Robinson, Edward, 1794-1863

Edward Robinson was born in Southington, Connecticut, and raised on a farm. He attended Hamilton College in Clinton, New York and graduated in 1816. Robinson went to Europe to study ancient languages, largely in Halle and Berlin (1826–30). While in Halle, in 1828 he married the German writer Therese Albertine Luise. After the couple returned to the United States, Robinson was appointed professor extraordinary of sacred literature at Andover Theological Seminary (1830–1833). Robinson founded the Biblical Repository (1831), which he edited for four years. Illness caused him to move to New York City. He was appointed as professor of biblical literature at Union Theological Seminary, serving from 1837 until his death. At the Union Theological Seminary, he also served as the first librarian of the Burke Library.

In 1836, Robinson published both a translation of Wilhelm Gesenius' Hebrew Lexicon and a Greek New Testament Lexicon. Robinson traveled to Palestine in 1838 in the company of Eli Smith. Robinson, together with Smith, made scores of identifications of ancient places referred to the Bible. Examples of his finds in Jerusalem include the Siloam tunnel and Robinson's Arch in the Old City; the latter was named in his honor.