Alfred Edersheim

Edersheim (1825-89) was born in Vienna, Austria to Jewish parents, and he was reared in the Jewish faith. He entered the University of Vienna when he was sixteen, but, as a result of his father’s ill health, young Alfred was forced to leave that institution.

Soon after, he moved to Pesth, Hungary where he met John Duncan and other Presbyterian ministers, who were chaplains to Scottish workmen building a bridge over the Danube River.

Under their influence he became a follower of Jesus as he came to recognise that Jesus was the promised Messiah of Israel. He then went to Scotland with Dr. Duncan. There he entered New College to study theology. In 1846 he entered the Presbyterian ministry and, thereafter, spent a year as a messenger of the love of Jesus to the Jews and Germans at Jassy in Rumania.

He came to Old Aberdeen Church in 1848 and remained for twelve years. In the twelve years at Aberdeen he translated several German theological books into English and wrote his "History of the Jewish Nation from the Fall of Jerusalem to the reign of Constantine the Great."

After twelve years at Free Church, Alfred's health started failing, he resigned and moved to Torquay in the county of Devon, England. (A notable health spa of the period) In 1861, he gathered a congregation and in 1862 they built St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in Torwood Gardens, Torquay.

Because of deteriorating health problems he had to resign from St. Andrews and moved to Bournemouth a spa on the south coast. In 1875 he became an Episcopalian and ordained a deacon and priest in the Church of England. For a year he was the (unsalaried) curate of the Abbey Church, Christ Church, Hants, near Bournemouth. In 1876 he became vicar of Loders, Dorsetshire; resigning in 1883, moving to Oxford.

From 1880 to 1884 he was Warburtonian lecturer at Lincoln's Inn, London. In1881 he was made honorary M.A. of Christ Church, Oxford; in 1883 M.A. by decree of Convocation of the University of Oxford; and 1884 - 86 was select preacher to the university. He had also lectured in its "Honours School of Theology," upon prophecy.

Because of his health condition he eventually moved to Menton, France where he passed away March 16th, 1889.

His Works

EDERSHEIM_OTHISTORY "The Bible History, Old Testament by A. Edersheim"
EDERSHEIM_LIFEOFJESUS  "Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah"
EDERSHEIM_SKETCHES  "Sketches of Jewish Social Life by A. Edersheim"
Edersheim_Temple "The Temple by A. Edersheim"