Christian History Institute August 5, 1540 • Birth of Super-Scholar Joseph Scaliger ©2007

 was born at Agen, in Guienne, in the year 1540," wrote Joseph Scaliger. It was "fourteen hours after noon," he noted, which placed his birthday at 2 a.m. on this day, August 5, 1540. "My natal year is notable in all chronicles and annals for fierce summer heats, and a vintage burned up by the sun. Only where the grapes usually are sour, as in Switzerland and other cold countries, the wine ripened marvelous well."

As with the majority of Frenchmen, Joseph was born into a Catholic household. His father Julius was a brilliant scholar, who spent much time with his son, requiring him to take dictation in Latin and write essays in it. As a result, Joseph grew up with a scholarly bent, well-versed in Latin before he turned twenty. He set off to college at nineteen to learn Greek, but found the class too advanced. So he taught himself Greek in 21 days by comparing Homer's Greek with a translation. Over the next four months, he read the rest of the Greek poets. After that, he also learned Hebrew, Chaldaen, Arabic, Phoenician, Ethiopian, Persian and Syriac (thirteen languages in all).

When he was 22, he became convinced that the Reformers were right and joined the Protestants. He was fortunate to escape the dreadful St. Bartholomew Day massacre of August 1572 alive. He was so wrapped up in his study of Hebrew that at first he did not even notice the shrieks and blows in the Paris streets as French Catholics butchered Protestants in a surprise attack. Afterward, he fled to Geneva.

By then, he had mastered law and mathematics and put out revised editions of classical works to which he made careful corrections based on sound scholarship. The world of scholars began to think of him as their most brilliant member. His own opinion was that he had wasted a lot of time.

His greatest contribution was to piece together information from thousands of ancient texts to produce an accurate chronology of the ancient world. This work, published in 1583, was of immense value not only to historians but to Bible scholars. Joseph set ancient chronology on a scientific footing and discovered the "Julian period," a way of identifying years in various cycles so that every day had a unique number. Glowing tributes were paid to him: "Phoenix of Europe," "light of the world," "sea of sciences," "bottomless pit of erudition," "perpetual dictator of letters," "the greatest work and miracle of nature," "victor over time." * All of this came despite a life lived among great perils and many petty attacks by jealous scholars--although his boastfulness did not help him win friends. Still he wrote of his trust in God.

During an outbreak of plague he wrote to his English friend Isaac Casaubon, "All around me stand the houses of mourning; I am separated from death only by the thickness of the walls. Amid these woes I await the will of the God of mercy, who from my boyhood even unto this day has shielded me from great perils, although I am a heedless man, and from want, although I have nothing. I am filled with wonder whenever I reflect upon it."

From 1593 until his death in 1609, the University of Leyden made him a research professor. He did not have to teach; the school was happy just to have his name associated with them. He confessed Christ to the end, saying in his will (written less than a year before his death), "May the Lord Jesus Christ, Father of our salvation, give me grace to die in Him, and in the confession of his truth. Amen." He was completely calm at the end and died in a student's arms.

Bibliography:

1. "Joseph Justus Scaliger." http://members.tripod.com/~classicspage/scaliger.html
2. Robinson, George W. Autobiography of Joseph Scaliger; with autobiographical selections from his letters, his testament, and the funeral orations of by Daniel Heinsius and Dominicus Baudius. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1927
3. Various encyclopedia and internet articles.

Last updated July, 2007