GELSIUS, OLOF (OLAUS). - Swedish Lutheran botanist and exegete, born in 1670 and died on 24 June 1756. He knew Arabic, which he used to determine the Hebrew names of plants. For the same purpose, King Charles XI in 1696 sent him, at his own expense, to travel through the principal countries of Europe; he visited Germany, Holland, Italy and Austria. Returning to Sweden (1698), he taught Greek, Oriental languages and theology at the University of Uppsala; he was one of the first teachers of Linnaeus, who gave the name Celsia to a plant in his honour.
He employed his knowledge of natural history to explain Holy Scripture. He first published dissertations, which he later collected in his principal work: Hierobotanicon (Uppsala 1745 and 1747, Amsterdam 1748). Other works by him include: De lingua Novi Testamenti originali (Uppsala 1707); De syndario iudicio (Stockholm 1709); De versionibus Bibliorum Smeo-Gothicis (ibid. 1717); De lotione manuum Iudaeis usitata (Uppsala 1717); De titulis Psalmorum (Stockholm 1718); De legibus Hebraeorum bellicis (Uppsala 1722); De templo samaritaniorum in Garizim (ibid. 1722).