Julius Oppert ( German: Julius Oppert ), later Jules Oppert ( fr. Jules Oppert ) (July 9, 1825, Hamburg - August 21, 1905, Paris ) - German-French orientalist . Born in Hamburg in a Jewish family. Brother of Gustav and Ernst Jacob Oppert .
| Julius Oppert | |
|---|---|
| him. Julius Oppert | |
 Julius Oppert | |
| Date of Birth | July 9, 1825 |
| Place of Birth | Hamburg |
| Date of death | August 21, 1905 (aged 80) |
| Place of death | Paris |
| A country | |
| Scientific field | oriental studies |
| Place of work | National Library of France College de France |
| Alma mater | |
| Known as | author of the term "Sumerian language" |
| Awards and prizes |  |
Biography
After studying at the universities of Heidelberg , Bonn and Berlin, Oppert graduated from the University of Kiel in 1847. The following year, he moved to France , where he became a teacher of German in Laval and Reims . He devoted his free time to oriental studies, in which he achieved great success even in Germany.
In 1851, Oppert joined the French archaeological mission to Mesopotamia and Media at the direction of Fulgens Fresnel . Upon his return in 1854, the scientist was recognized as a French citizen in recognition of his merits. He began to analyze the results of the expedition, paying particular attention to cuneiform inscriptions collected by him.
In 1855, Oppert published Écriture Anarienne, which outlined the theory that the language originally spoken in Assyria was Turanian (akin to Turkish and Mongolian languages ) and not Aryan or Semitic , and it was its speakers who invented cuneiform. Although the classification of inscriptions as Turanian was subsequently rejected by the researchers, the author’s conclusions about a special, different from the other Sumerian language (the name was introduced into science by Oppert himself in 1869) and the origin of his letter eventually found confirmation.
In 1856, Oppert published Chronologie des Assyriens et des Babyloniens. In 1857, he was appointed professor of Sanskrit and comparative philology at a language school at the French National Library ; in this position, he released his Grammaire Sanscrite (1859). However, his main attention was focused on Assyria and everything connected with it.
His report on the Fresnel mission and research results were published as “Expédition Scientifique en Mésopotamie” (1859–1863), while the second volume was published under the title “Déchiffrement des inscriptions cunéiformes”.
In 1865, Oppert published the story of Assyria and Chaldea (Histoire des Empires de Chaldée et d'Assyrie) in the context of new archaeological finds. His grammar Éléments de la grammaire assyrienne was published in 1868. In 1869, Oppert was appointed professor of Assyrian philology and archeology at the College de France . In 1876, Oppert focused on the antiquities of Media and its language , releasing in 1879 Le Peuple et la langue des Médes. In 1881 he was admitted to the Academy of Inscriptions , and in 1890 he was elected to its leadership.
Julius Oppert died in Paris on August 21, 1905.
Notes
Links
- OPPERT, JULES // Jewish Encyclopedia .
- OPPERT Jules . Profile on the website of the Academy of Inscriptions and Fine Literature.