Chajim H. Steinthal. Sprachwissenschaftler und Philosoph im 19. Jahrhundert / Chajim H. Steinthal. Linguist and Philosopher in the 19th Century

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The Astrolabe

An ancient instrument for solving problems of location and distance, as well as time

Astrolábon órganon is the word used in Ptolemaeus Syntaxis 5.1 to describe a form of armillary sphere consisting of both fixed and rotating rings for determining the ecliptic co-ordinates of stars. Also called astrolabe were two-dimensional representations of the celestial sphere: over fixed disks with a representation of the horizon of the earth (in each case for a specific geographic latitude) and its parallels up to the zenith lies a rotating representation of the heavens (called ‘spider’ or ‘net’) with zodiac and indicators for some of the brightest stars. On the back is an indicator (‘alidade’) with visor plates for calculating the height of the stars. The astrolabe allows its user to determine the hours of day and night, the positions of stars, and the height and depth of objects on earth (mountains, buildings, wells). The oldest extant descriptions of the flat, planispheric astrolabe come from Iohannes Philoponus, 6th century AD, and (in Syrian) from Severus Sebokht, c. 660 AD. Indirect references may date back as early as Theon (4th cent.). Between the 8th and the 9th centuries the Arabs appropriated the knowledge of the astrolabe. At the end of the 10th century and again in the 12th century, they passed it on to Western Europe, where astrolabes were constructed up until the 17th cent. Today, one Byzantine astrolabe (from 1062) is extant, as are some 750 Arabic-Islamic astrolabes and approximately the same number of European astrolabes.

This information is abstracted from Brill's New Pauly, the English edition of the authoritative Der Neue Pauly, Encyclopaedia of the Ancient World. The encyclopaedic coverage and high academic standard of the work, the interdisciplinary and contemporary approach and clear and accessible presentation have made the New Pauly the unrivalled modern reference work for the ancient world. For more information see www.brillsnewpauly.com or visit our website catalog: www.brill.nl/bnp
Brill’s New Pauly and the complete original Der Neue Pauly, the recognized standard reference works for students and scholars of the ancient world are also available online. This dual-language edition offers basic and advanced search facilities and is fully browsable. New English translations are added as they become available. See www.paulyonline.brill.nl for more information and a demo version.

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Publications & Services> Books> Book Series> Chajim H. Steinthal. Sprachwissenschaftler und Philosoph im 19. Jahrhundert / Chajim H. Steinthal. Linguist and Philosopher in the 19th Century

Chajim H. Steinthal. Sprachwissenschaftler und Philosoph im 19. Jahrhundert / Chajim H. Steinthal. Linguist and Philosopher in the 19th Century

Edited by Hartwig Wiedebach and Annette Winkelmann

Books

Available
Publication year: 2002


Series:	Studies in Jewish History and Culture, 4
ISBN-13 (i)The ISBN (International Standard Book Number) has been changed from 10 to 13 digits on 1 January 2007:	978 90 04 12645 9
ISBN-10:	90 04 12645 7

Cover:	Hardback
Number of pages:	xxii, 286 pp.

List price:	€ 124.00 / US$ 184.00

Reviews

'This volume adds invaluably to our historical knowledge of the much forgotten but highly significant influence of H. Steinthal in developing the study of modern linguistics and in creating modern Jewish studies. In so doing, this collection of essays raises anew many urgent philosophical questions about the interconnections between language, theology, and politics. Individually the essays are excellent and as a whole the volume is a major contribution to our understanding of European Judaism.'
Leora Batnitzky, Princeton University.

About the author(s)

Hartwig Wiedebach, Ph.D., University of Zürich, is Researcher at the Moses-Mendelssohn Centre for European-Judaic Studies, University of Potsdam. His most recent publications are Religion of Reason Out of the Sources of Judaism. Tradition and the Concept of Origin in Hermann Cohen’s Later Work, with G. Motzkin and H. Holzhey, (Hildesheim, 2000) and Die Bedeutung der Nationalität für Hermann Cohen, (Hildesheim, 1997).
Annette Winkelmann, MA in Judaic Studies, University of Cologne, is Project Manager at the Leopold Zunz Centre for the Study of European Judaism and Managing Editor of the Newsletter of the European Association for Jewish Studies. Her most recent publications are Religious Confessions and the Sciences in the Sixteenth Century with J. Helm, (Leiden, 2001) and Directory of Jewish Studies in Europe, (Oxford, 1998).

Chajim H. Steinthal (1823-1899) was one of the most important philosophical linguists and teachers of the āScience of Judaismā. His multilayered and diverse scholarly works sprang from the solid foundation of an exceptionally broad and comprehensive education. Among other things, together with Moritz Lazarus he founded the discipline of Völkerpsychologie (psychology of nations). Steinthal taught mainly at the University of Berlin and the Hochschule (later Lehranstalt) für die Wissenschaft des Judentums.
The volume contains the results of an interdisciplinary conference organized by the Leopold Zunz Centre for the Study of European Judaism (LEUCOREA Foundation, Wittenberg), the Synagogue Museum Groebzig and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. It presents papers in the fields of linguistics, philosophy, Jewish studies and history as well as an inventory of Steinthal’s papers in Jerusalem.
Contributions by: Dieter Adelmann, Ingrid Belke, Craig Christy, Ivan Kalmar, Bogdan Kovtyk, Cornelie Kunze, Joan Leopold, Hans-Ulrich Lessing, Marion Méndez, Manfred Ringmacher, Silke Schaeper, Hartwig Wiedebach, Giuseppe Veltri.

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