BLOCHET, Gabriel Joseph Edgar. Bourges (Cher) 12.12.1870 — Paris 5.9.1937. French Oriental (Arabic and Iranian) Scholar and Historian of Religions. Son of a cavalry officer. After studies in Paris (i.al. ancient Iranian under Darmesteter at É.P.H.É. and Arabic (diploma), Persian, Turkish and Urdu at É.L.O.V.), from 1895 Assistant, then Librarian…
BLOCH, Jules. Paris 1.5.1880 — Sèvres (Seine-et-Oise) 29.11.1953. French Indologist and Linguist. Professor in Paris. Son of a Jewish merchant, Salomon Bloch and Caroline Bernheimer, a modest unreligious family originating in Alsace. After Lycée Charlemagne, studied in Paris (Fac. des lettres, etc.) under Lévi and Meillet (also Gauthiot, Foucher and…
BENVENISTE, Émile (born Ezra B.). Aleppo, Syria 25.2. or 27.4.1902 — Versailles 3.10.1976. French Iranian scholar and Linguist. Professor in Paris, naturalized as Frenchman in 1924. Son of Mathieu (Mathatias) Benveniste, of a well known Sephardim family of Turkey (originally of Spain), and Marie Malkenson, both teachers. Educated privately, in…
BARTHÉLEMY, Adrien Léon Nicolas. Paris 24.8.1859 — Emancé (Rambouillet) 18.12.1949. French Iranian and Arabic Scholar. Son of a confectioner, lost early his father. After Lycée Charlemagne studied at É.L.O.V. Arabic, Turkish, and Persian, at É.P.H.É. Sanskrit and Avestan (under Darmesteter), graduated 1884 with a thesis on the Pehlevi Gujastak Abalish.…
BAREAU, André. Saint Mandé (Seine) 31.12.1921 — Paris 2.3.1993. French Buddhologist. Professor in Paris. Son of an accountant. After undergraduate studies at École normale supérieure. worked as schoolteacher and now also began studies under Filliozat and Demiéville. Licence de philosophie 1946, diplom of É.P.H.É. Dr. ès lettres 1951. Worked in…
BACOT, Jacques. St.-Germain-en-Laye (Indre) 4.7.1877 — Paris 25.6.1965. French Traveller and Tibetologist. Born in a family of cloth merchants, son of Raymond Bacot (1843–1917) and Marie Louise Bapterosses. With father and grandfather, who were experienced travellers, he himself made a journey round the world in 1904. In 1907 he conducted…