Hermann Von Der Hardt

Hermann von der Hardt a German Protestant theologian and philologist, was born at Melle (Westphalia) Nov. 15, 1660. He studied at Osnabruck, Jena, and Hamburg. In 1681 he began to lecture privately at Jena, but, not succeeding as well as he had expected, he went to Leipzig in 1686, where he joined the celebrated Collegiun philobiblicum. In 1688 he became librarian and secretary of duke Rudolph August of Brunswick, and the latter caused him finally to be appointed professor of Oriental languages at the University of Helmstadt in 1690. He afterwards became senior of the University and provost of the convent of Marienburg. He died Feb. 28, 1746. Hermann was a very active and ingenious scholar, but his tendency to paradoxical assertions caused him to fall into errors, which, however, were perhaps too severely condemned by his adversaries. He wrote. Autographa Lutheri aliorumque celebrim virorum, etc. (Brunsw. 1690-1693, 3 vols. 8vo): — Ephenmerides Philologicae, quibus difciliora quaedam loca Pentateuchi ad Ifebraicorum bntium tenorenm explicata, etc. (Helmstadt, 1693, 1696, and 1703): — Hoseas illustratus chaldaica Jonathanis versione et philologicis celebrium rabbino-rum Raschij Aben Esrae et Kimchi comsmentariis (Helmst. 1702, 1775): — — Magnum cecumenicun Constaninense Concilium de universali Ecclesice reformatione, unione et fide, etc. (Frankf. and Leipz. 1700, 1742, 4 vols. fol.): — Historia litteraria Reformationis (Frankfort and Leipz. 1717): — Evangelicae Rei Integritas in negotio Jonce quatuor libris declarata (Frankf. 1719, 4to): — Enigmata prisci orbis: Jonas in luae in historia Manassis et Josice; Enigmata Graecorum et Latinorum ex caligine; Apocalypsis exc tenebris (Helmst. 1723, fol.). This work attracted great attention when first published: — Tonzus primus in Jobuln, historian populi Israelis in Assyriaco exilio, Samaria eversa et regno extincto, etc. (Helmstadt, 1728. fol.). See J. Fabricius, Hist. Bibloth. pt. 2; p. 342847,351-352; Nova Actea Eruditorum (an. 1746, p. 475480); Breithaupt, Memoria Hern. v. d. Hardt (Helmst. 1746); Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Géneralé, 23, 362.