Johann Heinrich Callenberg
Encyclopedia
Johann Heinrich Callenberg (January 12, 1694, Molschleben
— July 11, 1760, Halle
) was a German Orientalist
, Lutheran
professor of theology
and philology
, and promoter of conversion
attempts among Jews and Muslim
s.
He was born of peasant parents in 1694. Beginning in 1715 he studied philology and theology at the University of Halle
. Sometime before 1720 Salomon Negri, professor of Syriac
and Arabic
at Rome
, stayed in Halle for six months. Callenberg studied Arabic under him. Besides Arabic, Callenberg also studied Persian and Turkish. In 1727 Callenberg was appointed extraordinary professor of theology at the University of Halle, and in 1735 professor of philology.
From his youth he cherished the idea of working for the conversion of the Muslims in the Middle East
, Russia
and Tartary
, but later he devoted himself to missionary
work among the Jews. He established, in 1728, the Institutum Judaicum
, the first German Protestant mission to the Jews, to which he attached a printing-office. In this office he printed the Gospel
and other Christian
books in the Judæo-German
dialect, and distributed them among the Jews, thru Frommann.
Actually was the jewish physician Dr.med. Heinrich Christian Immanuel Frommann who printed the first books and translated the Gospel of Lukas with commentary, which was revised and reprinted by Raphael Biesenthal in the XIX century. A pity Frommann records named him only typper, since Callenberg was not proficient in Hebrew at all. His first interest was the Islam and by travelling got in touch with Jews. Anyhow he was a great support to Dr. Frommann. He also sent missionaries to other Europe
an countries, and was a patron of converted Jews. His plans for the conversion of Muslims were resumed somewhat later, but in these he utterly failed. The Institutum Judaicum existed until 1791.
Among the works he published are the following:
Molschleben
Molschleben is a municipality in the district of Gotha, in Thuringia, Germany....
— July 11, 1760, Halle
Halle, Saxony-Anhalt
Halle is the largest city in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. It is also called Halle an der Saale in order to distinguish it from the town of Halle in North Rhine-Westphalia...
) was a German Orientalist
Oriental studies
Oriental studies is the academic field of study that embraces Near Eastern and Far Eastern societies and cultures, languages, peoples, history and archaeology; in recent years the subject has often been turned into the newer terms of Asian studies and Middle Eastern studies...
, Lutheran
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
professor of theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
and philology
Philology
Philology is the study of language in written historical sources; it is a combination of literary studies, history and linguistics.Classical philology is the philology of Greek and Classical Latin...
, and promoter of conversion
Religious conversion
Religious conversion is the adoption of a new religion that differs from the convert's previous religion. Changing from one denomination to another within the same religion is usually described as reaffiliation rather than conversion.People convert to a different religion for various reasons,...
attempts among Jews and Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s.
He was born of peasant parents in 1694. Beginning in 1715 he studied philology and theology at the University of Halle
University of Halle-Wittenberg
The Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg , also referred to as MLU, is a public, research-oriented university in the cities of Halle and Wittenberg within Saxony-Anhalt, Germany...
. Sometime before 1720 Salomon Negri, professor of Syriac
Syriac language
Syriac is a dialect of Middle Aramaic that was once spoken across much of the Fertile Crescent. Having first appeared as a script in the 1st century AD after being spoken as an unwritten language for five centuries, Classical Syriac became a major literary language throughout the Middle East from...
and Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
at Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, stayed in Halle for six months. Callenberg studied Arabic under him. Besides Arabic, Callenberg also studied Persian and Turkish. In 1727 Callenberg was appointed extraordinary professor of theology at the University of Halle, and in 1735 professor of philology.
From his youth he cherished the idea of working for the conversion of the Muslims in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and Tartary
Tartary
Tartary or Great Tartary was a name used by Europeans from the Middle Ages until the twentieth century to designate the Great Steppe, that is the great tract of northern and central Asia stretching from the Caspian Sea and the Ural Mountains to the Pacific Ocean inhabited mostly by Turkic, Mongol...
, but later he devoted himself to missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
work among the Jews. He established, in 1728, the Institutum Judaicum
Institutum Judaicum
The Institutum Judaicum was a special academic course for Protestant theologians who desired to prepare themselves for missionary work among the Jews.The first of its kind was founded at the University of Halle, by Professor Callenberg in 1724...
, the first German Protestant mission to the Jews, to which he attached a printing-office. In this office he printed the Gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
and other Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
books in the Judæo-German
Yiddish language
Yiddish is a High German language of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, spoken throughout the world. It developed as a fusion of German dialects with Hebrew, Aramaic, Slavic languages and traces of Romance languages...
dialect, and distributed them among the Jews, thru Frommann.
Actually was the jewish physician Dr.med. Heinrich Christian Immanuel Frommann who printed the first books and translated the Gospel of Lukas with commentary, which was revised and reprinted by Raphael Biesenthal in the XIX century. A pity Frommann records named him only typper, since Callenberg was not proficient in Hebrew at all. His first interest was the Islam and by travelling got in touch with Jews. Anyhow he was a great support to Dr. Frommann. He also sent missionaries to other Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an countries, and was a patron of converted Jews. His plans for the conversion of Muslims were resumed somewhat later, but in these he utterly failed. The Institutum Judaicum existed until 1791.
Among the works he published are the following:
- Prima rudivuenta linguse arabicx, Halle, 1729
- Scriptores de reliçione duhammedica, 1734
- Spécimen bibliolhecx arabicx, 1736
- Arabic translations of the New TestamentNew TestamentThe New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
, The Imitation of Christ, Luther's CatechismLuther's Large CatechismLuther's Large Catechism consisted of works written by Martin Luther and compiled Christian canonical texts, published in April of 1529. This book was addressed particularly to clergymen to aid them in teaching their congregations...
, etc.