Bonaventure Hepburn
Bonaventure Hepburn OM (born James Hepburn; 14 July 1573, East Lothian – October 1620 or 1621, Venice, Italy)[1] was a Scottish Roman Catholic linguist, lexicographer, philologist and biblical commentator.[2] He was a scholar of some renown and rose to the post of Keeper of Oriental Books and Manuscripts at the Vatican.
In 1591 he published a work on his study of the Hebrew language and in 1616 his work on other foreign languages was published as The Heavenly Golden Rod of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Seventy-two Praises (also known as Virga Aurea), a listing of 72 different alphabets. He was also known for translating into the Latin language the Kettar Malcuth of Rabbi Solomon.
Early life
The son of Thomas Hepburn, the rector of Oldhamstocks, James was brought up as a Protestant. After his studied at St Andrews University he converted to the Catholic Church, lived in France and Italy, and travelled extensively, through "Turkey, Persia, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Ethiopia, and most of the eastern countries". He then joined the Order of Minims at Avignon.[2]
See also
References
- ^ Chalmers, George (1810). Caledonia: or, An account, historical and topographic, of North Britain. T. Cadell and W. Davies. p. 479.
James Hepburn Bonaventure.
- ^ a b Chambers, Robert (1835). A biographical dictionary of eminent Scotsmen. Vol. 3. Blackie and son.
- 1573 births
- 1621 deaths
- 16th-century Scottish people
- 17th-century Scottish people
- People from East Lothian
- Alumni of the University of St Andrews
- Christian Hebraists
- Christian scholars
- Converts to Roman Catholicism from Calvinism
- Grammarians of Arabic
- Minims (religious order)
- British biblical scholars
- Roman Catholic friars
- Roman Catholic biblical scholars
- Scottish expatriates in France
- Scottish expatriates in Italy
- Scottish explorers
- Scottish lexicographers
- Scottish librarians
- Scottish linguists
- Scottish orientalists
- Scottish philologists
- 17th-century Roman Catholic priests
- Scottish Roman Catholic priests
- Scottish translators
- Vatican City scholars
- Roman Catholic clergy stubs
- Scottish academic biography stubs
- Scottish religious biography stubs
- British linguist stubs
- British translator stubs
- Scottish writer stubs