Danz, Johann Andreas

German theologian and Hebraist; born at Sundhausen, near Gotha, 1654; died at Jena Dec. 22, 1727. Danz studied at Wittenberg and at Hamburg, where he learned Hebrew under Esdras Edzardi; and he became professor of Oriental languages at the University of Jena, at first in the philosophical, and after 1713 in the theological faculty. He was considered the greatest Hebrew scholar among his Christian contemporaries. Danz wrote several text-books on Hebrew grammar, which for nearly a century remained standard works. He is the author of "Nucifrangibulum Sanctam Scripturæ V. T. Linguam Hebraicam Enucleans," Jena, 1686. This first edition contained two parts, the first treating of the etymology, the second of the syntax, of the Hebrew language. In the following editions these parts were published separately: part one under the title "Literator Ebræo-Chaldaicus," Jena, 1694, 1710, 1715, and 1745; part two under the title "Interpres Ebræo-Chaldaicus," Jena, 1694, 1708, 1710, 1755, and 1796. The "Nucifrangibulum" was followed by "Spicilegium," ib. 1689, and "Rabbinismus Enucleatus," ib. 1696, 1751; Frankfort-on-the-Main, 1761.

His most popular work, however, was his "Compendium Grammaticæ Ebræicæ-Chaldaicæ," Jena, 1699, of which numerous editions appeared. It was translated into German, under the title "Hebräische und Chaldäische Grammatik," and edited, by G. Kypke, Breslau, 1784. Among his works on Hebrew antiquity may be mentioned: "Antiquitas Baptismi Initiationis Israelitarum Vindicta," Jena, 1710; "Pluralitates Personarum Divinarum Genesis i, 26," Jena, 1710; "De Sinceritate Scriptorum V. T. Suspicio Errorum in Decade Exemplorum, Abrabaneli," etc., Jena, 1717.

Bibliography:

  * Wolf, Bibl. Hebr. ii. 591, 605, Hamburg, 1721;
  * Fürst, Bibl. Jud. i. 195, Leipsic, 1863;
  * Diestel, Gesch. des Alten Testamentes in der Christlichen Kirche, pp. 445, 450, 488, 498, 521, Jena, 1869;
  * Schaff-Herzog, Encyc. s.v.:
  * McClintock and Strong, Cyc. s.v;
  * Steinschneider, in Z. H. B. ii. 124.



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