GABRIEL SIONITA: A learned Maronite; b. at Edden, Mount Lebanon, in. northern Palestine, 1577; d. in Paris 1648. At the age of seven he entered the Maronite college at Rome, where he studied and taught till 1614. Through the French ambassador, Cardinal du Perron, he was persuaded to, go to Paris to collaborate on a ,proposed polyglot Bible. In Jan., 1615, he was appointed professor of Arabic and Wac at the Sorbonne. He took his doctorate in theology in 1620 and became a priest in the same year. After many interruptions the Paris Polyglot was taken up by Michel le Jay in 1630 and finished in 1645, Gabriel furnishing the Arabic and Syriac versions (see Bibles, Polyglot). On account of his unruliness and alleged inaccuracy, the editors of the Bible discharged him in 1640 and called Abraham Ecchellensis (q.v.) to take his place. They even induced Richelieu to put Gabriel in prison at Vincennes, but after three months he secured his liberty and resumed his former position, on promising to deliver the Arabic and Syriac versions. He published several works in Arabic, Latin, and Italian, including: Geograpkaa Nubiensis (Rome, 1592; Paris, 1619) told Grammatica Arabica Maronitarum (Paris, 1616).

Bibliography: J. Le Long, Bibliotheca sacra, ed. Maseh, 5 vols., Halle, 1778-90; C. P. Goujet, Menwires historiques et littirairee sur le college royal de France, vol. iii., Paris, 1758; C. G. JScher, Allgemeines GelehrterrLexicon, iv. 619, Leipsic, 1787; HL, v. 4-5.

GABRIELS, HENRY: Roman Catholic bishop of Ogdensburg, N. Y.; b. at Wanneghem, Belgium, Oct. 6, 1838. He studied at Audenarde (1852-57), St. Nicolas (1857-58), Ghent (1858-60), and the University of Louvain (S.T.L., 1864). He taught theology in St. Joseph's' Seminary, Troy, N. Y., 1864-92 and was president of the same institution 1871-1892, in addition to being vicar-general for Ogdensburg and Burlington, and diocesan examiner for New York and Albany. In 1892 he was consecrated bishop of Ogdensburg. He has written Quteationea Mechlinienaea in rubricas breviarii et misaalis Ro mani (New York, 1887) and Rudiments of the He brew Grammar (a translation of the seventh edition of the Rudiments linguce Hebraicce of C. H. Vosen and F. Kaulen; St. Louis, Mo., 1891).

Bibliography: A sketch of his life is found in the Monograph Series of the U. 8. Catholic Historical Society, iii. 7-16, New York, 1905.