Editing Heinrich Ewald (section)

==Influence==

In his public life Ewald displayed characteristics such as simplicity and sincerity, moral earnestness, independence, absolute fearlessness. As a teacher he had a remarkable power of kindling enthusiasm; and he taught many distinguished pupils, including [[August Schleicher]], [[Ferdinand Hitzig]], [[Eberhard Schrader]], [[Theodor Noldeke]], Diestel and [[Christian Friedrich August Dillmann]]. His disciples were not all of one school, but many eminent scholars who apparently have been untouched by his influence have in fact developed some of the many ideas which he suggested.<ref name=EB1911/>

Ewald's ''Hebrew Grammar'' inaugurated a new era in biblical [[philology]]. Subsequent works in that department were avowedly based on his, and Hitzig referred to him as "the second founder of the science of the Hebrew language." He made important contributions  as an [[exegete]], biblical critic and grammarian. In particular, his ''Geschichte des Volkes Israel'', the result of thirty years' labour, was important  in that branch of research.<ref name=EB1911/>

Taking up the idea of a divine education of the human race, and firmly believing that Providence assigned a special task to each of the leading nations of antiquity, Ewald felt no difficulty about Israel's place in [[Human history|universal history]], or about the problem which that race had been called upon to solve. The history of [[Israel]], according to him, was the history how humanity acquired one true religion,<ref name=EB1911/> beginning with the exodus and culminating in the appearing of Jesus.

The historical interval that separated these two events is treated as naturally dividing itself into three great periods—those of [[Moses]], [[David]] and [[Ezra]]. The periods are externally indicated by the successive names by which the chosen people were called—Hebrews, Israelites, Jews. The events prior to the exodus are relegated by Ewald to a preliminary chapter of primitive history; and the events of the apostolic and post-apostolic age are treated as a kind of appendix. The entire construction of the history is based on a critical examination and chronological arrangement of the available documents.<ref name=EB1911/>