The Danish Arabia expedition (Danish: Den Arabiske Rejse) was a Danish scientific expedition to Egypt, Arabia, and Syria. Its principal goal was to elucidate the Old Testament with additional research goals concerned with natural history, geography, and cartography.[1] It had six members, of whom only Carsten Niebuhr survived, returning to Denmark in 1767. The journey has been chronicled by the 20th century novelist, Thorkild Hansen, in his novel Arabia Felix.
Danish Arabia expedition
Native name
Den Arabiske Rejse
Date
January 4, 1761 – November 20, 1767 (1761-01-04 – 1767-11-20)
Carsten Niebuhr in the attire of a distinguished Arab in Yemen, gift from al-Mahdi Abbas, Imam of Yemen
Six people went on the expedition, and five died. † denotes which members died on the expedition.
Peter Forsskål†: Finnish/Swedish natural scientist and student of Carl Linnaeus; his main tasks was to find supporting evidence for a number of Linnaeus' accounts.[2]
Frederik Christian von Haven†: Philologist, was tasked to purchase oriental manuscripts and to transcribe inscriptions. Furthermore, to make observations on the Arabic language, with a focus to help on the obscure passages of the Old Testament.[2]
Christian Carl Kramer†: Physician, was to research medical questions, both on the scientific and also on a more practical level, among the people of Arabia.[2]
Georg Wilhelm Baurenfeind†: Artist and painter, tasked to sketch the finds of the others.[2]
The expedition departed from Copenhagen on 4 January 1761, landing at Alexandria and ascending the Nile. Proceeding to Suez, Niebuhr visited Mount Sinai, and then in October 1762 the expedition sailed to Jeddah and then journeyed overland to Mocha. Here, in May 1763, von Haven died, and shortly afterwards Forsskål died. The remaining members of the expedition visited Sanaa, the capital of Yemen, but suffered from the climate and returned to Mocha. Niebuhr seems to have preserved his own life and restored his health by adopting native dress and eating native food.
From Mocha, the expedition continued to Bombay; both Baurenfeind and Berggren died en route, and Kramer died soon after landing. Niebuhr was the only surviving member. He stayed in Bombay for fourteen months and then returned home by way of Muscat, Bushire, Shiraz, and Persepolis. His copies of the cuneiform inscriptions at Persepolis proved to be a key turning point in the decipherment of cuneiform and the birth of Assyriology. He also visited the ruins of Babylon (making many important sketches), Baghdad, Basra (where he reported on the Mandaeans),[3]Mosul, and Aleppo. He likely visited the Behistun Inscription around 1764. After a visit to Cyprus, he made a tour through Palestine, crossed the Taurus Mountains to Bursa, reached Constantinople in February 1767, and finally arrived in Copenhagen the following November.[4]
Referencesedit
^Vermeulen, Hans (2008). Early History of Ethnography and Ethnology in the German Enlightenment: Anthropological Discourse in Europe and Asia, 1710-1808. Leiden: Privately published.
^ abcdefRasmussen, Stig T. "The Arabian Journey 1761-1767". kb.dk. Royal Danish Library. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
^Abdullah, Thabit A. J. (2018). "The Mandaean Community and Ottoman-British Rivalry in Late 19th-Century Iraq: The Curious Case of Shaykh Ṣaḥan". Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient. 61 (3). Brill: 396–425. ISSN 0022-4995. JSTOR 26572309. Retrieved 2023-07-05.
^Rasmussen, Stig T. "The Arabian Journey 1761-1767". kb.dk. Royal Danish Library. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
Further readingedit
Hansen, Anne Haslund, Niebuhr's Museum, "Artefacts and Souvenirs from the Royal Danish Expedition to Arabia 1761-1767," Copenhagen 2016.
External linksedit
The Arabian Journey 1761-1767
Article (in Danish)
Lost In Arabia by Colin Thubron, New York Review of Books
January 01, 1970
danish, arabia, expedition, 1761, 1767, danish, arabia, expedition, danish, arabiske, rejse, danish, scientific, expedition, egypt, arabia, syria, principal, goal, elucidate, testament, with, additional, research, goals, concerned, with, natural, history, geog. The Danish Arabia expedition Danish Den Arabiske Rejse was a Danish scientific expedition to Egypt Arabia and Syria Its principal goal was to elucidate the Old Testament with additional research goals concerned with natural history geography and cartography 1 It had six members of whom only Carsten Niebuhr survived returning to Denmark in 1767 The journey has been chronicled by the 20th century novelist Thorkild Hansen in his novel Arabia Felix Danish Arabia expeditionNative nameDen Arabiske RejseDateJanuary 4 1761 November 20 1767 1761 01 04 1767 11 20 Duration6 years 320 daysLocationMiddle EastTypeExpeditionPatron s Frederick V of DenmarkOrganized byUniversity of CopenhagenDeaths5 Contents 1 Members 2 Expedition 3 References 4 Further reading 5 External linksMembers edit nbsp Carsten Niebuhr in the attire of a distinguished Arab in Yemen gift from al Mahdi Abbas Imam of Yemen Six people went on the expedition and five died denotes which members died on the expedition Peter Forsskal Finnish Swedish natural scientist and student of Carl Linnaeus his main tasks was to find supporting evidence for a number of Linnaeus accounts 2 Frederik Christian von Haven Philologist was tasked to purchase oriental manuscripts and to transcribe inscriptions Furthermore to make observations on the Arabic language with a focus to help on the obscure passages of the Old Testament 2 Carsten Niebuhr Cartographer was to observe and take measurements for mapping 2 Christian Carl Kramer Physician was to research medical questions both on the scientific and also on a more practical level among the people of Arabia 2 Georg Wilhelm Baurenfeind Artist and painter tasked to sketch the finds of the others 2 Lars Berggren Acted as orderly on the trip 2 Expedition edit nbsp Danish expedition to Yemen 1761 1767 The expedition departed from Copenhagen on 4 January 1761 landing at Alexandria and ascending the Nile Proceeding to Suez Niebuhr visited Mount Sinai and then in October 1762 the expedition sailed to Jeddah and then journeyed overland to Mocha Here in May 1763 von Haven died and shortly afterwards Forsskal died The remaining members of the expedition visited Sanaa the capital of Yemen but suffered from the climate and returned to Mocha Niebuhr seems to have preserved his own life and restored his health by adopting native dress and eating native food From Mocha the expedition continued to Bombay both Baurenfeind and Berggren died en route and Kramer died soon after landing Niebuhr was the only surviving member He stayed in Bombay for fourteen months and then returned home by way of Muscat Bushire Shiraz and Persepolis His copies of the cuneiform inscriptions at Persepolis proved to be a key turning point in the decipherment of cuneiform and the birth of Assyriology He also visited the ruins of Babylon making many important sketches Baghdad Basra where he reported on the Mandaeans 3 Mosul and Aleppo He likely visited the Behistun Inscription around 1764 After a visit to Cyprus he made a tour through Palestine crossed the Taurus Mountains to Bursa reached Constantinople in February 1767 and finally arrived in Copenhagen the following November 4 References edit Vermeulen Hans 2008 Early History of Ethnography and Ethnology in the German Enlightenment Anthropological Discourse in Europe and Asia 1710 1808 Leiden Privately published a b c d e f Rasmussen Stig T The Arabian Journey 1761 1767 kb dk Royal Danish Library Retrieved 1 March 2016 Abdullah Thabit A J 2018 The Mandaean Community and Ottoman British Rivalry in Late 19th Century Iraq The Curious Case of Shaykh Ṣaḥan Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient 61 3 Brill 396 425 ISSN 0022 4995 JSTOR 26572309 Retrieved 2023 07 05 Rasmussen Stig T The Arabian Journey 1761 1767 kb dk Royal Danish Library Retrieved 1 March 2016 Further reading editHansen Anne Haslund Niebuhr s Museum Artefacts and Souvenirs from the Royal Danish Expedition to Arabia 1761 1767 Copenhagen 2016 External links editThe Arabian Journey 1761 1767 Article in Danish Lost In Arabia by Colin Thubron New York Review of Books Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Danish Arabia expedition 1761 1767 amp oldid 1170942397, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
