William Robertson Smith

William Robertson Smith (1846-1894) was a Scottish biblical scholar, Orientalist, and critic, born at Keig, Aberdeenshire. He was educated for the Scottish Free Church, became professor of Hebrew in the connection at Aberdeen. He was prosecuted for heresy in the matter of the origin of the books of the Old Testament, and finally removed from the chair. He became joint-editor of the "Encyclopædia Britannica," and finally professor of Arabic at Cambridge. He was a man of versatile ability, extensive scholarship, keen critical acumen, and he contributed not a little to vindicate the claims of the scholar in regard to the Bible.

Nearby pages
William Romaine, William Roscoe, William Rufus King, William Russell, William Sancroft, William Scoresby