Nathaniel called in Arabic Abul-Barkat Hibat Allah bar-Malka, was one of the medical coryphsei of the Mohammedan dominions in the 12th century, and was also distinguished as a philosopher and Hebraist, on which account he was designated Wachidal-Zeman, i.e., "the only one of his time." He tried his skill on the Book of Ecclesiastes (Koheleth), but his commentary, which is written in Arabic, has never been published; the MS. is in the Bodleian Library at Oxford. Isaac ibn-Ezra, son of the great commentator, celebrated Abul-Barkat's commentary on Koheleth in a poem (see Dukes, Kokbe Jizchak, 1848, page 21 sq.), in which he declares that this Solomonic book m i11 henceforth (A.D. 1143) go by the name of him who has so successfully unlocked its meaning. Comp. Gratz, Gesch. d. Juden, 6:280 sq.; Zeitschrift der Morgenlandischen Gesenschaft, 1859, page 711 sq.; Ginsburg, Historical and Critical Commentary on the Book of Ecclesiastes, page 58; Pocock, Notte Miscellaneae ad Portam Mosis (London, 1740), 1:196, where a specimen of this commentary is given. (B.P.)
The Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature was edited by John McClintock and James Strong. It contains nearly 50,000 articles pertaining to Biblical and other religious literature, people, creeds, etc. It is a fantastic research tool for broad Christian study.
John McClintock was born October 27, 1814 in Philadelphia to Irish immigrants, John and Martha McClintock. He began as a clerk in his father's store, and then became a bookkeeper in the Methodist Book Concern in New York. Here he converted to Methodism and considered joining the ministry. McClintock entered the University of Pennsylvania in 1832 and graduated with high honors three years later. Subsequently, he was awarded a doctorate of divinity degree from the same institution in 1848.WikipediaRead More