RENAN. JOSEPH ERNEST (re nano), a French writer; born in Tre France, Feb. 27, 1823. He studied at the seminary of St. Sulpice, Paris, but in 1845 gave up all intention of be coming a priest and devoted himself to historical and linguistic studies, espe cially the study of Oriental languages. In 1848 he obtained the Volney prize for an essay on the Semitic languages. In 1849 he was sent by the Academy of Inscriptions and Belles Lettres on a mis sion to Italy, and in 1860 on a mission to Syria. In 1862 he was appointed Pro fessor of Hebrew, Chaldee, and Syriac in the College de France, but the skep tical views manifested in his "Life of Jesus" (1863), raised an outcry against him, and he was removed from his chair, to be restored again, however, in 1871. This work, the publication of which caused intense excitement throughout Europe, was the first part of a compre hensive work on the "History of the Ori gins of Christianity," which includes "The Apostles" (1866) ; "St. Paul"
(1867) ; "The Antichrist" (1873) ; "The Gospels" (1877) ; "The Christian Church" (1879), and "Marcus Aurelius" (1880), all written from the standpoint of one who disbelieves in the supernatural claims of Christianity. Renan's latest important work is the "History of the People of Israel till the Time of King David." Other works are "General His tory and Comparative System of Semitic Languages," "Studies in Religious His tory," "Discourses and Lectures," several philosophical dramas, and his personal reminiscences called "Recollections of Childhood and Youth." He became a member of the French Academy in 1878. He died Oct. 2, 1892.