Charles Tilstone Beke - Reference

Explorer and biblical critic, born in London, UK. A scholar of ancient history, philology, and ethnography, he wrote Origines Biblicae, or Researches in Primeval History (1834). He explored Abyssinia (1840–3), where he studied the course of the Blue Nile, mapped 70 000 sq mi, and collected 14 vocabularies. In 1874 he explored the region at the head of the Red Sea in search of Mt Sinai.

Charles Tilstone Beke (10 October 1800-31 July 1874), English traveller, geographer, and biblical critic, was born in Stepney, London. His father was a merchant in the City of London, and for a few years Beke engaged in mercantile pursuits.

The first fruits of his researches appeared in his work Origines Biblicae or Researches in Primeval History, published in 1834.

For about two years (1837-1838) Beke held the post of acting British consul in Saxony. Among other achievements, Beke was the first to determine, with any approach to scientific accuracy, the course of the Abai (Blue Nile). The valuable results of this journey, which occupied him from 1840 to 1843, he gave to the world in a number of papers in scientific publications, chiefly in the Journal of the Royal Geographical Society.

On his return to London, Beke re-engaged in commerce, but devoted all his leisure to geographical and kindred studies. Beke's belief that the White Nile was the main stream was, however, shown to be accurate by subsequent exploration.

In 1856 he endeavoured, unsuccessfully, to establish commercial relations with Abyssinia through Massawa. On learning that the captives had been released, Beke turned back, but Theodore afterwards re-arrested the party. To the military expedition sent to effect their release Beke furnished much valuable information, and his various services to the government and to geographical research were acknowledged by the award of 500 in 1868 by the secretary for India, and by the grant of a civil list pension of 100 in 1870. Beke died in Bromley, in Kent.

Beke's writings are very numerous. Among the more important, besides those already named, are An Essay on the Nile and its Tributaries (1847), The Sources of the Nile (1860), and The British Captives in Abyssinia (1865). He was a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, and for his contributions to the knowledge of Abyssinia received its gold medal, and also that of the Geographical Society of France. As a result of a controversy over the statements of another Abyssinian explorer, Antoine Thomson d'Abbadie, Beke returned the medal awarded him by the French Society.

Reference

This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.