Rossi, Giovanni Bernardo De

Rossi, Giovanni Bernardo de, an eminent Italian Orientalist, was born at Castel-Nuovo, in Piedmont, Oct. 25, 1742. In 1766 he was ordained priest at Turin, and in the same year received the degree of doctor of theology. For several years he devoted himself to the study of the Oriental languages, and he was also acquainted with the greater part of those of Europe. In 1769 he was employed in the Museum of Turin, and soon after was called to the chair of Oriental languages at Parma, which position he held until 1821. During the remainder of his life he was employed in writing and editing philological and bibliographical works. Many of these were printed in the most elegant style, and are today considered models of typography. His collection of rare Hebrew manuscripts was sold to Maria Louisa in 1816. De Rossi died at Parma in March, 1831. Among his works are, Canticum seu Poema Hebraicum (Turin, 1764): — Della Liqegua Propi ia di Cristo e deyli Ebrei della Palestina da' Tempi de' Maccabei (Parma, 1772): — Della Vana A spettazione degli Ebrei del loro Messia (ibid. 1773): — Vainoe Lectiones Veteris Testamenti (ibid. 1784-88), a most valuable contribution to Biblical criticism (q.v.): — Introduzione alla Sacra Scrittura (ibid. 1817).