Sixtinus Amama (also Sextinus) (13 October 1593 – 9 November 1629) was a DutchReformed theologian and orientalist. Amama was among the first to advocate a thorough knowledge of the original languages of the Bible as indispensable to theologians.
Sixtinus Amama | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 13 October 1593 |
| Died | 9 November 1629 |
| Nationality | Dutch |
| Occupation | Reformed theologian orientalist |
| Spouse | Meine van Adelen van Cronenburg |
Life
editHe was born inFraneker, in the Dutch province ofFriesland. He studied oriental languages from 1610 at theUniversity of Franeker and then at theUniversity of Oxford, attracted there byJohn Prideaux.[1] In 1614 he took up also the study ofArabic at theUniversity of Leyden where he made theacquaintance ofThomas Erpenius.
In 1616 he became professor of literature and oriental languages at Franeker. Subsequently, however, he was suspected ofArianism, and underwent aninvestigation bySibrandus Lubbertus andJohannes Bogerman (1576-1637). Bogerman was a Calvinist theologian who was the Ecclesiastical President of theSynod of Dort (1618-1619). When Erpenius died in 1625, Amama was called to take his place, however the Estates of Friesland refused permission for him to leave, but did increase his remuneration.
He died in Franeker.
Works
edit- Dissertatio, qua ostenditur praecipuos Papismi errores ex ignorantia Hebraismis ortum sumsisse (Franeker 1618)
- Censura vulgatae versionis quinque librorum Mosis (1620)
- Bybelsche conferentie, in welke de Nederl. overzetting beproeft wordt (Amsterdam 1623)
- Biblia in ’t Nederduitsch (Amsterdam 1625)
- Antibarbarus biblicus (1628)
- Hebreouwsch Woordenboek (1628)
Family
editHe married Meine van Adelen van Cronenburg; the natural philosopher Nicolaus ab Amama (1628-1656) was their son.[2]
References
edit- Friedrich Wilhelm Bautz (1975). "Amama, Sixtinus". In Bautz, Friedrich Wilhelm (ed.).Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL) (in German). Vol. 1. Hamm: Bautz. col. 139.ISBN 3-88309-013-1. (registration required for full view)
- Joachim Joseph Vos (1875). "Amama, Sixtinus".Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (in German). Vol. 1. Leipzig: Duncker & Humblot. pp. 387–388.
- This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Gilman, D. C.; Peck, H. T.; Colby, F. M., eds. (1905)."Amama, Sixtinus" .New International Encyclopedia (1st ed.). New York: Dodd, Mead.
Notes
edit- ^Hegarty, A. J. "Prideaux, John".Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press.doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/22785.(Subscription orUK public library membership required.)
- ^Wiep van Bunge et al. (editors),The Dictionary of Seventeenth and Eighteenth-Century Dutch Philosophers (2003), Thoemmes Press (two volumes), article Amama, Nicolaus ab, p. 19–22.