Keil, Karl August Gottlieb

Keil, Karl August Gottlieb, an eminent German theologian, was born at Grossenhain, near Dresden, Saxony, April 23,1754, and was educated at Leipzig University. Three years after graduation he obtained a privilege as tutor at his alma mater, and at once opened a course of lectures on exegesis and hermeneutics. In 1785 he was appointed professor extraordinary of philosophy, in 1788 professor extraordinary of theology, and in 1793 was finally promoted to the full or ordinary professorship. He died at Leipzig April 22,1818. His works are Systematisches Verzeichniss derjenigen theologischen Schriften d. Kenntniss allgemein nothig und nitzlich ist (Stendel, 1783, 1792, 8vo): -De exemplo Christi recte imitando Dissert. (Lpz. 1792, 4to): — De Doctoribus veteris Ecclesias culpa corruptae per Platonicas sententias theologice liberandis (Lpzg. 1793, 1816, 4to), consisting of twenty-two dissertations, which were to be followed by others. They were afterwards printed in his Opuscula Acad., of which they form the second part. It is a very valuable work: -Ueber d.'historische Erklarungsart d. heiligen Schrift u. deren Nothwendigkeit (Lpz. 1798, 8vo; Latin by Hempel): — Lehrbuch der Elermeneutik d. N.T. nach Grundsatzen d. grammatisch-historischen Interpretation (Leipzig, 1810, 8vo; Latin translation by C. A. G. Emmerling, Lpz. 1811, 8vo), a very useful and important contribution' to the department of hermeneutics, which he made his specialty, and in which he has justly become very celebrated. After his death his occasional writings were collected by J. D. Goldhorn, and published under the title of

Opuscula academica ad N.T. interpretationem grammatico-historicam et theologice Christiance origines pertinentia (Lpzg. 1821, 2 vols. 8vo). Besides treatises on topics of hermeneutical interest, this volume contains several exegetical essays, and an elaborate dissertation, De Platonicce philosophies ad theolog.(Christ. apud vet. eccles. scriptores ratione. " Keil,' says Prof. W. L. Alexander (in Kitto, Bibl. Cyclop. vol. ii, s.v.), "is a perspicuous writer, and his works, though cold and formal, are full of good sense and solid learning." In connection with H. G. Tzschirner, Keil also published a theological journal under the title Analectenf. d. Studium d. exegetischen u. systematischen Theologie (Leipzig, 1812-18, 4 vols. 8vo). See Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Gener. 20:503; Herzog, Real-Encyklop. 7:504.