, a very Celebrated protestant missionary, was born at Pulnitz in
, a very Celebrated
protestant missionary, was born at Pulnitz in Upper Lusatia, June 14, 1683. He began his education in the college of Camentz, where he first appears to have cherished
that pious zeal which influenced his future conduct and
labours. He then removed to Goerlitz, afterwards to
Berlin, and lastly to Halle, where he studied divinity; but
his excessive application to this and other learned pursuits
injured his health and brought on a species of melancholy,
to divert which he was advised to travel. He happened to
visit Berlin in 1705, when missionaries were wanted by the
king of Denmark to go to the East Indies, and resolving to
be one of the number, he was recommended to Dr. Lut
kens, whom his Danish majesty had employed to find out
men of learning, zeal, and piety, suited to the work. Ziegenbalg being approved, and having settled his private
affairs, went to Copenhagen, along with Mr. Henry Pluts^hau, another young missionary, where they received all
necessary orders and instructions. On Nov. 29, 1709,
they embarked on board the Sophia-Hedwige, and arrived
on April 23 following at the Cape of Good Hope, where
the deplorable state of the Hottentots excited their pity, and
heightened their wishes for the conversion of the heathen.
They left this place on May 8, and while pursuing their
voyage, Ziegenbalg employed himself on a moral treatise,
which he sent afterwards to be printed at Halle, under the
title of “The School of Wisdom.
” They arrived at
Tranquebar on July 9, but found their enterprise obstructed,
by many difficulties, one of which was their ignorarrce of
the languages spoken' in the country. Having, however,
surmounted this by perseverance, and acquired a familiar
knowledge of the Portuguese and Malabar languages, they
made considerable progress in the great object of their
mission, and by the month of January 1707, were enabled
to teach the catechism in the Malabar language, and a few
months afterwards baptised some young converts. In the
same year they laid the foundation of a church for the sole use
of the missionaries and their disciples, and with the assistance of some generous and charitable persons had completed it in the month of August, when it was dedicated by
the name of the New Jerusalem. There they preached
both in the Portuguese and Malabar, and catechised twice
a week in the same languages. In Oct. 1708, Ziegenbal^;
began his version of the New Testament in the Malabar
tongue, which was printed in 1714, at Tranquebar, under
the title of “Nov. Test. D. N. Jesu Christi, ex originali
textu in linguam Tamulicam versum^ in usum gentis Malabaricce, opera et studio Barth. Ziegenbalg, et Joannis
Ernesti Grundleri, &c.
” <2 vols. 4to.