This book arose out of public lectures which were offered in St Mary's College, St Andrews as ‘The St Mary's College Lectures’ in the Candlemas Term during the years 1982–5. Their character was influenced by the circumstance that Archibald Hay, who was associated with the College shortly after its foundation in 1538 (or 1539), urged that it should be a Trilingual College after the model of the College de France which was founded in 1530. The emphasis on Hebrew and Greek can be seen after the Reformation in the provisions of Andrew Melville's ‘New Foundation’ (Nova Erectio) of 1579. The subject Selected Christian Hebraists was perceived as one which would give scope for the exercise of trilingual scholarship.

I am most grateful to my colleague, Dr. R. B. Salters, for the help which he has given me with the reading of the proofs of this book.