Philipp Wolff

Philipp Wolff (born December 22, 1810 in Ulm , † January 1, 1894 in Tübingen ) was a German orientalist and religious scholar. A standard work is his book on the Druze religious community and its precursors.

He first studied theology in Tübingen and then oriental studies in Halle, where he received his doctorate in 1834 under Emil Rödiger . He then continued his studies in Paris with Antoine-Isaac Silvestre de Sacy . In 1835 he became a private lecturer in Tübingen; but since this did not offer any great career prospects, he became a pastor in Rottweil . He also translated from Arabic and Persian. In 1847 he was in Palestine and a second time in 1869/70; his wife died on this trip. He made another trip to Palestine in 1872 to visit her grave in Jaffa . In 1877 the Evangelical Faculty of the University of Tübingen awarded him an honorary doctorate. After his retirement he moved to Tübingen in 1882. He wrote an illustrated travel guide to Jerusalem, which appeared in three editions between 1857 and 1872. His book on the Druze was freely based on the book by Sacy on the same subject and expanded it.

His translations include works by Saadi and the Mu'allaqat collection of seven poems, including by Imru 'al-Qais .

Works (selection)

• The Druze and their precursors. Vogel, Leipzig 1845 ( digitized version / table of contents ).
• Journey to the Promised Land. With a new plan of Jerusalem. Metzler, Stuttgart 1849 ( digitized version ).
• Arabic dragoman for visitors to the Holy Land. Weber, Leipzig 1857 ( digitized version ); 2nd edition 1867: Arabic Dragoman: grammar, collection of phrases and dictionary of the new Arabic language. Brockhaus, Leipzig 1867, ( digitized version ).
• Jerusalem. According to our own experience and the latest research, 1857. Erw. 2nd edition, JJ Weber, Leipzig 1862 digitized . Third edition, completely revised after a repeated pilgrimage, Leipzig 1872

Translations

• Carminum Abulfaragii Babbaghae specimen ex codice Gothano. Vogel, Leipzig 1834 ( digitized version ).
• Calila and Dimna or Bidpai's Fables. 2 ribbons. Scheible, Stuttgart 1837 ( digitized volume 2 ); 2nd edition as The Book of the Wise in lustful and instructive stories by the Indian philosopher Bidpai. 2 parts. Scheible, Stuttgart 1839 ( digitized version ).
• Saʻdi's Rosengarten: From the Persian by Dr. Philipp Wolff , Stuttgart 1841
• Twelve poems by Abu Ishak 's. In: magazine for the customer of the Orient. Volume 3, Issue 1, 1839, pp. 64-76 ( digitized version ).
• Muallakat: The Seven Prize Poems of the Arabs. Degginger, Rottweil 1857 ( digitized version ).

literature

• Wilhelm Heyd :  Wolff, Philipp . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 44, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1898, p. 44 f.
• E. Kautzsch: Journal of the German Palestine Association 17, 1894, pp. III – V
• Goren, Haim, “Go there and research the country.” German Palestine Studies in the 19th Century (Series of publications by the Institute for German History at Tel Aviv University 23; Göttingen 2003) 243–253

Web links

Wikisource: Philipp Wolff  - Sources and full texts