Geiger, ABRAHAM

Geiger, ABRAHAM, a Jewish scholar, was born at Frankfort-on-the-Main, May 24, 1810. According to old rabbinical practice, his teachers were his father and elder brother, till he reached the age of eleven. After that he went to the gymnasium, next to the universities of Heidelberg and Bonn, devoting himself to philosophy and the oriental languages. His prize essay, Was hat Mohammed aus dem Judenthum aufgenommen? was published in 1833. In November 1832 he was called as rabbi to Wiesbaden, and there he devoted himself with great zeal and in a scientific spirit to Jewish theology, especially in its relation to practical life. In 1835 he joined with several able scholars in starting the Zeitschrift für Jüdische Theologie. In 1838 he was called as second rabbi to Breslau, and here he came into serious conflict with the more conservative Jews, but carried with him all men of learning and thought. From 1863 he officiated as rabbi at Frankfort, whence he was called in 1870 to Berlin. Here he died, 23d October 1874, editing from 1862 till the last the Jüdische Zeitschrift. Of his many books may be named his striking Urschrift und Uebersetzungen der Bibel (1857), and the elaborate history, Das Judenthum und seine Geschichte (1864–65). An Allgemeine Einleitung, and 5 vols. of Nachgelassene Schriften, were edited by his son in 1875. See his Life by Schreiber (Löbau, 1880).