What is it about?
When Newton was an undergraduate at Trinity College, Cambridge, he attempted to learn Hebrew as an autodidact, so as to gain direct access to the text of the Old Testament in its original tongue. To this end, he copied down a series of Hebrew words from Samuel Johnson's work on Hebrew pedagogy. It appears that Newton resorted to his basic knowledge of the language mostly to investigate singular theological concerns, notably the history of idolatry.
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Why is it important?
Increased knowledge of Newton's lesser known intellectual pursuits contributes to a better understanding of the complex man he was. It is now evident that the founder of modern science showed singular interest in a vast array of academic fields, including the study of Hebrew and ancient Judaism.
Perspectives
The Notes & Records provide the best platform to share biographical information about Isaac Newton, and about any member of the Royal Society for that matter. The team of the N&R was very professional in offering valuable advice to improve the quality of the paper. Most importantly, the co-author Scott Mandelbrote provided key information on the state of Hebrew studies in mid 17th-century Cambridge. Most of the credit for this publication should go to him.
Mr Michael Joalland
University of Suwon
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Isaac Newton learns Hebrew: Samuel Johnson'sNova cubi Hebræi tabella, Notes and Records the Royal Society Journal of the History of Science, December 2015, Royal Society Publishing,
DOI: 10.1098/rsnr.2015.0055.
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