Ernest Renan

1823–1892

1 standalone book

Joseph Ernest Renan (27 February 1823 – 2 October 1892) was a French Orientalist and Semitic scholar. He was an expert in Semitic languages and civilizations, and worked as a historian of religion, philologist, philosopher, and biblical scholar. Renan wrote influential historical works on the origins of early Christianity. He also developed political theories, particularly regarding nationalism and national identity. He is credited as one of the first scholars to propose the Khazar theory, which suggested that Ashkenazi Jews were descendants of the Khazars, a Turkic people who adopted Judaism and migrated to Western Europe after their khanate collapsed.

Born

1823