Samuel Klein (scholar) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Samuel Klein
Professor of Palestinology
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Samuel Klein
17 November 1886 Hungary
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| Died | 21 April 1940 |
| Citizenship | Mandatory Palestine |
| Alma mater | Freidrich-Wilhelm University of Berlin and Heidelberg University |
| Occupation | Professor, Historical geographer, and Linguist |
| Title | Rabbi, Professor |
Samuel Klein (Hebrew: שמואל קליין; born November 17, 1886 – died April 21, 1940) was an important Hungarian-born rabbi, historian, and historical geographer. He lived and worked in a place called Mandatory Palestine, which is now Israel.
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About Samuel Klein
Samuel Klein was born in Hungary. His father, Avraham Zvi Klein, was also a rabbi. Samuel received a traditional Jewish education when he was young. He later graduated from a government school in Budapest in 1905.
His Studies and Early Career
After high school, Samuel Klein went to the Jewish Theological Seminary in Berlin. There, he became a rabbi. He also studied at the Friedrich-Wilhelm University of Berlin. Later, he went to Heidelberg University. In 1909, he earned his PhD by writing about the geography and history of Galilee. This work was very important for understanding the history of the Holy Land.
From 1909 to 1913, he worked as a rabbi in Tuzla, Bosnia. In 1911, he received a special grant to do research in Palestine. After getting married in 1913, he became the rabbi of Érsekújvár (now Nové Zámky) until 1928. During the First World War, he served as a rabbi in the Austro-Hungarian army. He also helped about 200 refugees who came to Nové Zámky during this time.
Becoming a Professor
In 1924, Samuel Klein became the first professor at the new Institute of Jewish Studies. This institute later became part of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In 1927, he taught at the Hebrew Pedagogical Institute in Vienna. This school trained Hebrew teachers for many countries.
In 1929, he moved to Mandatory Palestine. He started working as a Professor of Geography of the Land of Israel at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He held this job until he passed away. At the university, he was in charge of the Historical Topography of Palestine department. He wrote many books and articles in both Hebrew and German. Most of his writings were about historical geography.
Klein's research helped people better understand the map of ancient Israel and Palestine. His work was used in Hebrew schools around the world and in Israel.
His Legacy
Samuel Klein was a member of the Hebrew Language Committee in Mandatory Palestine. He also joined committees focused on Geography and Archaeology. In his last years, he was the President of the Jewish Palestine Exploration Society. This group was made up of scholars from the British Mandate.
He passed away at age 53 in his home in Jerusalem in 1940. He was buried at the cemetery on the Mount of Olives. Important scholars like Yitzhak Ben-Zvi and William F. Albright wrote tributes about him. Albright said that Samuel Klein was excellent at Jewish language research. He knew a lot about Greek, Roman, Hebrew, and Aramaic sources. He was also very good at understanding difficult historical and geographical situations.
Klein's biggest contribution was finding and identifying old place names in Palestine from ancient times. He found these names in the Hebrew Bible, Mishnah, Tosefta, Talmud, and in the writings of Josephus.
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Samuel Klein, a Hungarian-born rabbi and historical geographer.
