born Oct. 16, 1752, Dörrenzimmern, Württemberg

died June 27, 1827, Göttingen, Hannover

German biblical scholar and orientalist who taught at Jena and Göttingen, one of the first commentators to make a scientific comparison between the biblical books and other Semitic writings. A pioneer in distinguishing the various documentary and cultural sources of the Old Testament law, traditionally considered a Mosaic composition, he also questioned the Pauline authorship of the New Testament letters to Timothy and Titus, challenged the genuineness of the Second Letter of Peter, and suggested that the four Gospels derived from a single Aramaic text. His chief works included Historisch-Kritische Einleitung ins Alte Testament (3 vol., 1780–83; “Historical and Critical Introduction to the Old Testament”), and a corresponding work for the New Testament (5 vol., 1804–12). Although only partially accurate, they stimulated research and criticism in biblical literature.