Biblical History and Antiquarianism

In chapter 3 we chart the potential and the pitfalls of Dutch Reformed biblical philology after 1650, a period that is relatively unknown. Focusing on Old Testament scholarship, a number of case studies serves to trace the paradoxical results of biblical philology in this period, as practised by the likes of Johannes Coccejus and Campegius Vitringa: discussions about the ‘oracle stones’ umim and thummim, reconstructions of the temple described by the prophet Ezekiel, and erotic allusions in the Old Testament. When such specialized debates spilled over to the writings of non-professionals, such as Adrianus Beverland, this could lead to unconventional speculations, unwelcome from a clerical perspective. These case studies show how existing philological work on the Bible became tied up with the textual criticism articulated by Spinoza, how Dutch scholarship connected with international discussions, and how philology radiated from academic specialists to outsiders with their own claims to exegetical authority.