Knipstro (also Kniepstroh or Knipstrow, Latin Knipstroviiis), John, a German reformer, Avas born at Sandow, near Lovelberg, Silesia, May 1, 1497. Educa- ted among the Franciscans, he was sent by the abbot of his convent to finish his studies at the University of Frankfort-on-the-Oder. Here he was a witness of the famous "Actus disputationis" in which John Tetzel attempted to overthrow Luther's theses against indul- gences. Knipstro, who had read the theses, answered Tetzel so conclusively that the latter withdrew from the contest. Knipstro was then sent to the convent of Pv- ritz, in Pomerania, in the hope that quiet and rest woiild calm his revolutionary ardor; but he improved his time in reading the Bible and Luther's works, and finally brought the whole convent to share in his vie^vs. The town heard of this, and Knipstro was invited by the cit- izens to preach to them, which he did with such success
that the whole town soon became Protestant, but the bishop interfered in favor of Roman Catholicism, and Knipstro was obliged in 1522 to flee to Stettin, where he married. In 1524 he went to Stargard, and thence to Stralsund, where his elocjuence proved fatal to the Roman Catholic part}-, and where, in 1525, he was ai> pointed superintendent of ecclesiastical affairs. He took part as such in the General Sj-nod of Pomerania in 1535, and was then appointed the first general super- intendent of the Church in Wolgast. In 1539 he was made professor at the LTnivcrsity of Greifswald, Pome- rania, and ill 1547 became its rector. A controversy with Frever, a professor in the same institution, gave him such annoyance that he withdrew to Wolgast, and devoted the remainder of his life to teaching and to Church administration. He died at the last-named place Oct. 4, 155G. His works are : Voni rechten Ge- hrauch d. Kirchen-G titer (Stralsund, 1533): — Bedenlxn wider d. Interim, etc. (Stralsund, 1548) : — Epistolu ad J), ^felanchthonem, qua Consensus Ecclesive Pomeranicm ud suspiciendam A jig. Confessionem 7-epeiitionem declaratur (1552) : — Widerleffunff d. Behenntniss Andr. Osiandri v. d. Rechtfertigung (1555?): — Forma repetendi catecMsmi (1555?). See Mayer, Vita Knipstrovii; Jitnicke, Ge- lehrtes Pommcrliiml ; H. Schmid, Einleitung z. Branden- burg Kirchen Gesch. ; J. H. Balthasar, Sammlung eiiii- ger rommerschen Kirchen- Hist, gehorigen Schriften, i, 93; ii, 317sq. ; Ze[\^r, Universal Lexikon, s.y.\ Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generule, xxvii, 896 ; Herzog, Real-Encg- Uopddie, vii, 765. (J. N. P.)
Knittel, Franz Anton, a German theologian of note, was born at Salzdahlum, April 3, 1721, and was successively archdiaconus, general superintendent, and consistorialrath at Wolfenbiittel. He died April 13, 1792. He is celebrated as the discoverer (in the library at Wolfenbiittel) of a MS., a fragment of Ulfila's Gothic version of the Epistle to the Romans. It is a palimp- sest, the newer surface being occupied Avith the Origines and some letters of Isidorus Hispalensis. The portions of the Gothic version of the Epistle to the Romans con- tained in it are xi, 33-36 ; xii, 1-5, 17-21 ; xiii, 1-5 ; xiv, 9-20 ; XV, 3-13. These Ivnittol printed (in all probabil- ity in 1762 or 17C3) in a volume entitled Ulphilce TV?- sio Gothica nonnullorum capitum Ep. ad Rom. rene- randum antiquitatis nionumentiim . . . e Latina codicis cujusd. MSti rescripti . . . una cum variis varies littera- turce monimentis hue usque ineditis, etc. The text is printed on one side of the page in Gothic letters, under each word is Knittel's reading of it in italics, and under that a Latin translation of each. On the other side there is a Latin version found in the Ck)dex, under that the reading in the Vulgate, and under that the Greek text. There are also twelve plates, containing admira- blj^-executed fac-similes of different codices; and among the notes is found an extract of considerable length from Otfried's Gospel Harmon;/. The volume contains also two fragments from ancient Greek codices of the N. T. in the Wolfenbiittel librarj', and a copious critical com- mentary by Knittel, and is altogether a splendid one ; but, as Knittel's knowledge of Gothic was rather imper- fect, its literary merits are not quite equal to its sump- tuous appearance. Knittel deserves, however, the praise of great laboriousness, as is evinced by his collection of a vast amount of curious matter not elsewhere to be found. The book is very rarely to be met with at pres- ent; at least copies containing aU the plates. — Kitto, Diet, Bibl. Lit. vol. ii, s. v. ; Diiring, Gelehrten Theol. Deutschlunds, vol. ii, s. v. See Gothic Version.
Knobel, Karl August, a German theologian, high- ly distinguished as an exegetical scholar in the Old Testament and as archreologist, was born Aug. 7, 1807, near Sorau, Silesia. In this toAvn he studied under as- sociate principal Scharbe, who inspired Knobel Avith a zeal for learning, and also befriended him with money to pursue his university course at Breslau after his fa- ther's death. David Schultz, to whose children he be-
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came tutor, exerted a special influence in determining his choice of teaching as a profession, and in fixing tlie unfailing rationaUstic tendency of his mind, lie began lecturing in 1831, and his fresliness, power, and genuine worth at once drew and ever attracted to him numerous hearers. In 1835 lie was made extraordinary professor, and in 1837 he received from Breslau the degree of doc- tor in theology, chiefly in recognition of his exceeding- Iv valuable -work on Hebrew Prophecy {Prophetismits d. ilehiiier, Breslau, 1837, 2 vols. 8vo). The fame of this work brought him at once the offer of a professorship in Gottingen, in Ewald's place, and of one in Giessen, which latter he accepted. Thenceforth his attention was confined to the study of the Old Testament; but his cold, critical, rationalistic spirit avails but little to a right appreciation of the theological import or even po- etical beauty of the Scriptures. His publications during his twenty-four years' labor at Giessen (nearly all exe- getical) bear the same defect of insight, with the dis- play of great learning. The Commentary on the Prophet Isuiiih appeared in the Kurzcjef. exeyet. Handb. z. A. T. in 1843 ("id ed. 185i, 3d ed. 1861) ; o\\ Genesis in 1852 (2d ed. 18G0); Exodus and Leviticus, I8b7 ; Xumbe/s, Deu- teronomy, and Joshua, 18G1. These commentaries are characterized by special sobriety and thoughtfulness, healthy linguistic and historical views, -(vith compre- hensive kno\vledge of Oriental antiquity. In the first- mentioned feature they have the advantage of Hitzig. Knobel is independent, and gives positive views on many points which he was obliged earnestly to defend. He was in conflict with Ewald, as also specially in ref- erence to the origui of the Pentateuch with Hupfeld, Tuch, Bcrtheau, and Stiichlin. He is deserving of credit for his ingenuity in bringing out the " Composi- sition theory" concerning the production of the Penta- teuch. Knobel died, after long and severe suffering, from a cancer in the stomach. May 25, 18G3. In addi- tion to the works already mentioned, Knobel published Commentar iiber Koheleth (Lpz. 1836, 8vo) ; and VOlker- taftl der Genesis (1850, 8vo), a very learned work, and frequently cited in the cxegetical department of this Cy- clopcedia. See Ilerzog, Real-EncyklopiUdie, vol. xix, s. v. (E. B. 0.)