GESE'NIUS, FRIEDRICH-HEINRICH-WILHELM, one of the most distinguished Orientalists of modern times, was born at Nord I hauscn, on the 3rd of February 1780. He was educated in the gymnasium of his native place, and afterwards in the universities of Helmstedt and Gottingen. After the completion of his studies ho was for a short timo employed as teacher at the Paedagogium of Helmstedt: in 1806 he received the post of ropetitor in the theological faculty of the University of GOttingen. In 1809 Gesenius, ou the recommendation of the celebrated historian Johannes von Muller, WAS appointed pro fessor of ancient literature in the gymnasium of Ileiligenetadt. This office however was of short duration, for iu tho year following he ateeptcd the appointment of professor extraordinary of theology in the University of Halle, where in 1S11 he was raised to the rank of orelleary professor. During the war of the Liberation the university was cloned, and when it was opened again in 1814 Genuine resumed his former office, and was created Doctor of Divinity. During the summer of 1S20 he made a journey to Paris and Oxford, where he collected materials for his great lexicographical works on the Semitic languages. lie died on the 23rd of October 1842. Geaeuiva was unquestionably the greatest scholar of modern times in his particular department of Oriental Met-dune and the light he has thrown on the Semitic' languages, and especially on the Hebrew, has made a new era in this branch of philology. As a theologian he belonged at first to the Retionelistio party, but after the appearance of Strauss's ' Life of Jesus' he joined the philosophical and critical school, iu consequence of which ho was very often severely attacked by the orthodox party.
Ilia works on the Hebrew language enjoy a universal reputation, and some of them are translated into most European languages. The most important among them era :—I. Lexicon Manuals Hebraic= et Chaldaic= in Veteris Teatamenti Libros,' 2 vols. 8vo, Leipzig,1833. This work was originally written in German, and went through two editions; the third was made in Latin, and a fourth iu German appeared in 1834. 2. ' Hebriiieches Elewentarbuch,' 2 vols. 8vo. The first
volume of this work is a Hebrew Grammar, of which the twelfth edition appeared at Leipzic iu 1839 ; the second is is Hebrew Delectus, and the seventh or last edition was edited after the author's death by De Wotte, Leipzig, 1844. 3. Kritische Geschichte der liebriiischen Sprache and Schrift, Leipzig,1815,8vo, is intended as an introduction to the study of Hebrew; a second edition appeared in 1827. 4. De Pentateuchi Samaritaui Origine, ludole et Auctoritate,' Halle, 1815. 5. 'Ausflihrliehes grammatischkritisches Lehrgobaiide der Hebriiischen Sprache, mit durchgangiger Vergleichung der verwandten Dialecte,' Leipzig, 1817, 8vo. 6. A German translation of the Prophet Isaiah, with a philological, critical, and historical commentary,' Leipzig, 1820 21, 3 vols. Svo: of the first volume a second edition appeared in 1S29. '. 'Seriph= Pheeniciee Monumenta quutquot superaunt edita et inedita ad Autographorum optimerumque Exemplorum Fidem edidit, Corninentariis illustravit,' &c., parts i. to iii., with plates, Leipzig, 1837, 4to. 8. Vet-such iiber die lilaltesisehe Sprache, zur Beurtheilung der nenlich wiederholten Behauptuog, class sir" ern Ueberrest des nit Punisehen eel,' Leipzig, 1810, 8vo. 9. Thesaurus philologicus criticua Linguae diebraiew et Chaldnicac Veteris Te.stamenti,' voL i. consisting of two parts, and the second of one, Leipzig, 1829-42, 4to. A few copies of this work, which is in reality an enlargement of the one mentioned above under No. 1, were printed in folio. Gesenius also contributed a great number of articles ea Hebrew and other Oriental subjects to Brach and Gruber's great Eucyclopmdia: Biblical geography is especially indebted to him for the notes which he added to the German translation of Eurckhardt's Travels in Syria and Palestine,' Weimar, 1823, 2 vole. Svo.
(Heuer Nekrolog der Deutschen for 1842; Gesenius, Eine Erinnerung far seine Freunde, Berlin, 1842, Svo.)