Johannes Buxtorf

Johann Buxtorf, called the Elder ( * December 15, 1564 in Kamen, Westphalia, † September 13, 1629 in Basel ) was Reformed theologian and founder of the Hebrew and Aramaic linguistics in Germany.

Life

Buxtorf was born the son of a clergyman of the same name, studied from 1585 at the High School Herborn and moved in 1588 to the University of Basel. There he took over in 1591 the chair of Hebrew, which he innhehatte until his death. 1614/15 he served as rector of the university. He died at the age of 64 years of the plague.

Buxtorf authored numerous books, including a Hebrew grammar ( 1605), and several dictionaries. His most important work is the Lexicon chaldaicum talmudicum et rabbinicum, which was completed by his son Johann Buxtorf the Younger and in 1640 appeared in Basel. His Jewish School (1603 ) described Jewish life and Jewish customs and had great importance for a more objective perception of Judaism in Early Modern Europe. Much was also used the Bibliotheca Rabbinica ( 1613 ), the earliest bibliography of Hebrew books. With Louis Cappel, who represented a late dating of the Hebrew vowel signs, he led a fight, which his son continued.

Buxtorfs efforts were the pressure of a Hebrew Bible with a collection of the most important Jewish Bible commentaries. To this end he procured two Jews permission to settle in Basel. He talked with Jewish scholars in Germany, Holland and Konstantin Opel a lively correspondence. His attitude to Judaism meant after a long time the greatest suppression of the shift towards greater tolerance. Buxtorf left a large number of letters, which are now highly revealing for the spiritual life of that time.