Andreas Masius

Andreas Masius ( born November 30, 1514 Lennik in Brussels, † April 7, 1573 in Zevenaar, also: Andreas Maes ) was a Catholic cleric, humanist and one of the first European Syrologen.

After his studies and short teaching in Leuven Masius acted as secretary to the Bishop of Constance John of Weeze ( † November 13, 1548 ), and later, among others, on behalf of the abbot Gerwig Blarer ( 1495-1567 ) of the vineyard, as diplomatic representative in Rome. At the behest of Duke Wilhelm V of Jülich- Kleve -Berg in 1555 he asked the Pope for permission to found a university in Duisburg. After leaving the clergy and his marriage in 1559 he settled in Zevenaar and published in the last years several works.

Masius studied in Louvain Hebrew, Arabic in Rome at Guillaume Postel and 1553 Syrian Moses of Mardin, a priest of the Patriarchate of Antioch of the Syrians. In the same year he translated for Sulaqa, the chosen (counter) Patriarch of the East Syrian " Church of the East ", which necessary for its consecration in Rome documents from Syriac. In 1554 he produced, probably in Germany, for Julius von Pflug († September 3, 1564 ), the last Catholic bishop of Naumburg - Zeitz, a ( lawless ) Latin translation of the Syrian St. Basil's anaphora. Both appeared in print as an accompaniment to Masius ' transfer of Taktates De Paradiso of Moses bar Kepha.

1571 published Masius, also at Plantin in Antwerp, his Grammatica linguae syricae and dictionary Syrorum Peculium. Hoc est, apud Syros Vocabula Scriptores passim vsurpata.