Name

Hermann von der Hardt

Original name

Main activity

Professor

Secondary activity

Librarian

Title

Name variations

"

Education place

Leipzig, Jena

Education institution

University of Leipzig, University of Jena

Activity place

Helmstedt

Activity institution

University of Helmstedt

Activity start date

1688

Activity end date

1746

Place of birth

Melle

Date of birth

1660

Place of death

Helmstedt

Date of death

1746

Bibliographical references

Descriptive card

Hermann von der Hardt, the long-serving professor at the University of Helmstedt was known in his day for his exceptionally broad scholarship and especially for his knowledge of Greek, Hebrew and Syriac. In the second half of his life his scholarship became ever less traditional (i.e. he was inclined to negate the reality of biblical miracles) but also increasingly eccentric by both contemporary and modern standards. Most shocking for contemporaries was his growing insistence to understand Old Testament narratives as coded political messages. He also championed the view (scorned upon by contemporaries) that all oriental languages (including Hebrew) were derived from a Greek dialect -- this was von der Hardt's striking variation on the contemporary Scythian theory.

Entry author

Asaph Ben Tov