Reland, Hadrian

, an eminent orientalist, was born at Ryp, a village in North-Holland, July 17, 1676. His father was minister of that village, but afterwards removed to Alkmaar, and then to Amsterdam, in which last city Reland was educated with great care; and at eleven years of age, having passed through the usual courses at school, was placed in the college under Surenhusius. During three years of study under this professor, he made a great progress in the Hebrew, Syriac, Chaldee, and Arabic languages; and at his leisure hours applied himself to poetry, in which he was thought to succeed. At fourteen, he was sent to Utrecht; where he studied under Grrevius and Leusden, acquired a more perfect knowledge of the Latin and oriental tongues, and applied himself aiso to philosophy, in which he afterwards took the degree of doctor. At seventeen, he entered upon divinity under the direction of Herman Witsius and others; but did not abandon the oriental languages, which were always his favourite study. After he had resided six years at Utrecht, his father sent him to Leyden, to continue his theological studies under Frederic Spanheim and others; where he soon received the offer of a professorship at Linden, either in philosophy or the oriental languages. This he would have accepted, though only two and twenty; but his father’s ill state of health would not allow him to remove so far from Amsterdam. In 1699, he was elected professor of philosophy at Harderwick, but did not continue there long; for, king William having recommended him to the magistrates | of Utrecht, he was offered in 1701 the professorship of oriental languages and ecclesiastical history, which he readily accepted. In 1703, he took a wife, by whom he had three children. In 1713, a society for the advancement of Christian knowledge was established in England, as was that for the propagation of the gospel in foreign parts the year after; of both which Reland became a member. He died of the small-pox, at Utrecht, Feb. 5, 1718, in his forty-second year. He was a man of an excellent disposition, and of great humanity and modesty, of great learning, and had a correspondence with the most eminent scholars of his time.

He wrote and published a great number of works, in order to promote and illustrate sacred and oriental learning; the chief of which are these: “De Religione Moharnmedica libri duo,” 1705, 12mo. The first book contains a short account of the faith of the Mahometans, in an Arabic manuscript with a Latin translation; the second vindicates them from doctrines and imputations falsely charged opon them. A second edition, with great additions, was printed in 1717, 12mo. “Dissertationum Miscellanearum Partes Tres,” 1706, 1707, 1708, 12mo. These three parts are not always found together. They comprize thirteen dissertations upon the following curious subjects: ' De situ Paradisi Terrestris“” De Mari Rubro“” De Monte Garizim;“” De Ophir“” De Diis Cabiris“”De Veteri Lingua Indica“” De Samaritanis“” De Reliquiis veteris lingure Persicse“” De Persicis vocabulis Talmudis;“” De jure Militari Mohammedanorum contra Christianos bellum gerentium;“” De linguis Insularum quarunclam orientaliuro;“” De linguis Americauis;“” De Gemmis Arabicis.“His next work was,” Antiquitates Sacrse Veterum Hebrseorum,“1708, 12mo; but the best edition is that of 1717, 12mo, there being many additions. He then published” Dissertationes Quinque de Nummis veterum Hebraeorum, qui ab inscriptarum literarum forma Samaritani appellantur. Accedit dissertatio de marmoribus Arabicis Puteolanis,“1709, 12mo. But his greatest work was” Palsestinaex monumentis veteribus illustrata, chartis Geographicis accuratioribus adornata,“Traject. 1714, 2 vols. 4to. This edition is superior in all respects to that of Nuremberg, 1716, 4to.” De Spoliis Templis Hierosolymitani in arcu Titiano Romas conspicuis liber, cum figuris," 1716, 12mo. | Reland published many smaller things of his own, among which were Latin poems and orations; and was also concerned as an editor of books written by others. His works are all in Latin, and neatly printed. ¹