ARIAS MONTANUS (BENEDICTUS):
Spanish priest and Orientalist; born in 1527 at Freseenal, Estremadura; died 1598 at Seville. Philip II. entrusted him with the editing of the Polyglot Bible which was printed in Antwerp (1568-1572) under the title, "Biblia Sacra, Hebraice, Chaldaice, Græce, et Latine, Philippi II., Regis Catholici Pietate et Studio ad Sacrosanctæ Ecclesiæ Usum Chph. Plantinus Excudebat." Arias was accused of Judaizing, on account of his insertion in the Polyglot of certain Aramaic paraphrases tending to confirm the Jews in their claims; but he was acquitted of the charge through a favorable report on the matter by the inquisitor, P. Mariana (1580). He translated Benjamin of Tudela's "Masa'ot" into Latin (1575, 1636, 1764), and was the author of "Antiquitatum Judaicarum" (published, with engravings, in Leyden, 1593), and many other works.
- McClintock and Strong, Cyclopedia, s.v.;
- La Grande Encyclopédie, s. v.;
- Tomas Gonzalez Carbajol, in Mémoires de l'Académie Royale de Madrid, vii.;
- HerzogHauck, Realencyklopädie, s.v. Montanus.
