Thomas Obicini

Thomas Obicini (it. Tomasso Obicini da Novara) (Novara, Italy, 1585 - 7 november 1632). He was one of the first orientalists. He was a Franciscan Arabist. He was abbot in the convent of Aleppo. During his stay in the east he made himself master, in addition to Hebrew and Chaldee, of the Syriac, Arabic, and Coptic languages. In 1621, Obicini became the first lector in Arabic in the San Pietro in Montorio convent. He was a precursor of Athanasius Kircher. He wrote a "Grammatica Arabica" in 1631. His magnus opus the "Thesaurus Arabico-Syro-latinus" was published by Dominicus Germanicus in 1636.

Literature

*"Isagoge, id est, breve introductionum arabicum in scientiam logices; ac theses sanctae fidei", Thomas Obicini, 1625
*Obicini, Thomas, "Grammatica Arabica. Agrumia appellata. Cum versione Latina, ac dilucida expositione." Rome, Congregationis de Propag. Fide, 1631
*"Thesaurus Arabico-Syro-Latinus" [ed. by Dominicus Germanus] , Thomas Obicinus, 1636
*Van Lantschoot, Arnold, "Un précurseur d'Athanase Kircher : Thomas Obicini et la Scala Vat. copte 71", Louvain : Muséon, 1948 - XV, 87 p, (Bibliothèque du Muséon ; 22)

ee also

*Athanasius Kircher
*Elia of Nisibis

External links

* [http://www.christusrex.org/www1/ofm/sbf/segr/ntz/2005mouski/4tappeIt.pdf I franciscani e l'oriente cristano (pdf)]