Herbert Danby
Encyclopedia
Herbert Danby was an Anglican priest
and writer who played a central role in the change of attitudes toward Judaism
in the first half of the twentieth century.
and Keble College, Oxford
. He was a Holroyd Musical Scholar, and became a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists
in 1907. He retained a lifelong passionate interest in music, and also in golf
.
Danby had a distinguished career at Oxford, winning the Junior Septuagint Prize, the Pusey and Ellerton Scholarship, the Houghton Syriac Prize and a Senior Kennicott
Scholarship. He achieved a first class degree in Oriental Languages, and was awarded an MA in 1914. His studies continued after he started work, and he was made a Doctor of Divinity in 1923, partly for his translation Tractate Sanhedrin, Mishna and Tosefta
, published in 1919.
in 1913, and worked as Curate
of the Parish of Waddesdon
, Buckinghamshire
. Ordained as a priest in 1914, he became Subwarden of St Deiniol's Library, Hawarden
, Flintshire
, 1914-9.
. He was Residentiary Canon there, 1921-36. From 1923, he was Dean of the Palestine Board of Higher Studies and The Times
Correspondent for Palestine and Transjordan
. From 1928, he was Examining Chaplain to the Bishop of Jerusalem.
He was editor of the Journal of the Palestine Oriental Society from 1920, and President of that Society in 1934. He engaged in the study of Jewish literature, and published his English translation of the Mishnah
in 1933, the first ever complete translation of the Mishnah into English. He also translated a remarkable work by Joseph Klausner
entitled Jesus of Nazareth.
and Canon of Christ Church
. He was Grinfield Lecturer on the Septuagint, 1939-43, Examining Chaplain to the Bishop of Monmouth
, 1939-41 and Treasurer of Christ Church Cathedral from 1943.
He assisted in the Yale
Translation of the Mishneh Torah
of Maimonides
.
His contributions to the decline of anti-semitism
in intellectual
circles in the twentieth century was very significant. He was at work revising his translation of Maimonides' Book of Cleanness when he finally succumbed to his fatal illness. Among his close friends were Professor Godfrey Rolles Driver
of Oxford University and Rabbi Dr. Isidore Epstein
of Jews' College
, London.
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
and writer who played a central role in the change of attitudes toward Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
in the first half of the twentieth century.
Education
Danby was educated at Church Middle Class School, LeedsLeeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
and Keble College, Oxford
Keble College, Oxford
Keble College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its main buildings are on Parks Road, opposite the University Museum and the University Parks. The college is bordered to the north by Keble Road, to the south by Museum Road, and to the west by Blackhall...
. He was a Holroyd Musical Scholar, and became a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists
Royal College of Organists
The Royal College of Organists or RCO, is a charity and membership organisation based in the United Kingdom, but with members around the world...
in 1907. He retained a lifelong passionate interest in music, and also in golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
.
Danby had a distinguished career at Oxford, winning the Junior Septuagint Prize, the Pusey and Ellerton Scholarship, the Houghton Syriac Prize and a Senior Kennicott
Benjamin Kennicott
Benjamin Kennicott was an English churchman and Hebrew scholar.He was born at Totnes, Devon. He succeeded his father as master of a charity school, but the generosity of some friends enabled him to go to Wadham College, Oxford, in 1744, and he distinguished himself in Hebrew and divinity...
Scholarship. He achieved a first class degree in Oriental Languages, and was awarded an MA in 1914. His studies continued after he started work, and he was made a Doctor of Divinity in 1923, partly for his translation Tractate Sanhedrin, Mishna and Tosefta
Tosefta
The Tosefta is a compilation of the Jewish oral law from the period of the Mishnah.-Overview:...
, published in 1919.
Early career
Danby became a DeaconDeacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
in 1913, and worked as Curate
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
of the Parish of Waddesdon
Waddesdon
Waddesdon is a village within the Aylesbury Vale district in Buckinghamshire, England, 6 miles from Aylesbury on the A41 road. The centre of a civil parish, including the hamlets of Eythrope, Wormstone and Woodham, Waddesdon was an agricultural settlement with milling, silk weaving and lace making...
, Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
. Ordained as a priest in 1914, he became Subwarden of St Deiniol's Library, Hawarden
Hawarden
Hawarden is a village in Flintshire, North Wales. Hawarden forms part of the Deeside conurbation on the Welsh/English border. At the 2001 Census, the population of Hawarden Ward was 1,858...
, Flintshire
Flintshire
Flintshire is a county in north-east Wales. It borders Denbighshire, Wrexham and the English county of Cheshire. It is named after the historic county of Flintshire, which had notably different borders...
, 1914-9.
Jerusalem
In 1919, Danby moved to Jerusalem to become Librarian of St. George's CathedralSt. George's Cathedral, Jerusalem
thumb|rightSt. George's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in Jerusalem, established in 1899. It is the seat of the Bishop of Jerusalem of the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East....
. He was Residentiary Canon there, 1921-36. From 1923, he was Dean of the Palestine Board of Higher Studies and The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
Correspondent for Palestine and Transjordan
Transjordan
The Emirate of Transjordan was a former Ottoman territory in the Southern Levant that was part of the British Mandate of Palestine...
. From 1928, he was Examining Chaplain to the Bishop of Jerusalem.
He was editor of the Journal of the Palestine Oriental Society from 1920, and President of that Society in 1934. He engaged in the study of Jewish literature, and published his English translation of the Mishnah
Mishnah
The Mishnah or Mishna is the first major written redaction of the Jewish oral traditions called the "Oral Torah". It is also the first major work of Rabbinic Judaism. It was redacted c...
in 1933, the first ever complete translation of the Mishnah into English. He also translated a remarkable work by Joseph Klausner
Joseph Klausner
Joseph Gedaliah Klausner , , was a Jewish historian and professor of Hebrew Literature. He was the chief redactor of The Hebrew Encyclopedia...
entitled Jesus of Nazareth.
Oxford
In 1936, he returned to Oxford as Regius Professor of HebrewRegius Professor of Hebrew
The Regius Professorship of Hebrew, founded by Henry VIII, is a professorship at both Cambridge and Oxford Universities.- List of Regius Professors of Hebrew at Cambridge :...
and Canon of Christ Church
Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford
Christ Church Cathedral is the cathedral of the diocese of Oxford, which consists of the counties of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire. It is also, uniquely, the chapel of Christ Church, a college of the University of Oxford.-History:...
. He was Grinfield Lecturer on the Septuagint, 1939-43, Examining Chaplain to the Bishop of Monmouth
Monmouth
Monmouth is a town in southeast Wales and traditional county town of the historic county of Monmouthshire. It is situated close to the border with England, where the River Monnow meets the River Wye with bridges over both....
, 1939-41 and Treasurer of Christ Church Cathedral from 1943.
He assisted in the Yale
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
Translation of the Mishneh Torah
Mishneh Torah
The Mishneh Torah subtitled Sefer Yad ha-Hazaka is a code of Jewish religious law authored by Maimonides , one of history's foremost rabbis...
of Maimonides
Maimonides
Moses ben-Maimon, called Maimonides and also known as Mūsā ibn Maymūn in Arabic, or Rambam , was a preeminent medieval Jewish philosopher and one of the greatest Torah scholars and physicians of the Middle Ages...
.
His contributions to the decline of anti-semitism
Anti-Semitism
Antisemitism is suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. According to a 2005 U.S...
in intellectual
Intellectual
An intellectual is a person who uses intelligence and critical or analytical reasoning in either a professional or a personal capacity.- Terminology and endeavours :"Intellectual" can denote four types of persons:...
circles in the twentieth century was very significant. He was at work revising his translation of Maimonides' Book of Cleanness when he finally succumbed to his fatal illness. Among his close friends were Professor Godfrey Rolles Driver
Godfrey Rolles Driver
Godfrey Rolles Driver CBE, FBA was an English Orientalist noted for his studies of Semitic languages and Assyriology....
of Oxford University and Rabbi Dr. Isidore Epstein
Isidore Epstein
This article is about the distinguished rabbinical scholar. For the noted astronomer of a similar name see: Isadore Epstein Rabbi Dr. Isidore Epstein , was an Orthodox rabbi and rabbinical scholar in England, who served as the longtime principal of Jews' College, London. Ezekiel Isidore Epstein...
of Jews' College
Jews' College
-Origins and Remit Today:Jews' College, now known as the London School of Jewish Studies , was opened in Finsbury Square, London as a rabbinical seminary in 1855 with the support of Chief Rabbi Nathan Adler and of Sir Moses Montefiore, who had conceived the idea for such a venture as early as...
, London.
Publications
- The Jew and Christianity, 1927
- The Sixty-three Tractates of the Mishnah, translated with Introduction, etc., published in December,1933 (ISBN 0-19-815402-X)
- English and Modern Hebrew Dictionary, 1939
- The Book of Offerings, Moses Maimonides, Julian Obermann, in December, 1950; ISBN 0-300-00398-6
- The Book of Cleanness, Moses Maimonides, Julian Obermann, was published in December, 1954, ISBN 0-300-00397-8
Translations from the Hebrew
- Joseph Klausner's Jesus of Nazareth, 1925
- History of Modern Hebrew Literature, 1932
- H. N. Bialik's, And it Came to Pass, Biblical Legends, 1938.