Vout. VIII. No. 12.
Price Tren Cenrs.
NEW HAVEN, CONN., THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1898.
BIBLICAL LITERATURE.
And Semitic Languages—The Condi-
tion of the Department at Yale.
As a formally organized branch of
the University the Department of
Semitic Languages and Biblical Lit-
erature is comparatively young. In
1886 the University chair of Semitic
Languages was founded. Professor
William Rainey Harper, Ph.D., Yale
1875, who came from the chair of He-
brew in Morgan Park Seminary, was
the first incumbent (1886-1891). In
1889 the Woolsey Professorship of Bib-
lical Literature was established, Pro-
fessor Harper also assuming the re-
sponsibilities of this chair (1889-1801).
Since 1889 the instruction along these
two lines of investigation has been
given by the same set of teachers. In
1897 an important forward step of or-
ganization was taken in the formal
recognition by the Philosophical Fac-
ulty of the incumbents of the Divinity
School professorships of Hebrew, New
Testament Greek and Biblical Theology
as members of this department for Uni-
versity instruction, thus affording at the
present time a staff of one full professor,
two instructors, and two assistants for
the department as a whole, and three
other full professors for special courses.
THE EARLY INSTRUCTORS.
No history of Semitic studies at Yale
would be complete that failed to
acknowledge the obligation of the de-
partment to Professor Edward E. Salis-
bury, LL.D., who was Professor of
Arabic from 1841 to 1856. Not only
was he a strong factor in those earlier
days in the progress of Semitic studies
in this country, but he collected and
gave to the University a special Semitic
library, particularly rich in Arabic
literature, known as the Salisbury col-
lection. Professor Salisbury continues
to show his interest in this work by
providing for the enlargement of this
library to keep pace with the rapid ad-
REV. GEORGE E. DAY, D.D.
HOLMES PROFESSOR OF HEBREW,
EMERITUS, -
vance of Semitic research. The value
of this working basis is inestimable.
The long and unselfish service ren-
dered to Yale and to the cause of Biblj-
cal scholarship by Rev. Professor
George E. Day, who held the Holmes
professorship of Hebrew for 25 years
(1866-1891), should receive honorable
mention. Professor Day continues his
interest in Semitic subjects, but no
longer offers instruction.
THE WORKING STAFF.
At the present time the department
is not at its full strength, the Univer-
sity chair of Semitic Languages being
vacant. In the records of the instruc-
tors who are at work, however, there
is the best possible proof of its activity
and effectiveness.
Professor Edward L. Curtis, Yale
*74, Union Theological Seminary ’79,
took his doctorate at Berlin after study-
REV. BDWARD *3..- CURTIS,- -PHD,,:-D.D.
HOLMES PROFESSOR OF HEBREW.
ing there from 1879 to 1881. For the
next ten years he held the chair of
Old Testament Literature and Exegesis
at the McCormick Theol. Seminary,
Chicago. Since 1891 he has been the
Holmes Professor of Hebrew at Yale.
Aside from constantly contributing to
the leading Biblical periodicals, he was
assigned the article on the Hexateuch
in Johnson’s Encyclopedia and a num-
ber in the new Dictionary of the Bible.
For the Haupt Polychrome Bible he
contributes Zephaniah and for the In-
ternational Critical Commentary he is
to prepare the book of Chronicles. In
graduate work he offers studies in the
text, interptetation and archaeology of
the Old Testament. .
Professor Frank C. Porter, Beloit ’80,
Yale Divinity School ’86, Ph.D. ’89, was
made Winkley Professor of Biblical
Theology in 1891. As a historical stu-
dent his specialty is the period before
and during the life of Christ. On the
literature of this obscure period he is
a recognized authority on both sides of
the Atlantic. He contributed to the
new Dictionary of the Bible an article
on the “Apocrypha” which has excited
widespread approval. To the Inter-
national Theological. Library he is to
contribute a volume on the Contem-
porary History of the New Testament.
For graduate students Professor Por-
ter offers special courses in Palestinian
and Hellenistic Jewish Literature and
a seminar on the sources and methods
of Gospel criticism.
Professor Benjamin W. Bacon, Yale
"81, Yale Divinity School ’84, became
in 1896 the Buckingham Professor of
New Testament Criticism and Interpre-
tation, having previously won an en-
viable and widespread reputation, while
a pastor at Lyme, Conn., and Oswego,
N. Y., for brilliant and accurate
scholarship. He too is a contributor
to the Bible Dictionary and to the
leading critical journals. At present
he is preparing a volume in the new
Handbook series on New ‘Testament
Introduction. For graduate students
he holds a seminar on the Teachings
of Jesus.
Professor Frank K. Sanders, Ripon,
"82, spent four years in India as a col-
lege instructor, came to Yale for ad-
vanced studies and took his doctorate in
1889. Appointed in 1888 as assistant
to Professor Harper he became in
course of time his successor as Woolsey
Professor of Biblical Literature with
charge of the combined department.
He is well known as a public lec-
turer, an instructor at Summer assem-
blies and as a promoter of popular
Bible study, and constantly contributes
to periodical literature. He is co-editor
of an important series entitled the Stu-
dent’s Historical Series, just about to
be announced by Scribner’s. He has
recently published a. volume entitled
“The Messages of the Earlier Pro-
phets,” the first of a contemplated series
and is at work upon two volumes of
Outlines for the Study of Biblical His-
tory and Literature. With graduate
students his work varies according to
the special need of classes. It always
includes a seminar on some problem of
Biblical history and literature.
YOUNGER INSTRUCTORS.
Of the other instructors for the current
year Dr. Harlan Creelman, Yale Di-
vinity School ’89 and Ph.D. ’94, gives
especial attention to courses in Hebrew
and Biblical Literature while Dr. H. W.
Dunning, Yale ’o4, Ph.D. ’o7,. offers
advanced courses in Arabic Syriac and
Ethiopic. Mr. William J. Moulton,
Amherst ’88, and Yale Divinity School,
93, took the Hooker fellowship and
spent three years at Gottingen. He has
returned to Yale and offers valuable
courses in the Critical Use of the Sep-
tuagint and on the Maccabean period.
REV. FRANK C. PORTER, PH.D., D.D.
WINKLEY PROFESSOR OF BIBLICAL
THEOLOGY.
Mr. Wolodarsky, a student at Nemerof
and Kief in Russia and for some years
at Yale, offers reading courses in Rab-
binic literature and instruction in
modern Hebrew.
The ‘departmental instructors and
students maintain a club which meets
at least monthly to discuss original
papers and reviews.
THE OUTLOOK.
That a still broader type of work
might be done goes without saying in
view of the vacant chair. That the
department has had a strong and suc-
cessful career during the thirteen years
of its existence is evinced by the dou-
ble fact that it has furnished occupants
of no less than sixteen important Bibli-
cal or Semitic chairs in this and other
countries and has trained as many more
who did not aim at professional work.’
The latter function of the department
is an increasingly important one.
There are many clergymen who desire
the breadth of outlook and the ripe
scholarship implied by the winning. of
the doctorate degree, but do not care
to abandon their chosen profession.
REV. BENJ. W. BACON, LITT.D., D.D.
BUCKINGHAM PROFESSOR OF NEW TESTA-
MENT CRITICISM AND INTER-
PRETATION.
To train such men as these and send
them forth is an enterprise as much in
line with Yale’s historic mission as to
swell the ranks of those who wish to
give instruction. ree
6
%
YALE WINS IN DEBATE
(revetment +
Fifth Annual Contest at New Haven—
Sketch of the Men.
The fifth annual debate between Yale
and Princeton, held at the College
Street Hall in New Haven on Tuesday
night, Dec. 6, was won by Yale, sup-
porting the negative of the question: Re-
FRANK K. SANDERS, PHsD: 5 5
WOOLSEY PROFESSOR OF BIBLICAL.
to
LITERATURE. ~~
annex Cuba. .
-
us ©
fe . — mes
a Ng ye ages
~ dude te ee
ec Fj a
solved: That the United States should —
Coming so.close to the
WEEKLY’s hour of going to press, it 1s
*
