Movers, Franz Karl, exegete and Orientalist, b. at Koesfeld, Westphalia, July 17, 1806; d. at Breslau, September 28, 1856. He attended the gymnasium of his native town, and from 1822 to 1825 the gymnasium at Munster. The next four years he studied at the academy of Munster, taking up philosophy, theology, and especially Oriental languages under Laurenz Reinke. In the autumn of 1829 he was ordained priest at Paderborn, and then continued his Oriental studies for a short time at the University of Bonn. After that he remained as tutor for several years with Baron von Geyr at Rath, near Deutz. In 1833 he became pastor at Berkum, near Bonn, in 1839 extraordinary professor of Old Testament exegesis at the University of Breslau, and in 1842 ordinary professor at the same university.
In the field of exegesis Movers published the following works: “Kritische Untersuchungen fiber die biblische Chronik, ein Beitrag zur Einleitung in das Alte Testament” (Bonn, 1834); “De utriusque recensionis Vaticiniorum Jeremiw, Graece Alexandrines et Hebraicw masorethicae, indole et origine Commentatio critica” (Hamburg, 1837); “Loci quidam historiae canonis Veteris Testamenti illustrati, Commentatio critica” (Breslau, 1842); and various essays which appeared in theological magazines, especially in “Zeitschrift fur Philosophie and katholische Theologie”, published at Bonn. The first edition of the “Kirchenlexicon” contains a number of articles by him.
Movers showed great scholarship as an Orientalist and performed large and lasting services by his studies of the ancient Phoenicians. His chief work, “Die Phonizier”, though never completed, is still an important contribution to the subject. It appeared in parts under separate titles, as follows: Vol. I, “Untersuchungen fiber die Religion and die Gottheiten der Phonizier, mit Rucksicht auf die verwandten Culte der Carthager, Syrer, Babylonier, Assyrer, der Hebraer and der Aegypter” (Bonn, 1841); vol. II, “Das phonizische Alterthum” in three parts, part I, “Politische Geschichte and Staatsverfassung” (Berlin, 1849); part II, “Geschichte der Colonien” (Berlin, 1850); part III, first half, “Handel and Schiff-fahrt” (Berlin, 1856). Movers gave a shorter compendium of the results of his researches in his article “Phonizien” in “Allgemeine Encyklopadie der Wissenschaften and Kiinste” (1848), section III, part XXIV, pp. 319-443. In addition to briefer essays appearing in magazines, Movers published “Phonizische Texte erklart” (Breslau, 1845 and 1847), part I, “Die punisehen Texte im Pci nulus des Plautus kritisch gewurdigt and erklart”; part II, “Das Opferwesen der Carthager, Commentar zur Opfertafel von Marseille”. Another work to be mentioned is “Denkschrift fiber den Zustand der katholischtheologischen Facultat an der Universitat zu Breslau seit der Vereinigung der Breslauer and Frankfurter Universitat bis auf die Gegenwart” (Leipzig, 1845).
FRIEDRICH LAUCHERT