‎MICHAELIS, JOHANN HEINRICH.‎
‎Erleichterte hebräische Grammatica oder, Richtige Anführung zur hebräischen Sprache: auf Begehren und um mehrern Nutzens willen bey der Jugend. Zum funftenmahl vermehret. (+) Erleichterte Chaldaische Grammatica. Editio Qvinta.‎

‎Halle, Friedrich Zeidlers Erben, 1723. 8vo. In contemporary full calf with four raised bands and richly gilt spine. Small paper-label pasted on to top of spine. Light wear to extremities. Crossed out names and doodles in contemporary hand to pasted down front end-paper. Small hole to title-page, but generally a good copy. (16), 335, (122), 121, (15) pp. + 3 folded tables. ‎

Reference : 60819

‎Later editions of Michaelis highly popular grammars on Hebrew and Aramaic. Johann Davis Michaelis (1717-19) was a theologian and orientalist, whose fame today rests upon the fact that he was responsible for the first scientific expedition to Arabia Felix, namely that of Niebuhr. In 1753, he had come up with the idea for the the Royal Danish Arabia Expedition (1761-1767) and had gotten the Danish minister Bernstoff to agree to it. In 1760, when the expedition was becoming a reality, Michaelis recommended Niebuhr as a participant, and he outlined the entire purpose of the trip - namaly the list of 100 questions that he prepared and published for the members of the expedition, in order for them to answer in the course of the voyage. For all intents and purposes, Michaelis was the spiritual father of the Arabia-expedition. As a theologian and an orientalist, many of Michaelis' questions have root in the Bible. But unlike many other theolgians of the time, Michaelis sought to shed light over biblical themes through sources outside of the Bible - especially from the Middle East, not least Arabia. In this regard, his 100 Questions also came to be a precursor to the emergence of modern bible science.‎