‎Haim Goren‎
‎loss of a minute is just so much loss of life': Edward Robinson and Eli Smith in the Holy Land‎

‎, Brepols, 2020 Paperback, xx + 339 pages, Size:156 x 234 mm, Illustrations:25 b/w, 8 col., 1 tables b/w., 2 maps color, Language: English. ISBN 9782503589138.‎

Reference : 65706

‎Summary Perhaps no other Palestine / Holy Land explorer has received as much attention as Edward Robinson, the American philologist, theologian, and historical geographer responsible for laying the foundations for the modern historic-geographical study of the Holy Land. Surprisingly, to date, almost no one has delved into Robinson's archive to illuminate his Holy Land expeditions, the writing of his monumental Biblical Researches, and the compilation of his fine maps. Similarly, no one has conducted a detailed study of the archive of Eli Smith, American Board of Commissioners of Foreign Missions Beirut missionary and Robinson's travel companion, for the same purposes. Fluent in Arabic and highly familiar with the region and its inhabitants, Smith's contribution to the expedition and to the Biblical Researches was considerable as his archive reveals. Investigating documents in both Robinson's and Smith's archives, the author of the present book became quickly convinced that much of the accepted narrative concerning Robinson's Holy Land studies should be re-evaluated and, consequently, rewritten. Several issues, for lack of relevant sources, have not yet been addressed by scholars. The story of Robinson and Smith's expedition and writing of the Biblical Researches that emerges from their extensive correspondence underscores the difficulties they overcame, and the accuracy and magnitude of their scholarship in an age bereft of modern technology. TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Illustrations Preface Acknowledgements Edward Robinson 1794-1863: A Short Biography 1. Introduction: The Archives of Edward Robinson and Eli Smith The introduction reviews the vast and different collections of archival materials consulted for this study. 2. The 1838 Expedition to the Holy Land: Origins and Preparations 2.1 Documenting the decision to embark and expedition preparations Robinson's decision-making process, beginning with his pivotal 1832 meeting with Smith in Andover, MA, until embarking on the expedition in Spring 1838. 2.2 Robinson's German period: Seeds of the Holy Land expedition Robinson's desire to embark on a scholarly expedition to the Holy Land was influenced by the example of leading German scholars he met while studying in Halle and Berlin from 1826 to 1830. 2.3 Developing a historical-geographic approach to the Scriptures. 'The father of Holy Land studies' developed a unique and innovative method for scholarly investigation of the land of the Scriptures. 2.4 Organizational and technical matters 3. The 1838 Expedition: Itinerary and Development 3.1 Financing the expedition 3.2 Robinson and Smith's descriptions and comments of events en route Based upon archival material, the story of their everyday life, contact with locals and dignitaries. 4. In Berlin and Halle: Writing the Biblical Researches 4.1 The post-expedition journey: Robinson and Smith to Germany Robinson's and Smith's travel decisions and their impact upon their subsequent research and the dramatic tale of Robinson's recovery and his wife Talvj's involvement. 4.2 Return to NY or stay in Berlin? Robinson and his UTS superiors Robinson initially planned to return to New York and begin teaching at UTS in Autumn 1838, but he actually returned only two years later. 4.3 The Biblical Researches: Planning, writing, and distribution 4.3.1 The preface: Explaining the underlying scientific approach 4.3.2 Origin of the manuscript: From inception to format 4.3.3 The writing begins in earnest 4.3.4 Attention to detail: Arabic place names and orthography 4.3.5 Publishing the manuscript The Biblical Researches, three volumes comprising more than 600 pages each, was published almost simultaneously in London and in Boston in English, and in Halle in German. 4.3.6 Biblical Researches 1841 - distribution 4.4 Robinson's secondary sources Robinson's amazing use of diverse sources to construct his arguments and the historical-geographic picture of the land and its sites. 5. Co-travelers and Companions 5.1 Eli Smith, the underacknowledged partner ABCFM missionary Eli Smith, responsible for construction of the Beirut Arabic printing press and the Arabic translation of the Bible, was Robinson's student and companion on the expedition. 5.1.1 Eli Smith and the German Orientalists Smith's contacts with some of the leading German Orientalists developed and strengthened during his nine months in Leipzig after the expedition. 5.2 Therese Albertine Luise von Jakob-Robinson, 'Mediator of the Balkan Slavs', and Holy Land Studies Talvj, Robinson's second wife whom he married in Halle in 1828, had, until his death, a crucial role not only in his personal and social, but in his academic life as well. 5.3 James Adger, the anonymous fellow traveler Although he accompanied Robinson and Smith for almost the entire expedition, James Adger of Charleston, SC, is barely mentioned in publications. 6. Epilogue: Whose Arch is It? Robinson and Smith's epoch-making publication, the Biblical Researches, has been the source of many scientific debates. Perhaps the most vigorous debate concerns attributing the discovery of 'Robinson's Arch' to its namesake. This chapter explores traveler Reverend Stephan Olin's contention that it should not have been named for Robinson since others discovered it earlier, Robinson claimed that he was the first to connect the arch to the bridge reported by Flavius. 7. Concluding Remarks Bibliography Archives Abbreviations for periodicals Short titles bibliography Indexes Names Places, Organizations and Events‎