Michaelis, JOHANN DAVID, one of the most learned biblical scholars of the 18th century, was born on 27th February 1717 at Halle, the son of Christian Benedict Michaelis (1680-1764), a theologian and orientalist of some distinction. After completing his studies at his native university, he travelled to England, passing through Holland, where he made the acquaintance of the orientalist Schultens. In 1745 he began to teach at Göttingen, and in the following year was appointed professor of Philosophy. He took an active part with Haller in the formation (1751) of the Göttingen Academy. In 1750 he had been elected to fill the chair of Oriental Languages in addition to that of Philosophy. He died on 22d August 1791. Michaelis was a man of vast attainments, especially in history, archaeology, and natural science; and to him belongs the credit of being one of the first to study the biblical narratives as an integral part of oriental history.
His chief works are Einleitung in die göttlichen Schriften des Neuen Bundes (2 vols. 4th ed. 1788; Eng. trans. by Marsh, 4 vols. 1802); Mosaisches Recht (2d ed. 5 vols. 1776-80; Eng. trans. by Dr Alexander Smith, 1814); Spicilegium Geographiae Hebraeorum (1769-80); Orientalische und exegetische Bibliothek (1775-85); Supplementa ad Lexica Hebraica (6 vols. 1784-92); and numerous others. See his autobiographic Lebensbeschreibung (ed. by Hassencamp, 1793).