Augusti, Friedrich Albrech

Augusti, Friedrich Albrech (originally Joshua ben-Abraham Eschel), a Lutheran minister of German , was born June 30,1691, at Frankfort-on-the-Oder. His Jewish parents educated him according to their custom. While yet a boy, he expressed a desire to go to Jerusalem. At that time a man by the name of Jecuthiel had come to Frankfort with a view of collecting money for his coreligionists in the Holy Land, who urged the boy's parents not to oppose his wishes. Permission having been granted, they both started for the Holy Land, but on the way our young traveller was attacked by a gang of Tartar robbers and made a slave. A coreligionist from Podolia redeemed him and set: him. free. From Smyrna he went to Poland, and continued his studies at Cracow and Prague. He returned to Frankfort before he undertook a journey to Italy; but in Sandershausen, on. the night of Nov. 25, 1720, he was maltreated by a gang of robbers who. had broken into the house in which he resided. On the following morning he was found, to all appearance, lifeless. He recovered, however, and during .his continued stay at Sandershausen, he became acquainted with the superintendent of that place, the. Rev. Dr. Reinhard, who finally became the instrument of leading Joshua to Christ. On Christmas-day, 1732, he was baptized under his new Christian name, his sponsors being the reigning princess and the prince Augustus of Schwartzburg-Sondershausen, the duke, of Saxe-Gotha, the duchess of Brunswick-Wonlfenbuttel, and the princes palatine Charlotte Christina. After his baptism, he decided on the study of divinity. He entered, the gymnasium at Gotha, and in 1727 he commenced his theological studies at Jena and Leipsic. In 1729 he was appointed collaborator at the gymnasium in Gotha, and in 1734 minister of the parish of Eschberge, in the duchy of Saxe-Gotha, where he preached until his death, May 13,1782. Aungusti wrote Diss. de Adventus Christi Necessitate (Lips. 1794): — Aphorismi de Studiis Juda orum Modiernis (Goth. 1731):-Das Geheimniss des Sambuthion (Erfut, 1748): — Nachrichte der Karaiten (ibid. 1752): — Dissertationes Historicophilosoph.' (ibid. 1753). His grandson was the famous theologian Johann Christian Wilhelm Augusti.- The Life of Augusti has repeatedly been written by several writers and published in the form of a tract. See Delitzsch, Saat auf Hoofnung (1866); Axenfeld, Leben von den Todten (Barmen, 1874) ; The Life of Friedrich Albrecht Augusti (transl. by Macintosh, Lond. 1867); Barber, Redemption in Israel (ibid. 1844), p. 78 sq. (B. P.)