Syriac BIBLE. The Syrians have in their language a version of the Old Testament, which they pretend to be of great antiquity. A great part of it, they say, was made in Solomon's time, and the rest in the time of Abgarus king of Edessa. They relate, that Hiram king of Tyre desired Solomon to communicate the use of letters and writing to the Syrians, and to get translated for them the sacred books of the Hebrews; which Solomon complied with, and sent them the Pentateuch, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, Samuel, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Solomon's Song, and Job, which were the only books then extant; the remaining books of scripture, they add, were translated into Syriac after the death of Christ, by the care of Abgarus king of Edessa. But this account is looked upon as fabulous. It is true, the Syriac version which we have now must be very ancient, since it is often cited by the fathers. Dr Prideaux is of opinion, it was made within the first century; that the author of it was some Christian of the Jewish nation; and that it is the best translation of the Old Testament. This version is not always agreeable to the original; but in some places is more conformable to the Samaritan Pentateuch, and in some to the version of the Septuagint. In the Psalms, the translator has taken the liberty to leave out the ancient titles and inscriptions of each psalm, instead of which he gives an abstract of the contents of each psalm.