The latest appearance of the name Mehunims in the Bible is in the lists of those who returned from the cap- tivity with Zerubbabel. Among the non-Israelites from whom the Nethinim — following the precedent of what seems to have been the foundation of the order — were made up, we find their name (Ezra ii, 50, A. V. " Mehu- nim;" Neh. vii, 52, A.V. "Meimim"). Here they are mentioned with the Nephishim, or descendants of Na- phish, an Ishmaelitish people whose seat appears to have been on the east of Palestine (1 Chron. v, 19), and there- fore certainly not far distant from Ma'an, the chief city of the Maonites. — Smith.
Meichelbeck, Chables, a German monastic and scholar, was burn :\Iay 29, 1669, at Oberndorf, in ^Ugau. He was admitted in 1687 to the Order of the Benedic- tines of Buren, in Bavaria. From 1697 he taught Latin, and subsequently theology, in the different convents of his order. After having prepared a history of the abbey of Bwxm—Chronico Benedicto-Buranum (Buren, 1752, fol.)— he was commissioned in 1722, by the chief bishop of Freisuigen, to write one of that city— Historia
JMEIER
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Frisingensis, ah anno 724 (Augsburg, 1724-29, 2 vols, fol.); the numerous diplomas contained in this work render it vcrj' valuable as a history of Germanic insti- tutions. Called later to Vienna to write the annals of the house of Austria, he declined the task on account of the bad state of his health. He died at Freisingen April 2, 1734. V. Haidenfeld prepared a life of Meichel- beck, but it was never published. See Hirsching, FHst. liter, llandbuch ; Zapf, Literarische Rdsen, voL i ; Meu- sel, Gelehrten-Lexikori, s. v.
Meier, Ernst Heinrich, a German Orientalist, was born at Itusbimli. in Scliaumburg-Lippc, May 17, 1813. He studied at the- I'nivcrsity of Tubingen, and was appointed professor there in 1848. He died March 2, 18GG. Of his writings, the following deserve especial mention : Uebersetzttiif/ und Erkldrum; dcs Proph. Joel (Tubing. 1840) r—Z/eiz-awc^c* Wurzrfb'rdrtcrhuch pianh. ! 1845) : — Ueber die Bildunf) vnd B(-d<utiiiif/ dcs IHural in den sem, und germanischen Spi-achen (ibid. 1846) : — Die urspriingliche Form des Dekalogs (1846) -.—Commentar zu Jesuia, vol. i (Pforzh. 1850) : — Die Form der hebr. Poesie (Tubing. 1853) : — Geschichte der poetischen Nationallit- eraiur der Ilebrder (ibid, 1856). This last-named work was an attempt to transform the introduction of the Old Test, into a history of the literatiu-c of the Hebrews.
Meier, Friedrich Karl, a German theologian, was born Aug. 11,1X08. He became privat-doccnt in 1832, and professor of theology at Jena in 1835. In 1836 he removed to Giessen to labor in the same capac- ity, and there he died, Feb. 13, 1841, His principal ■writings are, Geschichte der Transubstantionslehre (Hei- delb. 1832): — Commentar zum Briefe an die Ephesier (Berlin, 1834) : — Girolamo Savonarola (ibid. 1836) : — Lehrbuch der Dogmeiigeschichte (Giess. 1840).
Meier, Georg Friedrich, a German philosopher, was born in 1718 at Ammendorf; was a student, and in 1746 was appointed professor of philosophy, at Halle. He died there in 1777. His writings are, A vfangsgriinde der schonen Wixsenscha/ten (Halle, 1748,3 vols. ; 2d edit, ibid. 1754): — Betrachtinigcn iiber den ersten Grundsatz aller schuner Kiin.tte vnd \V issenschaften (ibid. 1757) : — Metaphysik (ibid. 1756, 4 vols.) : — Philosoj)hische Sitten- lehre (ibid, 1756-61, 5 vols,) -.—Rechl der Nuiur (ibid. 1767) : — Versuch eines neiien Lehrgebdudes von den See- len der Thieve (ibid. 1756): — Versuch ciner uUgemeinen Auslegiingskunst (ibid. 1756): — Untersucbinig rerschiede- ner Mdterien aits der Philosophic (ibid. 17(>«-71,4 vols.). See his biography bj' S. G. Lange (ibid. 1778).
Meier, Gerhard, a (Jerman theologian, was born at Hamburg Aug. 26, 1664. He received his first in- struction in the schools of his native city; studied the- ology at the university at Leipsic and at 'Wittenberg. In 1684 he received his degree, and in 1687 was ap- pointed adjunct to the faculty of philosophy. In 1692 he received his degree of licentiate of theology. His dissertation at this time was De mt/steriis pentecoslalibus in Pai-adiso reveltdis. In December of the same year he was called to the gymnasium of his native city as professor of logic and metaphysics. He was next ap- pointed pastor of St. Benedict's Church, and later was made superintendent and a Church councillor. In 1698 he went to Wittenberg to receive the degree of doctor j of divinity. In 1700 he accepted a call to Bremen as councillor of the consistory, and superintendent and pas- tor of the cathedraL In 1715 the position of general Buperintondent and professor of theology at (ireifswalde was offered him, but he declined it. He died Feb. 25, 1723. ^leier was esteemed for his sound tlicological research, which he dis|)layed in several dissertations, mostly of a dogmatic cliaracter. A complete list of his works is given by Diiring, Gelehrte Theol. Deutschlands, ii,462.
Meier, Johann Christian "Wilhelm, a German theologian, was born at Kngter July 5, 1731. He re- ceived his first instruction in languages and sciences at home, and afterwards at the gymnasium at Osnabrlick.
He studied theologj- in Jena and Giittingen. In 1753 he returned home, a candidate of theologj', and was soon assigned a place as assistant to an aged "pastor at Wes- ten, near Nienburg. In this position he secured for himself the respect of his superior, and added to his lit- erary fame by contributions to a theological periodicaL In 1756 he formed the acquaintance of major Von Busch at Nienburg, who appointed him field chaplain to his regiment. In this capacity he accompanied the regi- ment to Canterburj', England. During his stay there he collected material for a history of the Methodists. After having travelled much for this purpose, he re- turned to Nienburg with his regiment in February-, 1757. The history, we are sorrj- to say, was never pub- lished. Some of his dissertations, but particularly one, crowned with a prize, Schrift und Vernunftmdszige Ab- handlung von dem versuhnen der Zeilpunkte im Ltben Jesii, published in 1756, recommended him to the favor of the count of Schaumburg-Lippe, AVith the title of a councillor of consistory, he became presiding superin- tendent of Blickeburg and supreme pastor at Stadtha- gen. At Eintein he obtained the degree of a doctor of divinity by the defence of his dissertation De ejfectibus conciomim 3lethodi,<ticanim hand Jfiraculosis nee mira- bilibns (Kintelii, 1758, 4to). He died in 1775. jMeier was esteemed a theologian of great learning and sincere piety, and was untiring in his endeavors to elevate the moral qualities of the heart. (J. H. W.)