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[[image:Simon leers.jpg|thumb|right|Title page of Simon's "Critical history", 1682.]]
'''Richard Simon''' [[Oratory of Jesus|CO]] (13 May [[1638 AD|1638]] – 11 April [[1712 AD|1712]]), was a French [[priesthood (Catholic Church)|priest]] and longtime [[Oratory of Jesus|Oratorian]], who was an influential biblical critic, [[Oriental studies|orientalist]] and controversialist.

==Early years==
Simon was born at [[Dieppe, France|Dieppe]]. His early education took place at the Oratorian college there, and a [[benefice]] enabled him to study [[theology]] at [[Paris]], where he showed an interest in [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] and other [[Semitic languages|Oriental languages]]. He entered the Oratorians as novice in [[1662 AD|1662]].<sup>[1]</sup> At the end of his [[novitiate]] he was sent to teach [[philosophy]] at the [[College of Juilly]]. But he was soon recalled to Paris, and employed in the preparing a catalogue of the Oriental books in the library of the Oratory.

==Conflicts as Oratorian==
Simon was ordained a priest in [[1670 AD|1670]]. He then taught rhetoric at Juilly until [[1673 AD|1673]], having among his students the noted philosopher, Count [[Henri de Boulainvilliers]].<sup>[2]</sup>

Simon was influenced by the ideas of [[Isaac La Peyrère]] who came to live with the Oratorians (though taking little of the specifics), and by [[Benedict Spinoza]]. Simon's approach earned him the later recognition as a "Father of the [[higher criticism]]", though this title is also given to German writers of the following century, as well as to Spinoza himself.<sup>[3]</sup>

Simon aroused ill will when he strayed into a legal battle. François Verjus was a fellow Oratorian and friend who was acting against the [[Benedictine]]s of [[Fécamp Abbey]] on behalf of their [[commendatory abbot]], the [[Philip William, Elector Palatine|Prince de Neubourg]].<sup>[4]>/sup> Simon composed a strongly worded memorandum, and the monks complained to the [[Abbé]] Abel-Louis de Sainte-Marthe, [[Provost (religion)|Provost]] General of the Oratory from 1672.<sup>[5]</sup> The charge of [[Jesuitism]] was also brought against Simon, on the grounds that his friend's brother, Father Antoine Verjus, was a prominent member of the [[Society of Jesus]].

==Suppression of the ''Histoire critique''==
At the time of the printing of Simon's ''Histoire critique du Vieux Testament'', the work passed the censorship of the [[University of Paris]], and the Chancellor of the Oratory gave his ''[[imprimatur]]''. Simon hoped, through the influence of the Jesuit priest, [[François de la Chaise]], the king's confessor, and [[Charles de Sainte-Maure, duc de Montausier]], to be allowed to dedicate the work to King [[Louis XIV of France]]; but the king was absent in [[Flanders]].

The freedom with which Simon expressed himself, especially where he declared that [[Moses]] could not be the author of much in the writings attributed to him, gained attention. The influence of [[Jacques-Benigne Bossuet]], at that time tutor to the [[Dauphin of France]], was invoked; the chancellor, [[Michael le Tellier]], lent his assistance. A decree of the [[Conseil du Roi|Royal Council]] was obtained, and, after a series of intrigues, the whole printing, consisting of 1,300 copies, was seized by the police and destroyed.

==Later life==
The Oratory then expelled Simon (1678). He retired in 1679 to the curacy of [[Bolleville, Seine-Maritime]]. He later returned to Dieppe, where much of his library was lost in the naval bombardment of 1694.<ref>{{fr icon}} http://dieppe76.pagesperso-orange.fr/s-personnages.html</ref><ref> http://www.dieppe.fr/mini-sites/reseau-des-bibs-ludos/pages/fonds-richard-simon-557</ref> He died there on 11 April 1712, at the age of seventy-four.

==Works==
Most of what Simon wrote in biblical criticism was not really new, given the work of previous critics such as [[Louis Cappel]], [[Johannes Morinus]], and others. In denying that Moses wrote the entire [[Pentateuch]] he followed [[Abraham ben Ezra]].<ref>William McKane, ''Selected Christian Hebraists'' (2005), p. 114; [https://books.google.com/books?id=W3ZgSxuGwVEC&pg=PA114 Google Books].</ref> The Jesuit tradition of biblical criticism starting with [[Alfonso Salmeron]] had paved the way for his approach.<ref>John W. O'Malley, ''The Jesuits: cultures, sciences, and the arts, 1540-1773'' (1999), p. 97; [https://books.google.com/books?id=Hzbsz3TOsZAC&pg=PA97 Google Books].</ref>

===Old Testament===
The ''Histoire critique du Vieux Testament'' (1678) consists of three books. The first deals with the text of the Hebrew Bible and the changes which it has undergone, the authorship of the Mosaic writings and of other books of the Bible, with an exposition of Simon's theory of the existence during early Jewish history of recorders or annalists of the events of each period, whose writings were preserved in the public archives. The second book gives an account of the main translations, ancient and modern, of the [[Old Testament]], and the third discusses biblical commentators. The book had a complicated early development. It appeared, with Simon's name on the title page, in the year 1685, from the press of [[Reinier Leers]] in [[Rotterdam]]. This Dutch edition, in fact the second, superseded the suppressed French first edition, but differed from it in a number of ways. Simon had hoped to overcome the opposition of Bossuet by making changes; these negotiations with Bossuet lasted a considerable time, but finally broke down.

The original French printer of the book, in order to promote sales, had the titles of the chapters printed separately and circulated. These had come into the hands of the Port Royalists, who had undertaken a translation into French of the ''Prolegomena'' to [[Brian Walton (bishop)|Brian Walton]]'s ''[[Polyglot (book)|Polyglott]]''. To counteract this, Simon announced his intention of publishing an annotated edition of the ''Prolegomena'', and added to the ''Histoire critique'' a translation of the last four chapters of that work, not part of his original plan. Simon's announcement prevented the appearance of the projected translation.

A faulty edition of the  ''Histoire critique'' had previously been published at [[Amsterdam]] by [[Daniel Elzevir]], based on a manuscript transcription of one of the copies of the original work had been sent to England; and from which a Latin translation (''Historia critica Veteris Testamenti'', 1681, by [[Noël Aubert de Versé]])<ref>Israel, p. 576.</ref> and an English translation (''Critical History of the Old Testament'', London, 1682)<ref>[http://m.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/encyc/encyc10/htm-old/0440=422.htm ''Schaff-Herzog'' article]</ref> were made. The edition of Leers was a reproduction of the work as first printed, with a new preface, notes, and those other writings which had appeared for and against the work up to that date; it included Simon's answers to criticisms of [[Charles de Veil]] and [[Friedrich Spanheim the Younger]].<ref>[[Richard Henry Popkin]], James E. Force, David S. Katz, ''Everything connects: in conference with Richard H. Popkin: essays in his honor'' (1999), p. 41; [https://books.google.com/books?id=A8Zc4gY8SmkC&pg=PA41 Google Books].</ref>

===New Testament===
In 1689 appeared Simon's companion ''Histoire critique du texte du Nouveau Testament'', consisting of thirty-three chapters. In it he discusses: the origin and character of the various books, with a consideration of the objections brought against them by the Jews and others; the quotations from the Old Testament in the New; the inspiration of the New Testament (with a refutation of the opinions of Spinoza); the Greek dialect in which they are written (against [[C. Salmasius]]); and the Greek manuscripts known at the time, especially [[Codex Bezae]] (Cantabrigiensis).

There followed in 1690 his ''Histoire critique des versions du Nouveau Testament'', where he gives an account of the various translations, both ancient and modern, and discusses the way in which difficult passages of the [[New Testament]] have been rendered in the various versions. In 1693 was published the ''Histoire critique des principaux commentateurs du Nouveau Testament depuis le commencement du Christianisme jusques a notre temps''. ''Nouvelles Observations sur le texte et les versions du Nouveau Testament'' (Paris, 1695) contains supplementary observations on the subjects of the text and translations of the New Testament.

In 1702 Simon published at [[Trévoux]] his own translation into French of the New Testament (the ''version de Trévoux''). It was substantially based on the [[Latin Vulgate]], but was annotated in such a way as to cast doubt on traditional readings that were backed by Church authority. Again Bossuet did what he could to suppress the work.<ref>[http://www.la-bible.net/page.php?ref=bible16_20_4 la-bible.net]</ref> Despite changes over two decades in how Bossuet was able to exert influence through his circle of contacts, he again mobilised against Simon beyond the boundaries of his diocese.<ref>{{fr icon}} Fabrice Preyat, ''Le Petit Concile de Bossuet et la christianisation des moeurs et des pratiques littéraires sous Louis XIV'' (2007), p. 252; [https://books.google.com/books?id=p4GQtS8mVegC&pg=PA252 Google Books].</ref>

===Other works===
As a [[controversialist]], Simon tended to use pseudonyms, and to display bitterness.

Simon was early at odds with the [[Port-Royal-des-Champs|Port-Royalists]]. [[Antoine Arnauld]] had compiled with others a work ''Perpétuité de la foi'' (On the Perpetuity of the Faith), the first volume of which dealt with the [[Eucharist]]. After [[François Diroys]], who knew both of them, had involved Simon in commenting on the work, Simon's criticisms from 1669 aroused indignation in Arnauld's camp.<ref>[http://www.1902encyclopedia.com/S/SIM/richard-simon.html 1902 Britannica article on Simon.]</ref><ref>Fabrice Preyat, ''Le Petit Concile de Bossuet et la christianisation des moeurs et des pratiques littéraires sous Louis XIV'' (2007), p. 119; [https://books.google.com/books?id=p4GQtS8mVegC&pg=PA119 Google Books].</ref>

Simon's first major publication followed, his ''Fides Ecclesiae orientalis, seu Gabrielis Metropolitae Philadelphiensis opuscula, cum interpretatione Latina, cum notis'' (Paris, 1671), on a work of {{Interlanguage link multi|Gabriel Severus|fr|3=Gabriel Sévèros}} (1541–1616), the object of which was to demonstrate that the belief of the Greek Church regarding the [[Eucharist]] was the same as that of the Church of Rome. In 1670 he had written a pamphlet in defence of the Jews of [[Metz]], who had been accused of having murdered a Christian child.

[[image:Leon de modene.jpg|right|thumb|220px|''Cérémonies et coutumes parmi les Juifs'' by [[Leon of Modena]], translated by Simon.]]

Simon published in 1675 a translation of the travels of [[Girolamo Dandini (1554–1634)|Girolamo Dandini]] in [[Lebanon]], as ''Voyage au Mont Liban'' (1675).<ref>Guy G. Stroumsa, ''A New Science: the discovery of religion in the Age of Reason'' (2010), p. 183 note 9; [https://books.google.com/books?id=I6K7RE8WxiEC&pg=PA183 Google Books].</ref> Dandini was a perceptive observer, and Simon in his preface argued for the utility of travel to theologians.<ref>Stroumsa, p. 64; [https://books.google.com/books?id=I6K7RE8WxiEC&pg=PA64 Google Books].</ref>

In 1676 contacts with [[Huguenot]]s at [[Charenton-le-Pont|Charenton]] led Simon to circulate a manuscript project for a new version of the Bible.<ref>Rens Bod, Jaap Maat, Thijs Weststeijn, ''The Making of the Humanities: Volume I: Early Modern Europe'', Volume 1 (2011), p. 345 note 18; [https://books.google.com/books?id=5Mgr4pkoCCQC&pg=PA345 Google Books].</ref> This was a sample for a proposed improved edition of the [[Giovanni Diodati]] translation; but after Simon had translated the [[Pentateuch]] the funding ran out.<ref>Magne Saebo, ''Hebrew Bible, Old Testament: From the Renaissance to the Enlightenment [1300-1800]'' (2008), p. 555; [https://books.google.com/books?id=OMlT-FViF40C&pg=PA555 Google Books].</ref>

===Reception===
The ''Histoire critique du Vieux Testament'' encountered strong opposition from Catholics who disliked Simon's diminishing of the authority of the [[Church Fathers]].<ref>Watson E. Mills, ''Mercer Commentary on the New Testament'' (2003), p. 42; [https://books.google.com/books?id=iNLZYtBEw0sC&pg=PA42&lpg=PA42 Google Books].</ref> Protestants widely felt that an infallible Bible was threatened by doubts which Simon raised against the integrity of the Hebrew text; and indeed Simon as basic tenets argued against ''[[sola scriptura]]''<ref name=CL>David Lyle Jeffrey, Gregory P. Maillet, ''Christianity and Literature: Philosophical Foundations and Critical Practice'' (2011), p. 221; [https://books.google.com/books?id=wG1d5yNrzXsC&pg=PA221 Google Books].</ref> and in favour of the Catholic Church tradition of interpretation. [[Jean Leclerc (theologian)|Jean Le Clerc]], in his 1685 work ''Sentimens de quelques théologiens de Hollande'', controverted the views of Simon acutely, and claimed that an uninformed reader might take Simon to be any of a Calvinist, Jew or crypto-Spinozan; Bossuet made a point of banning this also, as even more harmful than Simon's book.<ref>Israel, p. 100 and p. 452</ref> It was answered in ''Réponse aux Sentimens de quelques théologiens de Hollande'' by Simon (1686).

In France, Simon's work became well known and widely circulated, despite Bossuet's hostility and efforts to keep it marginal. [[Étienne Fourmont]] was in effect a disciple of Simon, if not acknowledging the fact.<ref>William Johnstone, ''The Bible and the Enlightenment: a case study, Dr. Alexander Geddes (1737-1802)'' (2004), p. 89; [https://books.google.com/books?id=OY9A21fgtiIC&pg=PA89 Google Books].</ref> Another orientalist influenced by Simon was [[Nicolas Barat]].<ref>{{CathEncy|wstitle=Nicolas Barat}}</ref>

The identity of the translator of the 1682 English version ''Critical History of the Old Testament'' is unclear, being often given as a Henry Dickinson who is an obscure figure, and sometimes as [[John Hampden (1653–1696)|John Hampden]]; [[John Dryden]] wrote his ''[[Religio Laici]]'' in response with a dedication to Dickinson,<ref name=CL/> and Simon's work became well known. [[Isaac Newton]] took an interest in Simon's New Testament criticism in the early 1690s, pointed out to him by [[John Locke]], adding from it to an [[Arian]] summary of his views that was intended for publication by Le Clerc, but remained in manuscript.<ref>[[Richard S. Westfall]], ''Never at Rest: A biography of Isaac Newton'' (1983), pp. 490–1.</ref> Later [[Samuel Clarke]] published his ''The Divine Authority of the Holy Scriptures Asserted'' (1699) in reply to Simon.<ref>{{ODNBweb|id=5529|title=Clarke, Samuel|first=David|last=Wilson}}</ref> Simon's works were later an influence on [[Johann Salomo Semler]].<ref>Joel B. Green, ''Hearing the New Testament: strategies for interpretation'' (1995), p. 12; [https://books.google.com/books?id=hR51imrUMG8C&pg=PA12 Google Books].</ref>

==Bibliography==
* [http://fr.wikisource.org/wiki/Factum_servant_de_r%C3%A9ponse_au_livre_intitul%C3%A9_Abr%C3%A9g%C3%A9_du_proc%C3%A8s_fait_aux_Juifs_de_Metz ''Factum, servant de responce au livre intitulé Abrégé du procéz fait aux Juifs de Mets''], Paris, 1670.
* ''Histoire critique du Vieux Testament'', Paris, 1678;  ''[https://archive.org/details/SimonRichard1638-1712ACriticalHistoryOfTheOldTestament1682 A critical history of the Old Testament]'' (1682), available at archive.org.
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=MfBbAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=#v=onepage&q&f=false ''Histoire critique du texte du Nouveau Testament''] (Rotterdam 1689)
* ''Histoire critique des versions du Nouveau Testament'', ibid., 1690;  [http://rarebooks.dts.edu/viewbook.aspx?bookid=1396 R. Simon, ''Critical Enquiries into the Various Editions of the Bible'' (1684)]
* ''Histoire critique des principaux commentateurs du Nouveau Testament'', (Rotterdam, chez Reinier Leers, 1693).
* ''Nouvelles observations sur le texte et les versions du Nouveau Testament'', Paris, 1695.
* ''Le Nouveau Testament de notre Seigneur Jésus-Christ, traduit sur l’ancienne édition, avec des remarques littérales et critiques sur les principales difficultés'', Trévoux, 1702, v. 4.

==References==
* [[Jonathan I. Israel]] (2001), ''Radical Enlightenment: Philosophy and the Making of Modernity, 1650-1750''

==Notes==
* 1. François Pouillon, ''Dictionnaire des orientalistes de langue française'' (2008), p. 900; [https://books.google.com/books?id=JexHxBDyT-YC&pg=PA900 Google Books].
* 2. Israel, p. 566.
* 3. [[Richard Henry Popkin]], ''Isaac La Peyrère (1596-1676): his life, work, and influence'' (1987), p. 87; [https://books.google.com/books?id=lkFaju2praAC&pg=PA87 Google Books].
* 4. Antoine Augustin Bruzen de La Martinière , ''Lettres choisies de M. Simon'' (1730), p. 25; [https://books.google.com/books?id=7aIGAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA25 Google Books].
* 5. [http://www.abbe-papon.net/oratoire.html ''L'Oratoire de France'']
==Further reading==
For the life of Simon:
*life or "éloge" by his grand-nephew [[Antoine-Augustin Bruzen de La Martinière|De la Martinière]] in vol. i. of the ''Lettres choisies'' (4 vols., Amsterdam, 1730).
*K. H. Graf's article in the first volume of the ''Beiträge zu den theologischen Wissenschaften'', etc. (Jena, 1851).
*[[Edouard Guillaume Eugène Reuss|E. W. E. Reuss]]'s article, revised by [[Eberhard Nestle|E. Nestle]], in Herzog-Hauck, ''Realencyklopädie'' (ad. 1906).
* ''Richard Simon et son Histoire critique du Vieux Testament'', by [[Auguste Bernus]] (Lausanne, 1869).
* Henri Margival, ''Essai sur Richard Simon et la critique biblique au XVIIe siècle'' (1900).
* [[Jean-Pierre Thiollet]], ''Je m'appelle Byblos'' (Richard Simon, pp.&nbsp;244–247), Paris, 2005. ISBN 2-914266-04-9.

==External links==
*[http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/13751-simon-richard ''Jewish Encyclopedia'' article]

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[[Category:1638 births]]
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[[Category:People from Dieppe, Seine-Maritime]]
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