Carpzov, Johann Gottlob

Carpzov, Johann Gottlob, the most eminent of the family, was born at Dresden, Sept. 26, 1679, and studied successively at Wittenberg, Leipzig, and Altdorf. In 1702 he became almoner to the Saxon ambassador, and in this capacity had the opportunity of travel in Holland and England, which he used to advantage for his culture in the Oriental languages. He was engaged in pastoral work at Dresden from 1704 to 1708, in which year he was called to St. Thomas's church in Leipzig. His studies took a wide range, but his chief bent was toward Hebrew literature and philology. In 1719 he was made professor of Oriental literature at Leipzig, which office he filled until 1730, when he became general superintendent at Lübeck, where he died April 7, 1767. His writings form an epoch in the history of Biblical criticism. He was a bitter opponent of the Moravians and Pietists, and wrote a historico-polemical treatise against the Moravians (mentioned below), His most important works are, Disput. de vet. philos. sentt. circa naturam Dei (Lpz. 1692, 4to): — Disp. depluralitatepersonarum in una Dei essentia (Lpz. 1720, 4to): Introductio ad Libros Canonicos Vet. Test. (Lpz. 1741, 2d ed. 4to): Critica Sacra Vet. Test. (pt. 1, Text. Original; pt. 2, Versiones; pt. 3, Circa pseudo criticam G. Whistoni sollicita (Lpz. 1728, 4to): — Peligions-Untersuchung der Bohmischen u. Mahrischen Brüder (Lpz. 1742, 8vo): — Apparatus Hist.-Crit. Antiquitatum et codicis sacri et gentis Hebrece (Leipzig, 1748, 4to). — Ersch u. Gruber, Allgem. Encyklopädie, s.v.; Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Ginerale, 8:842.