idioms of the Hebrew language. See the Biographic Unio€rsdle,\s.v\\, bij^ sq. ; Jticher, Gelehrten- Lexikon (Col. 1466), vol. iv. The latter refers to Adam, \'ilie Eruditorum; Samarthan, Elogia Gallorum; Teissier, Eloges des Sarans ; and Blount, Censura Celebriuiu Auctorum, as his sources. — Herzog, Real- Encyklop. s. V.
Vater, Johann Severin, a German doctor and pro- fessor of theology, was born May 27, 1771, at Altenburg. He studied theology at Jena, but more especially Ori- ental languages. From 1792 to 1794 he studied clas- sical philology under Wolf at Halle, and was promoted in 1794 as doctor of philosophy. In 1796 he com- menced lecturing as privat-docent at Jena, was made professor of Oriental languages in 1798, and was called to Halle in 1800 as professor of theology and Oriental languages. When this university was abandoned iu 1810, he went to Konigsberg, to return again to Halle in 1820, where he died, March 15, 1826. Vater belong- ed to the rationalistic school, and his work on the Pen- tateuch is deeply tainted by rationalistic influences; but his works deserve notice for their learning. He published, Hebr. Sprachlehre (Leips. 1797 ; 2d ed. 1812) : — Kleinere Hebr. Sprachlehj-e (ibid. 1798; 3d ed. 1816) : —Hebr. Lesebuch (ibid. 1799; 2d ed. 1809): — //«W- buch der hebr., syr., chald., unci arab. Grammatik (ibid. 1802; 2d ed. 1817) : — Arab., syr., und chald. Lesebuch (ibid. 1802): — Commentar ilber den Pentateuch (Halle, 1802-5, 3 pts.):— .47«osi Oracula (ibid. 1810) :— Lec/io- num Versionis A lexundrincB Jobi nondum satis Exami- natarmn Specimen (Konigsberg, 1810): — Synchroni- stische Tafeln der Kirchengeschichte (Halle, 1803 ; 6th ed, by Thilo, 1833): — Kirchengeschichte des 18. und 19. Jahrhunderts (Brunswick, 1823 sq., forming pts. v-viii of Henke's Kirchengeschichte^: — Anbau der neuesten Kirchengeschichte (Berl. 1820-22, 2 vols.). See Theolog. Universal-Lexicon, s. v. ; Niemeyer's biography of Vater appended to the 5th ed. of the Synchronist. Tafeln (1828); Fiirst, Bibl. Jud. iii, 469; Steinschneider, Bi- bliogr. Handbuck, s. v. ; Winer, Handbuch der theol. Li- teratur, i, 45, 100, 115, 197, 218, 223, 226, 370, 388, 406, 537, 544, 581 ; ii, 23, 326, 814. (B. P.)
Vates is a term used among the ancient Romans with the double signification of poet and prophet, the two being regarded as identical. By a law of Constan- tius in the Theodosian Code, they were reckoned among those who practice forbidden arts, such as soothsayers, astrologers, augurs, and magicians, and were condemn- ed to die as guilty of a capital crime and offence against religion. See Bingham, Christ. Antiq. bk. xvi, ch. v.
Vatican, the papal palace at Rome, so called from its situation on the Mons Vaticanus, at the extreme north-western part of the city. It is an immense pile of buildings, composed of parts constructed at different times, and often without due regard to the harmony of the entire structure. There existed a palace adjoin- ing the basilica of St. Peter's probably as early as the time of Constantine, but certainly in the 8th century. In the 12th century this palace was rebuilt by Innocent III, and in the following century it was enlarged by Nicholas III. It became the papal residence on the removal of the see from Avignon to Rome in 1377, when Gregory XI adopted it as the pontifical palace on account of its greater security over the Lateran (which had been the residence of the popes for one thousand years) by the nearness of the Castle of St. Angelo. John XXIII increased this security by building a cov- ered gallery connecting the palace with the castle. Nicholas V, in 1450, began to improve it on a mag- nificent scale, but died before completing his design. Alexander VI finished the older portion of the edi- fice nearly as we now see it. No part of the palace except the private chapel of Nicholas V, called the Chapel of San Lorenzo, is older than the time of Alex- ander VI (1492-1503). The part constructed by Alex-
VxVTICAN
Pl:iu of the Vatican Palace at Rome,
ander VI is known as the Old Palace, in distinction from the later works. To this structure Sixtns IV, in 147-i, added the Sixtine Chapel. Innocent VIII, about 1490, erected the villa Belvedere, and .Julius II (1503- 13) connected it witii the palace by the celebrated Lof/fiia and a terraced court. In the gardens of the Belvedere, Julius laid the foundations of the Vatican museum. After the death of .Tulius, Leo X completed the Loggia under the direction of Raphael. Paul III built the Sala Regia and the Pauline Chapel (1534). Sixtus V, near the close of the Kith century, began, and Clement VllI carried to completion, a new and more imposing palace on the eastern side of the court of the Loggia, which is now the ordinary residence of tlie pope ami is bj- far the most conspicuous of all the Vatican buildings. Numerous alterations and improve- ments were made by succeeding pontiffs. Urban VIII (1G23-44) had the celebrated staircase, Scala Regia, constructed from designs by Bernini. Clement XIV (1769-74) and Pius VI (1775-99) built a new range of aiiartments for the Museo Pio-Clementino. Pius VII (1 800-23) added the Braccio Xuovo, running parallel with the library. Leo XII (1823-29) began a series of cham- bers for the gallery of pictures. Gregory XVI (1831- 4()) completed tliese and placed the Etruscan Museum in its present position. Pius IX (1846-77) enclosed the Loggia in glass, removed the gallery of pictures to the upper part of the palace, erected the magnificent stairs leading to the state apartments, and decorated the apartments formerl}- occupied bj' the [)ictures with fres- cos to serve as reception-rooms for ladies. It will be seen from this account that the Vatican is rather a collection of separate buildings than one regular struct- ure. It occupies a space 1 151 by 767 feet, and has 8 grand staircases, 200 smaller ones, 20 courts, and 4422 rooms.