Herbert Danby

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Herbert Danby (20 January 1889 – 29 March 1953)

Anglican priest and writer who played a central role in the change of attitudes toward Judaism[2] in the first half of the twentieth century.[3]

Education

Danby was educated at Church Middle Class School, Leeds[4] and Keble College, Oxford. He was a Holroyd Musical Scholar, and became a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists in 1907. He retained a lifelong passionate interest in music, and also in golf.

Danby had a distinguished career at Oxford, winning the Junior

Mishna and Tosefta
, published in 1919.

Early career

Danby became a Deacon in 1913, and worked as Curate of the Parish of Waddesdon, Buckinghamshire. Ordained as a priest in 1914, he became Subwarden of St Deiniol's Library, Hawarden, Flintshire, 1914-9.[5]

Jerusalem

In 1919, Danby moved to Jerusalem to become Librarian of St. George's Cathedral. He was Residentiary Canon there, 1921–36. From 1923, he was Dean of the Palestine Board of Higher Studies and The Times Correspondent for Palestine and Transjordan. From 1928, he was Examining Chaplain to the Bishop of Jerusalem.

He was editor of the Journal of the Palestine Oriental Society from 1920, and President of that Society in 1934. He engaged in the study of Jewish literature, and published his English translation of the Mishnah in 1933, the first ever complete translation of the Mishnah into English. He also translated a remarkable work by Joseph Klausner entitled Jesus of Nazareth.

Oxford

In 1936, he returned to Oxford as

Grinfield Lecturer on the Septuagint, 1939–43, Examining Chaplain to the Bishop of Monmouth
, 1939–41 and Treasurer of Christ Church Cathedral from 1943.

He assisted in the

Yale Translation of the Mishneh Torah of Maimonides
.

His contributions to the decline of

Jews' College
, London.

Publications

Translations from the Hebrew

Notes

  1. ^ Dr. Herbert Danby. The Times (London, England), Monday, 30 March 1953; pg. 8; Issue 52583
  2. ^ Shalom Goldman
  3. ^ 'DANBY, Rev. Dr Herbert', Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2015; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2014 ; online edn, April 2014 accessed 6 April 2015
  4. ^ Leodis
  5. ^ Crockford's Clerical Directory 1929/30 p308: London, OUP, 1929
  6. GMT
    Wednesday 8 April 2015