BENGEL, b6ng'cl. JOHANN ALBRECHT ( 1 6.97 1752). A German theologian and commentator He was horn at Winnenden, in \hrttcmborg, June 24, 1687. After completing his theological curriculum in 1707, at Tiibingen, be became cu rate of Metzingen : a year after he was appointed tutor in theology at Tiibingen. Later in life lie held several high offices, among others that of consistorial councilor and prelate of Alpirs bach, in Wfirttemburg, where he died November 2, 1752. He was the first Protestant author who treated the exegesis of the New Testament in a thoroughly critical and judicious style. He did good service also in the rectification of the text of the Bible, and in paving the way for classifying the sacred manuscripts into fami lies. The short notes in his Gnomon Novi Testa nzenti (Tiibingen, 1742) have been generally re garded as valuable, and translated into various languages (Eng. edition, Philadelphia, 1862). They were especially made use of by
as little more than au abridged translation from Bengel. Erklarte Offenbarung Johannis (Stutt gart, 1740), and a chronological work, the Ordo Tcmporum a Prineipio per Periodos (Eco nomia' Dirina; Historicus (ague Prophcticus (Tiibingen, 1741), gained for Beugel, in his time, a great reputation; some regarding him as an inspired prophet, but the majority as a. visionary. In these works he calculated, on the basis he supposed to be laid clown in the Apocalypse, that the world would endure for the space of 7777 7-9 years, and that the "breaking loose and the binding of Satan" would take place in the summer of 1836. For his biography, con sult: H. P. Burk (Stuttgart, 1831; Eng. trans., London, 1837) ; Oscar von Wachter, Bcngcl, Le bensabriss (Stuttgart, 1865).