Alfred Felix Landon Beeston
Encyclopedia
Alfred Felix Landon Beeston (February 23, 1911 – September 29, 1995) was an English
Orientalist
best known for his studies of Arabic language
and literature, and of ancient Yemen
i inscriptions, as well as the history of pre-Islamic Arabia. His works were generally published under the name A. F. L. Beeston.
Beeston was born at Barnes in southwest London
, and educated at Westminster School
where he was a King's Scholar. At age 14 he grew fascinated with South Arabia
n inscriptions at the British Museum
, which he attempted to decipher by means of an appendix in James Theodore Bent
's Sacred City of the Ethiopians, asking for a Koran and Arabic dictionary as school prizes. In 1929 he entered Christ Church, Oxford
, already determined to become a librarian in oriental studies; in 1933 he got a first in Arabic and Persian. In 1935, during the course of his D.Phil. under D. S. Margoliouth
, on the subject of several Sabaic inscriptions, he accepted a post at the Bodleian Library
. He completed the thesis in 1937.
He served in the Intelligence Corps between November 1940 and April 1946, stationed in Palestine
. After his return to the Bodleian, he became Sub-Librarian and Keeper of Oriental Books and Manuscripts. In 1957 he was elected Laudian Professor of Arabic
at Oxford, which chair he held until retirement in 1979.
Beeston achieved renown as a Semitic philologist
for his South Arabian studies, particularly A Descriptive Grammar of Epigraphic South Arabian (1962) and A Sabaic Grammar (1980). He has also made important contributions to the study of the Ancient South Arabian history. Other major works include his contribution to the catalogue of the Persian, Turkish, Hindustani and Pushtu manuscripts in the Bodleian, his studies of the Arabic language, namely The Arabic Language Today (1970) and Written Arabic: An Approach to Basic Structures (1968), and editions and translations of classical texts including al-Baidawi’s Commentary on Sura 12 of the Qur'an (1963) and The Singing Girls of al-Jahiz (1980). Despite this primary focus, however, his knowledge of languages ranged from Welsh and Hungarian to Chinese.
In 1965 he was elected a fellow of the British Academy
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
Orientalist
Oriental studies
Oriental studies is the academic field of study that embraces Near Eastern and Far Eastern societies and cultures, languages, peoples, history and archaeology; in recent years the subject has often been turned into the newer terms of Asian studies and Middle Eastern studies...
best known for his studies of Arabic language
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
and literature, and of ancient Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
i inscriptions, as well as the history of pre-Islamic Arabia. His works were generally published under the name A. F. L. Beeston.
Beeston was born at Barnes in southwest London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and educated at Westminster School
Westminster School
The Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster, almost always known as Westminster School, is one of Britain's leading independent schools, with the highest Oxford and Cambridge acceptance rate of any secondary school or college in Britain...
where he was a King's Scholar. At age 14 he grew fascinated with South Arabia
South Arabia
South Arabia as a general term refers to several regions as currently recognized, in chief the Republic of Yemen; yet it has historically also included Najran, Jizan, and 'Asir which are presently in Saudi Arabia, and Dhofar presently in Oman...
n inscriptions at the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
, which he attempted to decipher by means of an appendix in James Theodore Bent
James Theodore Bent
James Theodore Bent was an English explorer, archaeologist and author.-Biography:James Theodore Bent was the son of James Bent of Baildon House, near Bradford, Yorkshire, where he was born. He was educated at Repton School and Wadham College, Oxford, where he graduated in 1875. In 1877 he married...
's Sacred City of the Ethiopians, asking for a Koran and Arabic dictionary as school prizes. In 1929 he entered Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
, already determined to become a librarian in oriental studies; in 1933 he got a first in Arabic and Persian. In 1935, during the course of his D.Phil. under D. S. Margoliouth
David Samuel Margoliouth
David Samuel Margoliouth was an orientalist. He was briefly active as a priest in the Church of England...
, on the subject of several Sabaic inscriptions, he accepted a post at the Bodleian Library
Bodleian Library
The Bodleian Library , the main research library of the University of Oxford, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and in Britain is second in size only to the British Library...
. He completed the thesis in 1937.
He served in the Intelligence Corps between November 1940 and April 1946, stationed in Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
. After his return to the Bodleian, he became Sub-Librarian and Keeper of Oriental Books and Manuscripts. In 1957 he was elected Laudian Professor of Arabic
Laudian Professor of Arabic
The position of Laudian Professor of Arabic at the University of Oxford was established in 1636 by William Laud, who at the time was Chancellor of the University of Oxford and Archbishop of Canterbury. The first professor was Edward Pococke, who was working as a chaplain in Aleppo in what is now...
at Oxford, which chair he held until retirement in 1979.
Beeston achieved renown as a Semitic philologist
Philology
Philology is the study of language in written historical sources; it is a combination of literary studies, history and linguistics.Classical philology is the philology of Greek and Classical Latin...
for his South Arabian studies, particularly A Descriptive Grammar of Epigraphic South Arabian (1962) and A Sabaic Grammar (1980). He has also made important contributions to the study of the Ancient South Arabian history. Other major works include his contribution to the catalogue of the Persian, Turkish, Hindustani and Pushtu manuscripts in the Bodleian, his studies of the Arabic language, namely The Arabic Language Today (1970) and Written Arabic: An Approach to Basic Structures (1968), and editions and translations of classical texts including al-Baidawi’s Commentary on Sura 12 of the Qur'an (1963) and The Singing Girls of al-Jahiz (1980). Despite this primary focus, however, his knowledge of languages ranged from Welsh and Hungarian to Chinese.
In 1965 he was elected a fellow of the British Academy
British Academy
The British Academy is the United Kingdom's national body for the humanities and the social sciences. Its purpose is to inspire, recognise and support excellence in the humanities and social sciences, throughout the UK and internationally, and to champion their role and value.It receives an annual...
.
Selected works
In addition to scores of scholarly articles, Dr. Beeston produced the following major works.- Sabaean Inscriptions, Oxford, VIII+152 pp. 1937.
- Catalogue of the Persian, Turkish, Hindustani and Pushtu Manuscripts in the Bodleian Library. Part III. Additional Persian Manuscripts, Oxford University Press, 1955.
- A Descriptive Grammar of Epigraphic South Arabian, London : Luzac, VII+80 pp. 1962.
- Written Arabic, an Approach to the Basic Structures, Cambridge University Press, 1968.
- The Arabic Language Today, Coll. Modern Languages, London : Hutchinson, 1970.
- The Epistle on Singing-Girls of Jahiú, Warminster : Aris and Phillips, 1980.
- Sabaic Dictionary (English-French-Arabic) /Dictionnaire sabéen (anglais-français-arabe) /al-Mu'gam as-saba'i (bi-al-ingliziyya wa-al-firansiyya wa al-'arabiyya), Publication of the University of Sanaa, YAR, Louvain-la-Neuve (Editions Peeters) et Beyrouth (Librairie du Liban), XLI+173+IVpp., in collaboration with M.A. Ghul, W.W. Müller et J. Ryckmans. 1982.
- Mukhtarat min al-nuqush al-yamaniyyah al-qadimah, Tunis (al-Munazzamah al-'arabiyyah li-l-Tarbiya wa-l-thaqafa wa-al-'Ulum), 478 pp. and two maps, in collaboration with Muhammad Bafaqih, Christian Robin, and Mahmud al-Ghul. 1985 (in Arabic).