Frederic G. Kenyon
Encyclopedia
Sir Frederic George Kenyon GBE
KCB
TD
FBA
FSA
(15 January 1863 – 23 August 1952) was a British paleographer and biblical
and classical
scholar. He occupied from 1889 to 1931 a series of posts at the British Museum
. He was also the president of the British Academy
from 1917 to 1921, and from 1918 to 1952 he was Gentleman Usher of the Purple Rod
.
Kenyon was born in London
, the son of John Robert Kenyon
, Vinerian Professor of English Law
at Oxford
. After graduating B.A. at the University of Oxford
(Magdalen College, Oxford
) (where he was later a fellow), he joined the British Museum
in 1889 and rose to be its Director and Principal Librarian by 1909. He was knighted for his services in 1912 and remained at his post until 1931.
In 1891, Kenyon edited the editio princeps
of Aristotle's Constitution of Athens. In 1920, he was appointed president of the British School of Archaeology in Jerusalem
. He spent most of his retirement researching and publishing ancient papyri. He died on 23 August 1952.
Kenyon was a noted scholar of ancient languages, and made a life-long study of the Bible
, especially the New Testament
as an historical text. His book Our Bible and the Ancient Manuscripts (1895) shows one way that Egyptian papyri and other evidence from archeology can corroborate the narrative of historical events in the Gospels. He was convinced of the historical reality of the events described in the New Testament—and is often quoted by those who share this view (e.g. The Alpha Course)—most commonly with these words:
“the last foundation for any doubt that the Scriptures have come down to us substantially as they were written has now been removed.”
Kenyon's eldest daughter was the British archeologist Dame Kathleen Kenyon
.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
KCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
TD
Territorial Decoration
The Territorial Decoration was a medal of the United Kingdom awarded for long service in the Territorial Force and its successor, the Territorial Army...
FBA
British Academy
The British Academy is the United Kingdom's national body for the humanities and the social sciences. Its purpose is to inspire, recognise and support excellence in the humanities and social sciences, throughout the UK and internationally, and to champion their role and value.It receives an annual...
FSA
Society of Antiquaries of London
The Society of Antiquaries of London is a learned society "charged by its Royal Charter of 1751 with 'the encouragement, advancement and furtherance of the study and knowledge of the antiquities and history of this and other countries'." It is based at Burlington House, Piccadilly, London , and is...
(15 January 1863 – 23 August 1952) was a British paleographer and biblical
Biblical criticism
Biblical criticism is the scholarly "study and investigation of Biblical writings that seeks to make discerning judgments about these writings." It asks when and where a particular text originated; how, why, by whom, for whom, and in what circumstances it was produced; what influences were at work...
and classical
Classics
Classics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...
scholar. He occupied from 1889 to 1931 a series of posts at the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
. He was also the president of the British Academy
British Academy
The British Academy is the United Kingdom's national body for the humanities and the social sciences. Its purpose is to inspire, recognise and support excellence in the humanities and social sciences, throughout the UK and internationally, and to champion their role and value.It receives an annual...
from 1917 to 1921, and from 1918 to 1952 he was Gentleman Usher of the Purple Rod
Gentleman Usher of the Purple Rod
The Gentleman Usher of the Purple Rod is the Usher to the Order of the British Empire, established in 1917 and effective since 1918.-Office Holders from 1918:*1918 – 23 August 1952: Sir Frederic Kenyon*30 September 1952 – 2 December 1960: Sir Ernest Gowers...
.
Kenyon was born in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, the son of John Robert Kenyon
John Robert Kenyon
John Robert Kenyon was a British lawyer and academic.He was born the third son of Hon. Thomas Kenyon of Pradoe in Shropshire, gentleman. He attended Charterhouse School and then matriculated at Christ Church, Oxford, on 24 January 1825, aged 18...
, Vinerian Professor of English Law
Vinerian Professor of English Law
The Vinerian Professorship of English Law, formerly Vinerian Professorship of Common Law, was established by Charles Viner who by his will, dated 29 December 1755, left about £12,000 to the Chancellor, Masters and Scholars of the University of Oxford, to establish a Professorship of the Common Law...
at Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
. After graduating B.A. at the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
(Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...
) (where he was later a fellow), he joined the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
in 1889 and rose to be its Director and Principal Librarian by 1909. He was knighted for his services in 1912 and remained at his post until 1931.
In 1891, Kenyon edited the editio princeps
Editio princeps
In classical scholarship, editio princeps is a term of art. It means, roughly, the first printed edition of a work that previously had existed only in manuscripts, which could be circulated only after being copied by hand....
of Aristotle's Constitution of Athens. In 1920, he was appointed president of the British School of Archaeology in Jerusalem
British School of Archaeology in Jerusalem
The British School of Archaeology in Jerusalem was established in 1919. The London-based Palestine Exploration Fund was instrumental in its foundation. The first Director was British archaeologist John Garstang, and among its earliest students was architect-archaeologist George Horsfield, later...
. He spent most of his retirement researching and publishing ancient papyri. He died on 23 August 1952.
Kenyon was a noted scholar of ancient languages, and made a life-long study of the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
, especially the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
as an historical text. His book Our Bible and the Ancient Manuscripts (1895) shows one way that Egyptian papyri and other evidence from archeology can corroborate the narrative of historical events in the Gospels. He was convinced of the historical reality of the events described in the New Testament—and is often quoted by those who share this view (e.g. The Alpha Course)—most commonly with these words:
“the last foundation for any doubt that the Scriptures have come down to us substantially as they were written has now been removed.”
Kenyon's eldest daughter was the British archeologist Dame Kathleen Kenyon
Kathleen Kenyon
Dame Kathleen Mary Kenyon , was a leading archaeologist of Neolithic culture in the Fertile Crescent. She is best known for her excavations in Jericho in 1952-1958.-Early life:...
.
Works
- 1891: Aristotelous Ἀθηναιων Πολιτεια. Aristotle on the Constitution of Athens; edited by F. G. Kenyon. London: Printed by order of the Trustees of the British Museum
- 1891: Classical Texts from Papyri in the British Museum: Including the Newly Discovered Poems of Herodas, with Autotype Facsimiles of MSS; edited by F. G. Kenyon. London: British Museum.
- 1895: Our Bible and the Ancient Manuscripts, Eyre and Spottiswoode, London, 1896
- 1897: The Letters of Elizabeth Barrett Browning; edited with biographical additions by Frederic G. Kenyon. 2 vol. London: John Murray. Gutenberg fulltext
- 1899: The Palaeography of Greek papyri: With Twenty Facsimiles and a Table of Alphabets
- 1900: Facsimiles of Biblical Manuscripts in the British Museum Printed by Order of the Trustees. London.
- 1901: Handbook to the textual criticism of the New Testament (1st ed.)
- 1912: Handbook to the textual criticism of the New Testament (2nd ed.)
- 1914: Aristotle, The Athenian Constitution; translated by Frederic G. Kenyon. London: G. Bell Gutenberg fulltext Wikisource fulltext
- 1915:
- 1932: Books and Readers in Ancient Greece and Rome Oxford: Clarendon Press. (2nd ed. 1951)
- 1933: Recent Developments in the Textual Criticism of the Greek Bible (Schweich Lectures for 1932) London: Oxford University Press
- 1933-41: The Chester Beatty Biblical Papyri: Descriptions and Texts of Twelve Manuscripts on Papyrus of the Greek Bible. London: Emery Walker. (See Chester Beatty PapyriChester Beatty PapyriThe Chester Beatty Biblical Papyri or simply the Chester Beatty Papyri are a group of early papyrus manuscripts of biblical texts. The manuscripts are in Greek and are of Christian origin. There are eleven manuscripts in the group, seven consisting of portions of Old Testament books, three...
) - 1936: The Story of the Bible: A Popular Account of How It Came to Us London: J. Murray
- 1940: The Bible and Archaeology. London: G. Harrap / New York: Harper & Row
- 1948: The Bible and Modern Scholarship (Ethel M. Wood Lecture) London: J. Murray.
External links