Benito Arias Montano facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Benito Arias Montano
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Portrait of Benito Arias Montano, by Rubens
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| Born |
Benedictus Arias Montanus
1527 Fregenal de la Sierra, Extremadura, Spain
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| Died | 1598 (71 years) Seville, Spain
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| Resting place | Iglesia del Priorato de Santiago de la Espada, Seville |
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Education | Universities of Seville and Alcalá |
| Known for | Scholar, writer |
| Movement | Orientalist |
Benito Arias Montano (born 1527, died 1598) was a very smart Spanish scholar. He was known as an orientalist (someone who studies Eastern languages and cultures) and a polymath (someone who knows a lot about many different subjects). He worked mostly in Spain. Benito also edited a very important book called the Antwerp Polyglot Bible. He even became a Royal Chaplain, a special advisor to King Philip II of Spain.
Contents
About Benito Arias Montano
Benito Arias Montano was born in Fregenal de la Sierra, a town in Extremadura, Spain. He later passed away in Seville. He was a very dedicated student. He studied at the universities of Seville and Alcalá. Around 1559, he decided to become a priest.
His Work at the Council of Trent
Benito became a member of the Military Order of St. James. This was a religious and military order. In 1562, he went with the Bishop of Segovia to the Council of Trent. This was a very important meeting of the Catholic Church. Benito did a great job there and gained a lot of respect.
Working on the Polyglot Bible
After the Council, Benito went to live a quiet life in a hermitage (a place for religious solitude) in Aracena. But King Philip II of Spain had a special job for him. In 1568, the King asked Benito to lead a big project. He wanted a new polyglot edition of the Bible. A polyglot book has the same text in several different languages.
Many smart people helped Benito with this huge task. The Bible was printed by the Plantin Press in 1572. It was a massive work, with 8 volumes! Its full title was Biblia sacra hebraice chaldaice, graece et latine, Philippi II regis catholici pietate et studio ad sacrosanctae Ecclesiae usum. This means "Holy Bible in Hebrew, Chaldean, Greek, and Latin, for the use of the holy Church, by the piety and effort of Philip II, the Catholic King."
Benito was in charge of the whole project. He also wrote a lot of the content himself. After it was finished, the King asked him to take the work to Rome. There, Pope Gregory XIII needed to approve it.
Challenges and Later Life
Not everyone was happy with Benito's work. A professor named León de Castro disagreed with some of his choices. Benito had used original Hebrew texts for the Bible. He also included ideas from rabbinical writings (Jewish religious texts). This led to some people accusing him of changing the Bible's text. They said he was not following the rules set by the Council of Trent.
Benito had to travel to Rome several times to defend his work. Finally, in 1580, he was cleared of all charges. He then returned to his quiet hermitage. The King offered him high positions as a bishop, but Benito politely refused.
However, he did accept a job as a royal chaplain (a religious advisor to the king). He also agreed to manage the Escorial library and teach Eastern languages.
His World Map
Benito Arias Montano also designed a world map. This map was included in his Antwerp Polyglot Bible. It was very important in the history of map-making. It was one of the first maps to show Tierra del Fuego as an island at the tip of South America.
His Lifestyle and Other Works
Benito lived a simple and disciplined life, known as an ascetic lifestyle. He spent his time praying and studying. Besides his work on the Polyglot Bible, he wrote many other books. One famous one was Antiquitatum judaicarum libri IX (meaning "Nine Books of Jewish Antiquities"). He also wrote many comments on different parts of the Bible.
He translated the Itinerary of Benjamin of Tudela from Latin. This book was about a Jewish traveler's journeys. Benito also wrote on many other topics. He was also a talented poet, and most of his poems were about religious themes.
See also
In Spanish: Benito Arias Montano para niños
- History of theology
- Orientalism
