LOEWENTHAL, Isidor. Posen, Prussia (now Poznań in Poland) 1826 — Peshawar 27.4.1864. Rev. U.S. (German-born) Presbyterian Missionary in India. Born in a Jewish family, after Jewish school and gymnasium in Posen worked as clerk in mercantile firm. In 1846 escaped political pressure to the U.S.A. and taught Hebrew and German at Lafayette College, graduated there himself 1848. After baptism in 1847 from 1852 studies at Princeton Seminary, graduated 1855 and chose missionary career. In 1855 (or 1856) left for India and soon began work in Peshawar in North-West Frontier, learning Pashtu, Persian and Hindustani. Accidentally killed by a guard at night, mistaken as a robber. A dictionary of Pashtu remained unfinished.
Publications: Revolt of the Sepoys. 31 p. N.Y. 1858.
– “Is the Pushto a Semitic Language?”, JASB 29, 1860, 323-345 (with the right negative answer); “On the Antiquities of the Peshawur District. JASB 32, 1863, 1-18; “Some Persian Inscriptions found in Srinagar, Kashmir”, JASB 33, 1864, 278-290.
– Translated the New Testament into Pashtu.
Sources: http://famousamericans.net/isidorloewenthal/; *M. Ebenezer, American Presbyterians and Islam in India 1855-1923: A Critical Evaluation of the Contributions of Isidor Loewenthal (1826-1864) & Elwood Morris Wherry (1843-1927). Philadelphia 1998.
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