A. Leo Oppenheim
Encyclopedia
A Leo Oppenheim (7 June, 1904 - 21 July, 1974), one of the most distinguished Assyriologists of his generation was editor-in-charge of the Chicago Assyrian Dictionary
of the Oriental Institute 1955-1974 and John A. Wilson
Professor of Oriental Studies at the University of Chicago
.
Oppenheim was born in Vienna
, where he received his Ph.D at the University of Vienna
in 1933. His parents died in the Nazi Holocaust, and his wife Elizabeth barely escaped but he and she emigrated to the United States, where, after a couple of lean years he became a research associate at the University of Chicago
, 1947, and a faculty member in 1950. He became an associate editor of the University's Chicago Assyrian Dictionary in 1952. The Dictionary had been planned since 1921, and would eventually stretch to more than 20 published volumes. Assisted by Erica Reiner
, Oppenheim remained editor-in-charge until his sudden death, still at the height of his intellectual powers.
E. A. Speiser once said that Oppenheim had read more cuneiform
than any other living person; his deep knowledge of Akkadian
informed his discerning view of Mesopotamian daily life and culture.
A. Leo Oppenheim's most famous work is Ancient Mesopotamia: Portrait of a Dead Civilization.His attempt to reform the field, embodied in Assyriology— Why and How?, was taken personally by some other Assyriologists. Its tone of pessimism at the impossible prospect of reviving a living understanding of Mesopotamian culture belied his personal optimism and sociability.
Chicago Assyrian Dictionary
The Chicago Assyrian Dictionary or The Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago is a nine-decade project at the University of Chicago's Oriental Institute to compile a dictionary of the Akkadian language and its dialects, focusing on the New-Assyrian forms...
of the Oriental Institute 1955-1974 and John A. Wilson
John A. Wilson
John A. Wilson was an American politician.Wilson served in 1974 as the chairman of the drive to approve the referendum to adopt the Home Rule Charter for the District of Columbia...
Professor of Oriental Studies at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
.
Oppenheim was born in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, where he received his Ph.D at the University of Vienna
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
in 1933. His parents died in the Nazi Holocaust, and his wife Elizabeth barely escaped but he and she emigrated to the United States, where, after a couple of lean years he became a research associate at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
, 1947, and a faculty member in 1950. He became an associate editor of the University's Chicago Assyrian Dictionary in 1952. The Dictionary had been planned since 1921, and would eventually stretch to more than 20 published volumes. Assisted by Erica Reiner
Erica Reiner
Erica Reiner was an American Assyriologist and author. From 1974, she was Editor of the Chicago Assyrian Dictionary, which was published in 21 volumes over 55 years, being completed in 2011 after her death. Reiner was associated with the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago...
, Oppenheim remained editor-in-charge until his sudden death, still at the height of his intellectual powers.
E. A. Speiser once said that Oppenheim had read more cuneiform
Cuneiform
Cuneiform can refer to:*Cuneiform script, an ancient writing system originating in Mesopotamia in the 4th millennium BC*Cuneiform , three bones in the human foot*Cuneiform Records, a music record label...
than any other living person; his deep knowledge of Akkadian
Akkadian language
Akkadian is an extinct Semitic language that was spoken in ancient Mesopotamia. The earliest attested Semitic language, it used the cuneiform writing system derived ultimately from ancient Sumerian, an unrelated language isolate...
informed his discerning view of Mesopotamian daily life and culture.
A. Leo Oppenheim's most famous work is Ancient Mesopotamia: Portrait of a Dead Civilization.His attempt to reform the field, embodied in Assyriology— Why and How?, was taken personally by some other Assyriologists. Its tone of pessimism at the impossible prospect of reviving a living understanding of Mesopotamian culture belied his personal optimism and sociability.