The Sun.
London, England, 1862-05-07 00:00:00

DEATH OF DR WOLFF.

The Rev. Dr. Joseph Wolff, whose name is so
intimately associated with Eastern travel, died a
day or two since at isle-Brewers, near Taunton, of
which parish he was the vicar. Dr. Wolff was the
son of a Rabbi, and was born at Weilersbach, near
Forchheim and Bamberg, iu the year 1795. Being
of a studious disposition he learnt the Latin, Greek,
and Hebrew languages, while still a Jew, in Halle,
Weimar, and Bamberg. He was converted to
Christianity through his acquaintance with the
Count of Stolberg and Bishop Seiler, and wa s bap
tised by Leopold Zelda, Abbot of the Benedictines
of Emaus, near Prague, in Bohemia, on the 13th of
September, 1812. In 1813 he commenced the study
of Arabic, Syriac, and Chaldean, and in that and
the following year he attended the theological lec-
tures in Vienna, having for his friend Professor
Jahn, writer on Biblical archaeology; Fredk. von
Schlegel, the poet Werner, and Hofbauer, the Gene-
ral of the Redemptorists. From 1814 to 1818 Dr.
Wolff was, by the patronage of Prince Dalberg,
enabled to pursue his studies at the University of
Tubingen, which were chiefly directed to the Orien-
tal languages, more particularly Arabic and Per-
sian, as well as ecclesiastical history and Biblical
exegesis, under Professors Stendell, Schnurrer, and '
Flatt. In 1816 Dr. Wolff left Tubingen, and among
others visited Zschokke, Madame Krudener, and
Pestalozzi in Switzerland. He also spent some
months with Count Truchsez and Madame de Steel-
Holstein, at Turin, delivering lectures in their circle,
on the poetry of the Bible. He arrived the same
year at Rome, and was introduced to Pope Pius
VII., Cardinals Letta, Cacciapiati, Consalvi, Ostini,
and the Ambassador, Niebuhr, the historian. Dr.
Wolff was first received as a pupil of the Collegic-
Itomano, and then of the Collegio Propaganda, from
1816 to 1818; but his sentiments having been de-
clared erroneous, he was expelled from Rome and
retraced his steps to Vienna, where, after advising
about his scruples with Fredk. von Schlegel, Dr.
Emanuel Veit, and Hofbauer, ho was prevailed
unon to enter the Monastery of the Redemptorists
at Val-Saint, near Fribourg; but not having been
able to convince himself of the truth of Romanism
as taught there, he left Val-Saint, and came to Lon-
don to his friend the late Mr. H. Drummond, M.P.,
whose friendship he had formed at Rome, and placed
himself for the study of Oriental languages under
Dr. Lee of Cambridge, and for theology under the
late Rev. Charles Simeon. Dr. Wolff then com-
menced his travels for the purpose of proclaiming
the Gospel to Jews: Mahomedans, and Pagans; and
of making researches among the Eastern Christians,
thus preparing the way to missionary labours for
the conversion of the Jews and Gentiles, from 1821
to 1826, in Egypt: Mount Horeb, and Mount Sinai,
where he was the very first missionary who gave
copies of the whole Bible to the monks and Bedouins.
Thence he went to Jerusalem, where he was the
first missionary who preached to the Jews in Jeru-
salem. He afterwards went to Aleppo and Cyprus,
from the latter of which he sent Greek boys to Eng-
land to be educated, and continued his travels in
Mesopotamia, Persia, Teflts, the Crimea, where he
visited the Caraites, near Baghtsche-Serai, preach-
ing to the German colonists, as well as to Russians,
iMahomedaas, and Jews, at Karaeu Bazaar, Sim-