Andreas Acoluthus facts for kids
Andreas Acoluthus (born March 16, 1654 – died November 4, 1704) was a very smart German scholar. He studied and taught about Eastern cultures and languages, a field called orientalism. He was also a professor of theology, which is the study of religion, in Breslau (now called Wrocław).
Andreas was born in Bernstadt (now Bierutów) in a region called Lower Silesia. His father, Johannes Acoluthus, was an important religious leader and managed churches and schools in Breslau.
Andreas's Early Life and Learning
Andreas went to the St. Elisabeth school in Breslau. There, a teacher named August Pfeiffer taught him many languages. These included Rabbinic, Arabic, Persian, Syriac, and Ethiopian. He later learned even more languages, such as Mauritanian, Turkish, Coptic, Armenian, and Chinese.
In 1674, Andreas went to the University of Wittenberg and then the University of Leipzig. At these universities, he gave private lessons on Eastern languages.
Publishing the First Armenian Bible in Germany
By chance, Andreas got hold of an Armenian Bible. This allowed him to publish the very first Armenian book printed in Germany in 1680. It was the book of the prophet Obadiah, with his own notes.
In 1683, Acoluthus returned to Breslau. He started working in religious service. In 1689, he became a professor of the Hebrew language at the St. Elisabeth school. A year later, he became a senior leader at St. Bernhard.
His Important Studies
Andreas's studies became even more important during wars against the Ottoman Empire. An Arabic book of the Qur'an was found, which also had translations into Persian and Turkish. At that time, the Qur'an was not well known in Germany. The only other known Arabic version had been burned by order of the pope.
Because of this, Acoluthus decided to publish this book with a Latin translation. Frederick III of Saxony liked his plan and gave Acoluthus money every year to help him. However, only part of the book was published. After this, Acoluthus became a member of the Prussian Academy of Sciences in Berlin.
Andreas Acoluthus was the father of Johann Karl Acoluthus von Folgersberg. Johann Karl was later given a special noble title by Emperor Charles VI.
