more free and interpolated with ' Haggadistic ' elements. The oiBcial Targum of the Prophets also bears the name of Jonathan. Origina-ting in Palestine in the 3rd cent, a.d., it received Its final shaping in Babylon in the 5th century. The Targums of the Hagiographa are much later in date.

The oldest versions of the NT are the Syriac and the Latin, both of which may be traced back in some form to the 2nd cent, a.d., but there is much difference of opinion as to the original text of the former. First, we have the Peshitta, literally, the 'simple' version, which has become the standard accepted text in the Syrian Church. There is no doubt that in its present form this text represents successive revisions down to a late Patristic age. Two other versions, or two forms of another version of the Gospels, were discovered in the 19th cent., viz. the Curetonian, edited by Cure- ton, and the Sinaitic, found in a MS at the monastery of St. Catherine on Mount Sinai. Lastly, there is the version represented by Tatian's Dialessaron, which may be distinct from either of these. While it is admitted that a primitive text underlying the Peshitta may be as ancient as any of these versions, scholars are fairly agreed that the Peshitta, as we know it, is considerably more recent than Tatian and the Sinaitic Gospels, both of which may be assigned to the 2nd cent. a.d. The earliest Latin Version appeared before the end of the 2nd cent, and probably in North Africa, where Latin was the language commonly used, while Greek was then the language of Christian literature at Rome. TertuUian knew the North African Latin Version. Some-what later several attempts were made in Italy to translate the NT into Latin. The confusion of text induced Damasus, bishop of Rome, to commit to Jerome (a.d. 382) the task of preparing a reliable Latin version of the Bible. This came to be known as the Vulgate, which for 1000 years was the Bible of the Western Church, and which, since the Council of Trent, has been honoured by Roman Catholics as an infallibly correct rendering of the true text of Scripture. Augustine refers to a version which he calls ' Itala,' but it has been shown that this was probably Jerome's version. The NT was early translated into Coptic, and it appeared in three dialects of that language. The Sahidic Version, in Upper Egypt, can be traced back to the 4th century. The Bohairic, formerly used at Alexandria, has been assigned to as early a date as the 2nd cent.; but Prof. Burkitt shows reasons for bringing it down to the 6th. It is the version now used ecclesiastically by the Copts. Lastly, there is the Fayumic Version, represented by MSS from the Fayum. The original Gothic Version was the work of Ulfilas in the 4th century. He had to invent an alphabet for it. This work may be considered the first literary product in a Teutonic language. The Ethiopic and Armenian Versions may be assigned to the 6th century. Subsequent ages saw the Georgian Version (6th), the Anglo-Saxon (8th to 1 1th) , the Slavonic (9th). The Reformation period — from Wyclif onwards — saw new translations into the vernacular; but the great age of Bible translation is the 19th century. The British and Foreign Bible Society now produces the Scriptures in over 400 languages and versions.

W. F. Adeney.

BICHRI. — 'Sheba the son of Bichri' (2 S 200 should rather be 'Sheba the Bichrite,' i.e. a descendant of Becher (Gn 462').

EIDKAR. — An officer of Ahab and afterwards of Jehu (2 K 925).

BIER. — See Mourning Customs, Tomb.

BIGTHA. — A eunuch of Ahasuerus (Est l").

BIGTHAN (Est 221), or BIGTHANA (62).— One of the

BIRD

two eunuchs whose plot against the life of Ahasuerus was discovered and foiled by Mordecai.

BIGVAI.— 1. A companion of Zerubbabel (Ezr 2'= Neh 7'; cf. Ezr 2" [1 Es 5" Bagoi, 8" Bagol = Neh 7", Ezr 8"). 2. A signatory to the covenant (Neh 10").

BILDAD.— See Job.

BILEAM (1 Ch 6"i).— A Levitical city of Manasseh, the same as Ibleam of Jos 17i', Jg 1", 2 K 9": prob. the mod. Bel'ame (see Moore on Jg 1").

BILGAH ('cheerfulness').—!. Head of the 15th course of priests (1 Ch 24"). 2. A priest who returned with Zerub. (Neh 125- is). The same as Bilgai (Neh lO^).

BILGAI.— See Bilgah.

BIIiHAH. — 1. A slave-girl given to Rachel by Laban (Gn 292» (P)), and by her to Jacob as a concubine (Gn 30'- * (JE)); the mother of Dan and Naphtali (Gn 304- » (JE) 35a (P) 46a (R), 1 Ch 7"). She was guilty of Incest with Reuben (Gn 3522 (P)). The ety-mology is uncertain. These narratives and genealogies probably embody early traditions as to the origin and mutual relations of the tribes, rather than personal history. Tribes are traced to a concubine ancestress, because they were' a late accession to Israel. 2. A Simeonite city (1 Ch 42») = Baalah (Jos 152=), Balah (Jos 19'), and, according to some, Baalath (Jos 19", 1 K 9", 2 Ch 8»). Site uncertain.

BILHAN.— 1 . A Horite chief, the son of Ezer (Gn 362' = 1 Ch 1<2). 2. A descendant of Benjamin, son of Jediael, and father of seven sons who were beads of houses in their tribe (1 Ch 7'°).

BILL. — 1. In the parable of the Unjust Steward (Lk 16") 'bill,' RV better bond, renders the Gr. gram-mata, the equivalent of the contemporary Heb. legal term shetar (lit. 'writing'), an acknowledgment of goods or money received written and signed by the debtor himself (Baba bathra x. 8). Edersheim's statement (Life and Times of Jesus, ii. 272) that the Gr. word was adopted into Hebrew is based on a false reading. See, further, Debt. 2. Bill of divorce; see Mahriaqe. A. R. S. Kennedt.

BniSHAN ('inquirer'). — A companion of Zerubbabel (Ezr 22, Neh 7'=Beelsaru3, 1 Es 5').

BIMHAL ('son of circumcision'?). — A descendant of Asher (1 Ch T').

BINDING AND LOOSING.— See Power or the Keys.

BINEA.— A descendant of Jonathan (1 Ch 8" 9").

BINNTJI ('a building').— 1. Head of a family that returned with Zerub. (Neh 7" = Bani of Ezr 2'°). 2. A Levite (Ezr 8=' [prob. = Bani of Neh 8' and Bunni of Neh 9'1, Neh 128). 3. a son of Pahath-moab (Ezr 10" = Balnuus of 1 Es 9"). 4. A son of Bani who had married a foreign wife (Ezr 10='). There appears to be a confusion in some instances between the similar names Binnui, Bani, Bigvai.

BIRD.— 1. In OT: (1) 'Bph, tr. 'birds' or 'fowl,' usually joined with 'of heaven' or 'of the air': see Gn 121- 80, Lv 17'8, 2 S 21i«, Jer 426, Ezk 31«- ": (2) 'ayit, usually tr. 'fowls' (AV) and 'birds of prey' (RV): Gn 15", Job 28', Is 18', Ezk 39i; (3) tsippdr (cf. Arab. asfar). small birds like sparrows which twitter: Gn 7», Lv 14', Ps 848 etc.: (4) 6a' a! kanaph, 'possessor of a wing,' Pr 1". 2. In NT: (1) peteina, Mt 13*, Lk 13" etc. (2) ornea, 'birds of prey," Rev 18' ig"- 21.

Birds abound in Palestine, and evidently did so in ancient times. They were sympathetically watched and studied; we read, for example, of their migrations (Jer 8' etc.), their care of their young (Dt 32", Mt 23=' etc.), the helplessness of their young (Pr 278, jg iq2 etc.), their nesting (Ps IO412. i'); indeed, every phase of bird life is touched upon. There are many references tothesnaresbt the fowler (see Snares). Birds are divided into clean and unclean. In some cases they were allowed as sacrificial

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