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Isaac Newton learns Hebrew: Samuel Johnson's Nova cubi Hebræi tabella

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

Repository DOI


Type

Article

Change log

Authors

Joalland, Michael 
Mandelbrote, Scott 

Abstract

This article concerns the earliest evidence for Isaac Newton’s use of Hebrew: a manuscript copy by Newton of part of a work intended to provide a reader of the Hebrew alphabet with the ability to identify or memorize more than 1000 words and to begin to master the conjugations of the Hebrew verb. In describing the content of this unpublished manuscript and establishing its source and original author for the first time, we suggest how and when Newton may have initially become acquainted with the language. Finally, basing our discussion in part on an examination of the reading marks that Newton left in the surviving copies of Hebrew grammars and lexicons that he owned, we will argue that his interest in Hebrew was not intended to achieve linguistic proficiency but remained limited to particular theological queries of singular concern.

Description

Keywords

Newton, Hebrew, Johnson, Nova cubi Hebræi tabella

Journal Title

Notes and Records of the Royal Society

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0035-9149
1743-0178

Volume Title

70

Publisher

Royal Society Publishing
Sponsorship
Michael Joalland’s work was supported by the University of Suwon, 2013. The images are reproduced courtesy of the Syndics of The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, and of the Syndics of the Cambridge University Library.