Bible Encyclopedias
Hoffmann, Andreas Gottlieb

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

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Hoffmann (or Hofmann), Melchior

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Hoffmann, August Heinrich

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a very distinguished theologian and Orientalist, born April 13, 1796, at Welbsleben, near Magdeburg, was educated at the University of Halle where the influence of Gesenius led him to a thorough study of the Shemitic languages, especially the Syriac. After graduation he lectured at his alma mater for a short time on the Arabic language and in 1822 was called as extraordinary professor to Jena. Here he was advanced to the regular professorship in 1826, with the degree of S.T.D. and membership in the theological faculty. At the time of his death, March 16, 1864, he was senior of the theological faculty and of the senate of the university. As a professor at Jena he devoted himself mainly to the philological department of theology. His most popular lectures were on Hebrew Antiquities; but, like Gesenius, he lectured also on Church History, Isagogics, both of the Old and New Testament, Exegesis of the Old Testament, and on all the Shemitic and Eastern languages generally studied at a German university. In philology, his Grammatica Syriaca (Hal. 1827; translated into English by Day and Cowper) is by some of the best authorities considered superior to any other yet published, that of Ullmann included. Among his other works are Entwurfd. hebr. Alterthü mer (Weim. 1832), which is based on the work of Warnekros (Weim. 1782 and 1794): — Commentarius phil. crit. in Mosis benedictionem (in pamphlet form, Halle; later, Jena, 1822, etc.): — Apokalyptiker d. alt. Zeit unter Juden und Christen (Jena, 1833- 38, vol. 1, part 1 and 2, containing the book of Enoch). Hoffmann was also editor of the second section of the great Encyclopaedia of Ersch und Gruber. In addition to these literary labors; he contributed largely to the German theological and philological periodicals. — Herzog, Real- Encyklop. 19, 651; Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Gé neralé, 24, 899; Brockhaus, Conversat. — Lex. 5, 20. (J. H.W.)