SELLIN, ERNST. - Biblical archaeologist and Protestant exegete of moderate critical tendency, opponent of J. WELLHAUSEN, JULIUS (v.) and of the Comparative Religion School of W. BOUSSET, WILHELM (v.) and followers. Born on 26 July 1867 in Altschwerin (Mecklenburg), died on 31 December 1945 at Epichenellen (Thuringia). He studied theology and Oriental studies at Rostock, Erlangen, and Berlin, after which he became a professor at the Gymnasium in Ratzeburg (Mecklenburg). In 1894 he qualified as a lecturer in Old Testament studies at Erlangen and later became an extraordinary professor in Vienna. Ordinary professor from 1899, he directed the first Austro-German excavations in Palestine, at Tell Ta'annak (v. THABRACA) in 1902-1904, at Jericho (v.) in 1907-1909, and later at Shechem (now Tell Balāṭah) in 1913, 1914, 1926, 1927, 1934, and 1935. Transferred in 1908 to Rostock, in 1913 to Kiel, and in 1921 to Berlin, he carried out important literary work there. During 1944, due to continuous bombings, he took refuge at Epichenellen near Eisenach, where he remained until his death.
S. proposed in his exegesis a criticism united with faith. He made considerable contributions in four areas: a) by emphasizing the relations between the Old Testament and the ancient Near Eastern environment; b) by promoting archaeological excavations (in this field he may be considered an unfortunate pioneer because of Germany’s tragic political fate and disputes with collaborators, e.g., with G. Welter regarding the excavations at Shechem; although modern methods are more refined and despite his adoption, e.g., in the Jericho excavations, of a false chronology based on biblical memories and his failure to fully appreciate the importance of pottery as an “archaeological clock,” his merits remain undisputed; c) by significantly contributing to the clarification of Israel’s history, especially the restoration after the Babylonian exile; d) by investigating the history of Israelite religion, ascending from it to the theology of the Old Testament. These merits, with allowance for individual collaborators, also characterize the Sellinibel, i.e., the *Kommentar zum Alten Testament* (Leipzig 1913 ff.), an erudite commentary that strives to highlight religious ideas.
Besides various works on grammar, metrics, literature, and Old Testament archaeology, he published: *Beiträge zur israelitischen Religionsgeschichte* (1896-97); *Reubabel* (Leipzig 1898); *Studien zur Entstehung der jüdischen Gemeinde nach dem babylonischen Exil* (ib. 1901); *Tell Ta'annek* (in *Denkschriften der K. Akad.*, Vienna 1904); *Biblische Urgeschichte* (Berlin 1905); *Nachlese auf dem Tell Ta'annek* (Vienna 1906); *Die alttestamentliche Religion im Rahmen der altorientalischen* (1907); *Das Rätsel des deuterojewishischen Buches* (1907); *Die israelitisch-jüdische Heilanderswartung* (Berlin 1909); *Ein*
*leitung in das Alte Testament* (Leipzig 1910; 7th ed. 1935); *Zur Einleitung in das Alte Testament* (ib. 1912); *Der alttestamentliche Prophetismus* (ib. 1912); *Jericho, Ausgrabungsbericht* (ib. 1913); *Gilgal* (ib. 1917); *Das Alte Testament und die evangelische Kirche der Gegenwart* (ib. 1921); *Das Zwölfprophetenbuch* (ib. 1921; 2nd ed. 1929); *Sichem* (ib. 1922); *Moses* (ib. 1922); *Geschichte des israelitisch-jüdischen Volkes* (2 vols., ib. 1924-31); *Das Hiobproblem* (Berlin 1931); *Abschaffung des Alten Testaments* (ib. 1932); *Altes Testament, I.: Israel. Jüd. Religionsgeschichte; II.: Theologie des Alten Testaments* (Leipzig 1933; 9th ed. 1935-36); *Das Alte Testament im christlichen Gottesdienst und Unterricht* (Gütersloh 1936). On the archaeological excavations at Shechem he published numerous articles in *Zeitschr. d. Deutschen Palästinavereins* from 1926 to 1941 and in *Zeitschr. f. Altest. Wissen.* 51 (1933), pp. 156-69.