Author: Johannes Hendricus van der Palm
Johannes Hendricus van der Palm was born in Rotterdam
on July 17, 1763. In 1784 he became a preacher in Maartensdijk.
He was a member of a patriotic movement and in 1787 he had
to flee from the people of Bunschoten who were very loyal
to the Prince. He became a Scientific Councillor in Middelburg
(1788). In 1795 he was a member of the Temporary Administration
of Zeeland and he planted the Tree of Freedom. A year later
he became a professor of Oriental Languages at the University
of Leiden. From 1799 till 1805 he was Minister of Education
at the Batavian Republic. In 1801 he was also Temporary Minister
of Economical Affairs. In 1805 he went back to being a professor
at the University, this time teaching Poetry and eloquence.
Van der Palm was during his life a famous writer and public
speaker. In 1818 he started to make a new Bible translation,
which he finished in 1830. We are showing his Bible translation
on our page ‘Bibles’. Ten years later, on September
8, 1830 he died at the age of 77 at Leiden . Nicolaas Beets
(a famous poet who we are showing on our page ‘Poets’)
and who married van der Palm's granddaughter Aleida van Foreest
in 1840, described his life in ‘Leven en karakter van
J.H. v.d. Palm' (Life and Character of J.H. v.d. Palm’).
