Gabriel Sionita

Gabriel Sionita a learned Maronite, was born at Edden, on Mount Libanus, 1574. He came to Rome when seven years old, and studied at the Maronite College there. He was made professor of Oriental, languages at Rome. In 1614 he accompanied the French ambassador (at Rome) to Paris, and was made professor of Arabic at the College de France. In 1620 he became doctor of theology. In 1630 be began to work on Le Jay's Polyglot Bible, for which he furnished the Syriacs and Arabic versions. He died at Paris in 1648. Of his writings, we name Liber Psalmorum ex Arab. in Lat. translatus (Rome, 1614, 4to): — Grammatica Arabica Maronitarum in libros v divisa (Paris, 1616, 4to). — Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Genesis 19:106.