Knittel, Franz Anton

Knittel, Franz Anton, a German theologian of note, was born at Salzdahlum, April 3, 1721, and was successively archdiaconus, general superintendent, and consistorialrath at Wolfenbuittel. le died April 13, 1792. He is celebrated as the discoverer (in the library at Wolfenblittel) of a MS., a fragment of Ulfila's Gothic version of time Epistle to the Romans. It is a palimpsest, the newer surface being occupied with the Origines and some letters of Isidorus Hispalensis.

The portions of the Gothic version of the Epistle to the Romans contained in it are 11:33-36; 12:1-5, 17-21; 13:1-5; 14:9-20; 15:3-13. These Knittel printed (in all probability in 1762 or 1763) in a volume entitled Ulphile Versio Gothica nonnullorum capitum Ep. ad Rom. venerandum antiquitatis monumentum,... e Latina codicis cujusd. MSti rescripti ... una cum variis varice litteruaturae monimentis huc usque ineditis, etc. The text is printed on one side of the page in Gothic letters, under each word is Knittel's reading of it in italics, and under that a Latin translation of each. On the other side there is a Latin version found in the Codex, under that the reading in the Vulgate, and under that the Greek text. There are also twelve plates, containing admirably-executed facsimiles of different codices; and among the notes is found an extract of considerable length from Otfried's Gospel Harmony. The volume contains also two fragments from ancient Greek codices of the N.T. in the Wolfenbtittel library, and a copious critical commentary by Knittel, and is altogether a splendid one; but, as Knittel's knowledge of Gothic was rather imperfect, its literary merits are not quite equal to its sumptuous appearance. Knittel deserves, however, the praise of great laboriousness, as is evinced by his collection of a vast amount of curious matter not elsewhere to be found. 'he book is very rarely to be met with at present; at least copies containing all the plates.-Kitto, Dict. Bibl. Lit. vol. ii, s.v.; Doring, Gelehrten Theol. Deutschlands, vol. ii, s.v. SEE GOTHIC VERSION.