Movers, Franz Karl

Movers, Franz Karl a German Roman Catholic theologian and Orientalist, was born, of humble but honorable parentage, at Kosfeld, Rhenish Prussia, July 17, 1806. Franz Karl studied Orientalia and theology at Minster; was ordained priest; in 1830 became vicar at Rath, near Deutz; in 1833 priest at Berkum, near Godesberg, and there remained until 1839, when he was appointed professor of Old-Testament theology in the Roman Catholic faculty of Breslau University, which office he held till his death, Sept. 28,1856. His principal work, Die Phonizier, presents a comprehensive view of Phoenician history. The first volume (Breslau, 1840) treats of the religion and the divinities of the Phoenicians; the second volume bears the title of Das Phonizische Alterthum, and is divided into parts, embracing the political history (1849) and the colonial history (1850) of that nation. He further enriched this field of knowledge by the publication of two volumes of Phoenician texts (1845-47), and wrote the article Phonicier for Ersch u. Gruber's Encyklopadie (§ 3, volume 24). Among his other works worth mentioning are, Kritische Untersuchungen i. d. Alttestamentliche Chronik (Bonn, 1834): — De utriusque recensionis vaticiniorum Jeremiae indole et origine (Hamb. 1837): — Loci quidam historie Veteris Testamenti illustrati (Bresl. 1843): — Zustand der katholisch-theol. Facultat an der Universitat Brieslau (1847). He was also a frequent and esteemed contributor to the periodical literature of Germany, especially the philosophical and theological quarterlies; among which that of his own Church, the Zeitschriftfur Philosoph. u. Katholische Theologie, enjoyed a very large number of valuable articles. (J.H.W.)