The University of Texas at Austin

Besold, Christoph, 1577-1638.

Besold's Thesaurus Practicus : Roman/Canon Law

Thesaurus, Christoph Besold, 1697, BesoldC-1697.jpg
Thesaurus, 1697

Among authors of law dictionaries, Christoph Besold is one of the most interesting. As a student at the University of Tubingen, Besold studied with the astronomer Johannes Kepler, with whom he maintained a lifelong friendship. He later joined the law faculty at Tubingen and was the university's chancellor seven times. He served as legal advisor to the Emperor of Austria and the Duke of Wurttemberg. Besold was also one of the founders of the Rosicrucian movement, although late in life he converted to Catholicism. He was described as extremely learned in Arabic, Hebrew, and Islamic culture. Besold's library was acquired by Salzburg University in 1648 and became the cornerstone of the university's library.

Besold's Thesaurus Practicus is a mammoth work, covering both Roman law and German law. It was first published in Tubingen in 1629, and by the time of the last edition (Regensburg, 1740), it had gone through eight editions.

Bibliography

  1. THESAURUS PRACTICUS CHRISTOPHORI BESOLDI : NON SOLUM EXPLICATIONEM TERMINORUM ATQUE CLAUSULARUM IN AULIS & DICASTERIIS USITATARUM CONTINENS. Editio nova / auctior et emendatior ... studio et opera Christophori Ludovici Dietherrns. Norimbergae : sumptibus Johannis Andreae Endteri M DC XCVII [1697]. CALL # Oversize K 50 B47 1697

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