Beelen, Jan Theodoor
BEELEN, JAN THEODOOR
Exegete and Orientalist; b. Amsterdam, Holland, Jan. 12, 1807; d. Louvain, Belgium, March 31, 1884. He made higher studies in Rome, where he received the doctorate in theology, and in 1836 he was appointed professor of Sacred Scripture and Oriental languages at the Catholic University of Louvain. In 1876 he relinquished his position to his pupil, T. J. Lamy. He was the author of many biblical works; his commentary on the Epistle to the Romans (Louvain 1854) was held in high regard. He also published works in the field of Oriental scholarship, including a useful Chrestomathia rabbinica et Chaldaica (3 v. Louvain 1841–43). He revived Oriental studies in Belgium, where he established an Oriental printing plant, for which he purchased complete fonts of Hebrew, Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic type. He was made domestic prelate of the pope, consultor of the Congregation of the Index, honorary canon of Liège, and Knight of the Order of Leopold.
Bibliography: f. bechtel, The Catholic Encyclopedia, ed. c.g. herbermann et al. (New York 1907–14) 2:388. o. rey, Dictionnaire de la Bible (Paris 1895–1912) 1.2:1542–43.
[m. c. mcgarraghy]