Alexander Geddes facts for kids
Alexander Geddes (born September 14, 1737 – died February 26, 1802) was a smart Scottish thinker and writer. He was known for translating a big part of the Old Testament from the Catholic Bible into English.
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Who Was Alexander Geddes?
Alexander Geddes was born in Rathven, Banffshire, Scotland. His family was Roman Catholic. He studied to become a priest at a local school called Scalan and later in Paris, France. After his studies, he became a priest in his home county.
His Important Bible Work
Geddes became known as a scholar when he translated some writings by a famous Roman poet named Horace. However, his modern ideas about religion caused him to be removed from his duties as a priest for a time.
He then moved to London. There, a kind supporter named Baron Petre helped him. This support allowed Geddes to start a new translation of the Bible into English for Roman Catholics. He worked on this huge project for many years. He finished translating parts of the Old Testament, including up to the Book of Second Chronicles. These translations were published in two books between 1792 and 1797. He also translated the Psalms, which came out in 1807.
His Critical Ideas
In 1800, Geddes published a book called Critical Remarks on the Hebrew Scriptures. In this book, he shared new ways of looking at the Bible. He suggested that some parts of the Old Testament, like the Pentateuch, might be more like important stories or myths that teach lessons, rather than exact historical records. For example, he saw the story of the Fall as a way to explain the difficulties of human life.
Because of these new ideas, he was again removed from his church duties. Even though his ideas were seen as very different at the time, he is now recognized for thinking ahead. His work was similar to what later scholars in Germany would call "Higher Criticism". This is a way of studying the Bible using modern historical and literary methods.
Other Writings and Later Life
Alexander Geddes was also a poet. He wrote a poem called Linton: a Tweedside Pastoral. He also wrote Carmen Seculare pro Gallica Gente in 1790. This poem praised the French Revolution, which was a big event in France that changed its government.
Geddes passed away on February 26, 1802. He is buried in London, near St. Mary's Church in Paddington. Even though he had some disagreements with church leaders during his life, he received forgiveness from a French priest before he died. However, the church did not allow a public mass (a special church service) to be held for him.
