Daniel Chwolson

Daniel Awraamowitsch Chwolson (Russian Даниил Авраамович Хвольсон; * 21 Novemberjul / December 3 1819greg in Vilnius, .. .. † 23 Märzjul / April 5 1911greg in Saint Petersburg ) was a Russian orientalist and archaeologist.

Chwolson came from a Jewish family and was taught early in the Talmudic sciences. He studied from 1840 in Wroclaw Oriental Languages ​​, 1847, he went to study oriental manuscripts to Vienna. In 1850 he received his doctorate with his work on the Sabians in Leipzig with Heinrich Leberecht Fleischer. In the same year he went to St. Petersburg where he continued his studies. There he joined in 1855 converted to Christianity and became a professor of Oriental languages ​​at the University of St. Petersburg. Followed in 1858 a professor at the Russian Academy spiritual.

Chwolson decisively opposed the alleged ritual murder accusations against Jews.

In the 1890s Chwolson discovered during excavations in Kyrgyzstan over 600 Syrian grave inscriptions from the 14th century and the first time was able to provide proof that the Assyrian Church of the East was much more widespread to the north than had been previously assumed.

Major works

• The Ssabier and Ssabismus. 2 vols Petersburg ( 1856)
• Over the remains of the old Babylonian literature in Arabic translations. Petersburg ( 1859)
• About Tammuz and the Menschenverherung among the ancient Babylonians. Petersburg ( 1860)
• About some medieval accusations against the Jews. Russian, Petersburg ( 1861)
• News about Khazars, Burtassen, Bulgarians etc Ibn Dafta. Russian, Petersburg ( 1867)
• The Semitic peoples. Berlin ( 1872)
• The Last Supper and the death of Christ. Russian, Petersburg ( 1875-78 )
• Syrian Nestorian grave inscriptions from Semiretschie. Petersburg ( 1890)
• The last Passover supper of Christ and the day of his death. German, Petersburg ( 1892)
• Syrian Nestorian grave inscriptions from Semiretschie, new episode. Petersburg ( 1897)