Edward Robinson | |
|---|---|
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| Born | April 10, 1794 Southington,Connecticut, U.S. |
| Died | January 27, 1863(1863-01-27) (aged 68) |
| Alma mater | Hamilton College |
| Spouse | |
| Children | Edward |
Edward Robinson (April 10, 1794 – January 27, 1863) was anAmericanbiblical scholar known for his magnum opus,Biblical Researches in Palestine, the first major work in biblical geography andbiblical archaeology, which earned him the epithets "Father of Biblical Geography" and "Founder of Modern Palestinology."[1]
He studied in the United States and Germany, centers of biblical scholarship and exploration of theBible as history. He translated scriptural works fromclassical languages as well as German translations. HisGreek and English Lexicon of the New Testament (1836; last revision, 1850) became a standard authority in the United States and was reprinted several times in Great Britain.
Robinson was born inSouthington, Connecticut, and raised on a farm. His father was a minister in theCongregational Church of the town for four decades. Robinson taught at schools inEast Haven andFarmington in 1810–11 to earn money for college. He attendedHamilton College inClinton, New York, where his maternal uncle, Seth Norton, was a professor.[2] He graduated in 1816.
In 1821, he went toAndover, Massachusetts, where he published his translation of books i–ix, xviii and xix of theIliad. There he aidedMoses Stuart in the preparation of the second edition (1823) of the latter'sHebrew Grammar. He translated into English (1825) Wahl'sClavis Philologica Novi Testamenti.
Robinson went to Europe to study ancient languages, largely inHalle andBerlin (1826–30). While in Halle, in 1828 he married German writerTherese Albertine Luise von Jakob. After the couple returned to the United States, Robinson was appointed professor extraordinary of sacred literature atAndover Theological Seminary (1830–1833).[3] Robinson founded theBiblical Repository (1831), which he edited for four years.[2] In 1836, Robinson published both a translation ofWilhelm Gesenius'Hebrew Lexicon and a Greek New Testament Lexicon.
He established theBibliotheca Sacra (1843), into which was merged theBiblical Repository. He spent three years inBoston working on a lexicon of scriptural Greek.[2] Illness caused him to move toNew York City. He was appointed as professor of biblical literature atUnion Theological Seminary, serving from 1837 until his death. At the Union Theological Seminary, he served as the first librarian of theBurke Library.[4]
Robinson traveled toPalestine in 1838 in the company ofEli Smith. He publishedBiblical Researches in Palestine in 1841, for which he was awarded the Gold Medal of theRoyal Geographical Society in 1842.[1] He was elected a Fellow of theAmerican Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1847.[5]
Together with Smith, Robinson made scores of identifications of ancient places referenced in the Bible.[1] His work established his enduring reputation as a "founder" ofbiblical archaeology, and he influenced much of future archaeological field work. Examples of his finds inJerusalem include theSiloam tunnel andRobinson's Arch in theOld City; the latter was named in his honor.
The two men returned to Ottoman Palestine in 1852 for further investigations. In 1856, the enlarged edition ofBiblical Researches was published simultaneously in English and German. Among those who later acknowledged Robinson’s stature, in 1941 G. Ernest Wright, reviewing the pioneering survey contained inNelson Glueck'sThe Other Side of the Jordan, makes a just comparison and fitting testimonial: "Glueck's explorations are second to none, unless it is those of Edward Robinson."[6]
