George Aaron Barton (12 November 1859 – 28 June 1942) was a Canadian author, Episcopal

clergyman Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

, and professor of

Semitic languages The Semitic languages are a branch of the Afroasiatic language family. They are spoken by more than 330 million people across much of West Asia, the Horn of Africa, and latterly North Africa, Malta, West Africa, Chad, and in large immigra ...

and the

history of religion The history of religion refers to the written record of human religious feelings, thoughts, and ideas. This period of religious history begins with the invention of writing about 5,200 years ago (3200 BC). The prehistory of religion involves th ...

Biography

Barton was born on 12 November 1859 in East Farnham,

Canada East Canada East (french: links=no, Canada-Est) was the northeastern portion of the United Province of Canada. Lord Durham's Report investigating the causes of the Upper and Lower Canada Rebellions recommended merging those two colonies. The new ...

, Canada. After attending Oakwood Seminary in

Union Springs, New York Union Springs is a village (New York), village in Cayuga County, New York, Cayuga County, New York (state), New York, United States. The population was 1,197 at the 2010 census. The name is derived from the mineral springs near the village. Union S ...

. Barton became a minister in the

Religious Society of Friends Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abili ...

and continued his education at

Haverford College Haverford College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Haverford, Pennsylvania. It was founded as a men's college in 1833 by members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), began accepting non-Quakers in 1849, and became coeducational ...

, completing a MA in 1885. He taught in

Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...

from 1884 to 1889, then earned a PhD at

Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

and became a professor of

Bryn Mawr College Bryn Mawr College ( ; Welsh: ) is a women's liberal arts college in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Founded as a Quaker institution in 1885, Bryn Mawr is one of the Seven Sister colleges, a group of elite, historically women's colleges in the United St ...

in 1891. In 1922 Barton moved to the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...

, where he was professor of Semitic languages and the history of religion. He retired in 1931 and held the title of professor

emeritus ''Emeritus'' (; female: ''emerita'') is an adjective used to designate a retired chair, professor, pastor, bishop, pope, director, president, prime minister, rabbi, emperor, or other person who has been "permitted to retain as an honorary title ...

until his death. He specialized in many subjects, particularly in Semitic languages. His many publications cover a wide range of topics in areas such as

biblical studies Biblical studies is the academic application of a set of diverse disciplines to the study of the Bible (the Old Testament and New Testament).''Introduction to Biblical Studies, Second Edition'' by Steve Moyise (Oct 27, 2004) pages 11–12 Fo ...

, religion, and

linguistics Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. It is called a scientific study because it entails a comprehensive, systematic, objective, and precise analysis of all aspects of language, particularly its nature and structure. Linguis ...

along with translations of Sumerian

cuneiform Cuneiform is a logo-syllabic script that was used to write several languages of the Ancient Middle East. The script was in active use from the early Bronze Age until the beginning of the Common Era. It is named for the characteristic wedge-sha ...

tablets. He was fascinated by bible

archeology Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...

and wrote a

text book A textbook is a book containing a comprehensive compilation of content in a branch of study with the intention of explaining it. Textbooks are produced to meet the needs of educators, usually at educational institutions. Schoolbooks are textboo ...

on the subject, published in 1916, along with other publications on similar subjects. Barton specialized in translations of Sumerian &

Akkadian Akkadian or Accadian may refer to: * Akkadians, inhabitants of the Akkadian Empire * Akkadian language, an extinct Eastern Semitic language * Akkadian literature, literature in this language * Akkadian cuneiform Cuneiform is a logo- syllabi ...

tablets, seals and cylinders. He notably translated a set of Sumerian tablets recovered in 1896–1898 by the

's excavation at

Nippur Nippur (Sumerian language, Sumerian: ''Nibru'', often logogram, logographically recorded as , EN.LÍLKI, "Enlil City;"The Cambridge Ancient History: Prolegomena & Prehistory': Vol. 1, Part 1. Accessed 15 Dec 2010. Akkadian language, Akkadian: '' ...

initially labelled as "Miscellaneous Babylonian Inscriptions", including creation myths known as the

Barton Cylinder The Barton Cylinder is a Sumerian creation myth, written on a clay cylinder in the mid to late 3rd millennium BCE, which is now in the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. Joan Goodnick Westenholz suggests it dates t ...

and the

Debate between sheep and grain The "Debate between sheep and grain" or "Myth of cattle and grain" is a Sumerian creation myth, written on clay tablets in the mid to late 3rd millennium BC. Disputations Seven "debate" topics are known from the Sumerian literature, falling i ...

. These were later revised by

Samuel Noah Kramer Samuel Noah Kramer (September 28, 1897 – November 26, 1990) was one of the world's leading Assyriologists, an expert in Sumerian history and Sumerian language. After high school, he attended Temple University, before Dropsie and Penn, both in ...

. Barton died in

Weston Weston may refer to: Places Australia * Weston, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb of Canberra * Weston, New South Wales * Weston Creek, a residential district of Canberra * Weston Park, Canberra, a park Canada * Weston, Nova Scotia * W ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

, on 28 June 1942.

Positions, awards and accolades

* 1891–1922 Professor of Semitic languages,

. * 1922–1931 Professor of Semitic languages and the history of religion,

. * 1932–1942 Professor Emeritus, University of Pennsylvania * 1921–1934 Director of the

American School of Oriental Research The American Society of Overseas Research (ASOR), founded in 1900 as the American School of Oriental Study and Research in Palestine, is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization based in Alexandria, Virginia which supports the research and teaching of ...

Baghdad Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon ...

Books

* Barton, G.A., 1894, ''Native Israelitish Deities'', Oriental Club of Philadelphia. * Barton, G.A., 1902, ''A Sketch of Semitic Origins: Social and Religious'', The Macmillan Company. * Barton, G.A., 1904, ''A Year's Wandering in Bible Lands'', Ferris & Leach. * Barton, G.A., 1905–14, ''The Haverford Library Collection of Cuneiform Tablets, or Documents from the Temple Archives of Telloh''. Parts 1–3. New Haven. * Barton, G.A., 1906, ''Traces of the Diatessaron of Tatian in Harclean Syriac Lectionaries'', s.n. * Barton, G.A., 1908, ''A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Ecclesiastes'', T & T Clark Ltd, Edinburgh. * Barton, G.A., 1909, ''Haverford Library Collection of Cuneiform Tablets or Documents from the Temple Archives of Telloh, Volumes 1-3'', The John C. Winston Company. * Barton, G.A., 1911, ''Commentary on the Book of Job'', The Macmillan Company. * Barton, G.A., 1912, ''The Heart of the Christian Message'', The Macmillan Company. * Barton, G.A., 1913, ''The Origin and Development of Babylonian Writing'', J. C. Hinrichs. * Barton, G.A., 1915, ''Sumerian Business and Administrative Documents from the Earliest Times to the Dynasty of Agade'', Harvard University Museum. * Barton, G.A., 1916, ''Archæology and the Bible'',

American Sunday School Union InFaith has its roots in the First Day Society (founded 1790). InFaith officially formed in 1817 as the “Sunday and Adult School Union.” In 1824, the organization changed its name to American Sunday School Union (ASSU). Then, in 1974, the ASSU ...

. Re-printed BiblioBazaar (26 November 2009) * Barton, G.A., 1917, ''New Babylonian Material Concerning Creation and Paradise'', The University of Chicago Press. * Barton, G.A., 1918, ''The Religion of Ancient Israel'', The Macmillan Company. * Barton, G.A., 1918, ''Miscellaneous Babylonian Inscriptions, Volume 1'', Yale University Press. * Barton, G.A., 1919, ''The Religions of the World'', The University of Chicago Press. * Barton, G.A., 1922, ''Jesus of Nazareth: A Biography'', The Macmillan Company. * Barton, G.A., 1926, ''The Annual of the American Schools of Oriental Research'', American Schools of Oriental Research. * Barton, G.A., 1928, ''Studies in New Testament Christianity'', University of Pennsylvania Press. * Barton, G.A., 1928, ''Hittite Studies, Volumes 1-2'', P. Geuthner. * Barton, G.A., 1929, ''The Royal Inscriptions of Sumer and Akkad'', Yale University press. * Barton, G.A., 1930, ''A History of the Hebrew People from the Earliest Times to the Year 70 A.D.: Largely in the Language of Bible'', The Century co. * Barton, G.A., 1932, ''A Hittite

Chrestomathy A chrestomathy ( ; from the Ancient Greek (, “desire of learning”) = (, “useful”) + (, “learn”)) is a collection of selected literary passages (usually from a single author); a selection of literary passages from a foreign language ...

with Vocabulary'', P. Geuthner. * Barton, G.A., 1934, ''Christ and Evolution: A Study of the Doctrine of Redemption in the Light of Modern Knowledge'', University of Pennsylvania Press. * Barton, G.A., 1934, ''Semitic and Hamitic Origins: Social and Religious'', University of Pennsylvania Press. * Barton, G.A., 1936, ''The Apostolic Age and the New Testament'', University of Pennsylvania Press.

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Barton, George Aaron 1859 births 1942 deaths 19th-century Canadian male writers 19th-century Canadian non-fiction writers 19th-century Christian biblical scholars 19th-century Quakers 20th-century Canadian Anglican priests 20th-century Canadian male writers 20th-century Canadian non-fiction writers 20th-century Christian biblical scholars 20th-century Quakers Anglican biblical scholars Anglophone Quebec people Biblical archaeology Bryn Mawr College faculty Canadian archaeologists Canadian biblical scholars Canadian Christian religious leaders Canadian historians of religion Canadian male non-fiction writers Canadian Quakers Converts to Anglicanism from Quakerism Former Quakers Harvard University alumni Haverford College alumni Linguists from Canada New Testament scholars People from Montérégie Quaker ministers Quaker writers Semiticists University and college chaplains in America University of Pennsylvania faculty Writers from Quebec

Biography

Positions, awards and accolades

Books

See also

References

External links