Eber Paul

Eber Paul, a companion of Luther and Melancthon and an eminent Hebrew scholar and theologian, was born at Kissingen, November 8, 1511. He received his first instruction from his father, and continued his studies at Anspach. The sudden death of his mother caused his father to recall Paul from Anspach, and while on his way home he was thrown from his horse and became humpbacked. In 1526 he had so far recovered that he could resume his studies at Nuremberg, and in 1532 he entered the university at Wittenberg. Here he was employed as amanuensis to Melancthon, with whom he became so intimate that he consulted him on all important matters, and hence Eber received the name of Philip's Repository (Repertorium Philippi). He was also a faithful disciple of Luther. In 1536 he began to lecture on grammar and philosophy, and in 1541 he accompanied Melancthon to the Diet at Worms. In 1544 he was appointed professor of Latin grammar, in 1550 dean of the philosophical faculty, and in 1551 rector of the university. After the death of Forster (1556) he was appointed professor of Hebrew and chaplain to the royal chapel at Wittenberg. These positions he soon changed for others, and in 1559 he was made general superintendent of the electorate and, as doctor of theology, a member of the theological faculty of the university. From this time to' the day of his death, December 16, 1569, he devoted himself entirely to theology and to the faithful discharge of his duties as general superintendent of the electorate. After the death of Melancthon he was regarded as the head of the university. He took large part in the Adiaphoristic and Crypto- Calvinistic controversies but always showed himself moderate and learned. His principal works are: Expositio Evangeliorum (Francf. 1576): — Calendarium historicum (1551, 4to): —Historia populi judaici a reditu ex Babylonico exilio usque ad ultimum excidium Jerosolymae (Witeb. 1458; new ed. 1562, and translated into German, French, and Dutch): — Unterricht u. Bekenntn. vom h. Sacrament des Leibs u. Bluts unseres Hermr (Wittb. 1562): — Biblia Latina (Vitemb. 1565): — Expositio Evangelicorum Dominicaliunz (Frankf. 1576). — Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Gener. 15:599 sq.; Herzog, Real-Encykl. 3:618 sq.; Plank, Gesch. der protest. Theol. 4, Theil 1 (Lpz. 1798), 448-525; Sixt, Paul Eber (Heidelb. 1843, and another book by the same author, Anspach, 1857); Pressel, Paul Eber nach gleichzeitigen Quellen (1862); Bibl. Sacra, 20 page 644 sq.