EWALD, GEORG HEINRICH AUGUST vox, one of the greatest orientalists of the 19th c., was b. 10th Nov., 1803, at Gottingen, and exhibited a predilection for oriental literature even in his school-days. He studied at the university of his native place, and while still a student, wrote a work on the composition of Genesis (Die Composition der Genesis, Braunschw. 1823). In 1823, he became a teacher at the Wolfenblittel gymna sium; in 1827, extraordinary, and in 1831, ordinary professor of philosophy at Gottin gen; and in 1835, was appointed nominal professor of the oriental languages. Travels in search of oriental MSS. led him, in 1826, 1829, and 1836, to Berlin, Pans, and Italy. After the death of Eichhorn, the critical exegesis of the Old Testament was included in his duties as professor of the oriental tongues. The first, and perhaps the most impor tant fruit of his new labors, was his Critical Grammar of the Hebrew Language (Kri Oche Grammatik der Hebr. Spreche, Leip. 1827), an abridgment of which was pub lished at Leipsic in 1835, under the title of Grammar of the Hebrew Language (Gram matik der Hebr. Sprache; 5th edit., 1844); and a still simpler epitome in 1842, entitled Hebrew Grammar for Beginners (Hebr. Sprachlehre fur Anfanger). Before this, how ever, E. had acquired a high reputation by his work on Canticles (Hobe Lied Salomo's, GOtt., 1826); his Commentary on the Apocalypse (Commentarius in Apocalypsin, Leip. 1828); his Poetical Books of the Old Testament, in 4 vols. (Die Poetischen Bucher des Allen Bundes, Gott. 1835-37); and his Prophets of the Old Testament, in 2 vols. (Die _Th.opheten des Allen Bundes, 2 Bde., Stutt., 1840). Between the years 1843-50, E. pub lished an important work, in 4 vols., on the History of the People of Israel until the Time of Christ (Geschichte des Volkes Israel Lis auf Ch•istus; Eng. trans. 1809-74), and a subsidiary volume ou the Antiquities of the People of Israel (Die Alterthancr des Volkes Israel). The Geschichte des Volkes Israel, together with its two continuations, The History of Christ and his Time (Geschichte Gkristus und seiner Zeit, 1857), and the History of the Apostolic Age, etc. (Geschichtc des .Apostolischen Zeitaltersbiszur Zerstorung Jerusalems, 1858), is regarded as E.'s greatest work. But Jewish history and literature did not limit the sphere of E.'s wonderful activity. His lectures at Gottingen embraced the literature of the Arabic, Persian, Aramaic, and Sanscrit tongues, and gave birth to such works as that on the Meters of the Arabian Songs (De Metres Co rniznum Arabic arum, Leip. 1825); on Some of the Older Sanscrit Meters (Ueber cinige dltere Sanscrit Metre, Gott. 1827), an epitome of the Arabic author Wakidi's work on Mesopotamia We Mesopotamia expugnata HIstoria. Gott. 1827), and a Grammar of Arabic, entitled Grammatica Critica Lingua Arabica cum breri Met•orum Doctrine, 2 Bde. (Leip. 1831-33). In 1832, E. published at Gottingen several very important Dissertations on Oriental and Biblical Literature (Abhandlungen zur orient. und biblisehen Literatur), and planned the
well-known periodical, Journal for the Knowledge of the East (Zeitschrift fiir die Runde des Morgenlands). E., however, was not only a scholar and philologist, but a man of strong political convictions. Having, along with six of his colleagues (the others were the brothers Grimm, Dalilmann, and Albrecht), protested against the abolition of constitutional law and liberty in Hanover by the new sovereign, Ernest Augustus (previously duke of Cumberland), he was dismissed from his situation, 12th Dec., 1837, and went to England to investigate its public libraries, whence he was called to Tubingen, in 1838, as professor of theology. Here lie remained for ten years, during which he was involved in many strifes. In 1841, he was ennobled by the king of Wilr temberg. In 1848, E. returned to Gottingen, where he established a Year-book of Bib lical Science (Jahrbuch der biblischen Wissenschaft), in which, as well as as in his work on the Synoptic Gospels (Die drei ersten Ecangelien, Gott. 1850), and works on the Epistles of Paul (Die Sendschreiben des Apostels Paulus itbersetzt und er•liirt, Gott. 1857), be strove to give a firmer basis to New Testament criticism and exegesis. E. also paid great attention to Ethiopic literature, a result of which is his valuable Dissertation on the Book of Enoch (Ueber des 2Ethiopischen Buches Henoch Entstehung, etc., Gott. 1856). Later works were Deis Sendschreiben an. (11W Hebraer und Jaeohos' Bundschreiben, (1871); and Sieben Sendsehreiben des .Neuen Bundes (1871). The distinguishing peculiarity of E., as a theologian and critic, was his love for the concrete forms in which divine truths are revealed in history, and his dislike of the abstractions into which they arc refined away by overspeculative theologians. He regarded it as the especial glory of the Jewish people, that they never lost sight of the of the Persians and Hindus, for example, did, with whom the realities of religion vanished into the most intangible dreams—but kept it ever before them until, in the fullness of times, there was born in their midst Jesus of Nazareth, the Perfect and Only One, in whom humanity reached its spiritual consummation. E. refused to class himself or to be classed with any theo logical party in Germany. He was equally opposed to the extreme left represented in Tubingen, and to the extreme right represented in the modern Lutheran movement headed by Hengstenberg. When Hanover was, in 1866, incorporated with Prussia, E. declined to take the new oath of allegiance, and was accordingly required to retire from the functions of the professoriate. He returned to political life; and as the three times elected representative of the town of Hanover in the reichstag, persistently opposed the new political conditions. He died in May, 1875.