Hiob Ludolf (1624-1704)
Born in Erfurt in 1624, Ludolf studied at the University of Erfurt where he studied medicine and law as well as oriental languages such as Arabic, Syriac, Ge’ez and Hebrew. Upon his graduation, he travelled to Leiden, Oxford and other famous centres of learning in Europe. Finally, he was employed by the ambassador of Sweden to France. From there, the ambassador sent him in 1649 to Rome to consult some archives for the queen of Sweden. It was on this trip that he became acquainted with Abba Gorgoryos.
Ludolf's interest in Ethiopia was very much inspired by his encounter with the Ethiopian monks who were then residing in Rome. He began to deepen his knowledge of Ge'ez and soon became one of the foremost experts on Ethiopian studies in Europe. He published his first book on Ethiopia, "Grammatica Aethiopica," in 1661, which was the first comprehensive grammar of the Ge'ez language.
Ludolf's most famous work is "Historia Aethiopica," published towards the end of the 17th century, was the first comprehensive study of Ethiopian history and culture. This work was based on knowledge acquired from the manuscripts that he studied, from the available literature of the time and from information provided by Abba Gorgoryos, who provided the German scholar with invaluable insights into Ethiopian culture and language.
Ludolf's contributions to Ethiopian studies are not limited to language and history. He also wrote about Ethiopian religion and art, about the country’s flora and fauna. Moreover, he collected and translated Ethiopian manuscripts and texts. His works helped to introduce Ethiopian culture and history to the European world of scholarship and paved the way for future researchers to study Ethiopia and its people.
Ludolf published several works on the subject. His most notable works include "Grammatica Aethiopica" (1661), "Lexicon Aethiopicum" (1699), and "Commentarius and Historiam Aethiopicam" (1681). These works were highly influential in the field of Ethiopian studies and helped to establish Ludolf as one of the leading scholars in this area.
400th anniversary of Hiob Ludolf
Abba Gorgoryos (1595 - 1658)
Hiob Ludolf (1624 - 1704)
Research area
Abba Daniel Assefa
Prof. Shiferaw Bekele
Short Bio of the researchers
Ludolf's interest in Ethiopia was very much inspired by his encounter with the Ethiopian monks who were then residing in Rome. He began to deepen his knowledge of Ge'ez and soon became one of the foremost experts on Ethiopian studies in Europe. He published his first book on Ethiopia, "Grammatica Aethiopica," in 1661, which was the first comprehensive grammar of the Ge'ez language.
Ludolf's most famous work is "Historia Aethiopica," published towards the end of the 17th century, was the first comprehensive study of Ethiopian history and culture. This work was based on knowledge acquired from the manuscripts that he studied, from the available literature of the time and from information provided by Abba Gorgoryos, who provided the German scholar with invaluable insights into Ethiopian culture and language.
Ludolf's contributions to Ethiopian studies are not limited to language and history. He also wrote about Ethiopian religion and art, about the country’s flora and fauna. Moreover, he collected and translated Ethiopian manuscripts and texts. His works helped to introduce Ethiopian culture and history to the European world of scholarship and paved the way for future researchers to study Ethiopia and its people.
Ludolf published several works on the subject. His most notable works include "Grammatica Aethiopica" (1661), "Lexicon Aethiopicum" (1699), and "Commentarius and Historiam Aethiopicam" (1681). These works were highly influential in the field of Ethiopian studies and helped to establish Ludolf as one of the leading scholars in this area.
400th anniversary of Hiob Ludolf
Abba Gorgoryos (1595 - 1658)
Hiob Ludolf (1624 - 1704)
Research area
Abba Daniel Assefa
Prof. Shiferaw Bekele
Short Bio of the researchers