Frierich Heinrith Wilhelm Gesenius, a German orientalist, born in Nordhausen, Feb. 3, 1786, died in Halle, Oct. 23, 1842. He studied at the universities of Helmstedt and Gottingen, and was appointed in 1806 magister legens at Gottingen, in 1809 professor of ancient literature in the gymnasium of Heiligenstadt, in 1810 subordinate, and in 1811 ordinary professor of theology in the university of Halle, where he remained to the end of his life. Devoting himself to the study of the Semitic languages, and particularly of the Hebrew, Gesenius founded a new school of Biblical exegesis, chiefly based on an accurate, rational, and historico-critical study of philology. His works are: Hebrew and Chaldaic Lexicon for the use of the Old Testament" (2 vols., Leipsic, 1810-'12; 4th German ed., 1834; 2d Latin ed., 1846; translated into English by J. W. Gibbs, Andover, 1824, and by Edward Robinson, Boston, 1S36; new and greatly enlarged editions, 1850 and 1855);Elementary Course of the Hebrew Language" (2 vols.), comprising a Hebrew Grammar (Halle, 1813; 16th ed. by Rodiger, Leipsic, 1851; translated into English by Moses Stuart, Andover, 1826, and by T. J. Conant, Boston, 1839), and a Hebrew Reader" (Halle, 1814; several times republished by different editors); Critical History of the Hebrew Language (Leipsic, 1815; 2d ed., 1827); Be Pentateuchi Samaritani Origine, Indole et Auctoritate (Halle, 1815);

"Grammatico-critical System of the Hebrew Language" (2 vols., Leipsic, 1827);Translation of the Prophet Isaiah, with a Philologico-critico-historical Comment" (3 vols., Leipsic, 1820-,21); ScripturcB Lingumque Phceiiicice Monumenta (3 vols., Leipsic, 1837); and Thesaurus Philologico-criticus Lingual llebraicm et ChaldaiccB Veteris Testamenti (3 vols., Leipsic, 1829-'53; part of vol. iii. by Rodiger).