Eisenmenger, Johann Andreas

Eisenmenger, Johann Andreas a German Orientalist, was born at Mannheim in 1654, and studied at the University of Heidelberg, in which, after a journey to England and Holland, he became in 1700 professor of Oriental languages. He died in 1704. His principal work is entitled Entdecktes Judenthum(Frnkf. 1700). The Jews opposed its publication by all means in their power, and even obtained an imperial edict against it. At the time of his death nearly the whole edition of tie work still lay under arrest. The Jews shortly before offered him 12,000 florins for the surrender of all the copies, but he asked 30,000. Friedrich I of Prussia appealed, in behalf of the heirs of Eisenmenger, to the emperors Leopold and Joseph for permission to publish the book, and, when this led to no result, had the book reprinted and published at his own expense (Konigsberg, 1711). Subsequently the Frankfort edition was also permitted to see the light. Eisenmenger also compiled a Lexicon Orientale harmonicum, which has never been printed, and he published, conjointly with Leusden (q.v.), in 1694, an edition (without points) of the Hebrews Bible.-Herzog, Real-Encykl. 3:744; Hoefer, Biog. Genesis 15:776; Wetzer u. Welte, Kirchen-Lex. 12:311; Jost, Gesch. der Juden. volume 8. (J.H.W.)