BENJAMIN KENNIKOTT. — English critic of the Hebrew biblical text, b. at Totnes (Devonshire) on 4 Apr. 1718, d. at Oxford on 18 Sept. 1783. Pastor at Culham (Oxfordshire) in 1753, doctor of theology at Oxford in 1761, and there professor of the Hebrew language at Exeter College from 1770; canon of the Christopher from 1767; librarian of the Radcliffe Library from 1767.
His dissertations *The state of the Hebrew text of the Old Test. considered* (Oxford 1753) and *The state of the printed Hebrew text of the Old Test. considered* (iv 1753-59) gave rise to a decade-long controversy, in which F. Connings (1753) and J. Bate (1754) took part.
The work to which K. owes his fame is: *Vetus Testamentum Hebraicum cum variis lectionibus* (Oxford 1776-1780), in two volumes, the second of which bears at its head a *Dissertatio generalis in Vetus Testamentum* (on Hebrew manuscripts) reprinted separately at Brunswick in 1783 by P. F. Bruns. K. precedes G. B. De Rossi (v.) in demonstrating the minor importance of the variants of the Masoretic text. The work cost him 20 years of uninterrupted study; he collated 615 manuscripts and 52 editions. In the years 1784 and following, G. B. De Rossi would supply additions and corrections to K.’s labors.