KENNICOTT, BENJAMIN, an eminent Hebrew scholar, was born at Totness in Devonshire in 1718. At an early age he was appointed to succeed his father as teacher of a charity school in his native town. His precocious talents and learning interested some rich friends in his behalf, and by their kindness he was provided with the means of studying at Oxford. Entering himself of Wadham College in 1744, he soon distinguished himself in Hebrew and Divinity; and, while still an undergraduate, published two essays, On the Tree of Life, and The Oblations of Cain and Abel. These popular treatises came to a second edition in 1747, and procured for their author the degree of B.A. free of expense, and also a year before the usual time. He was soon afterwards chosen fellow of Exeter College, and in 1750 took the degree of M.A. Continuing to pursue his studies peacefully at Oxford, he was, in 1767, made keeper of the Radcliffe Library, and, a few years later, rector of Mynhenyote in Cornwall. This, though a very valuable living, he subsequently resigned, finding himself without time to do duty in person, and having scruples of conscience against doing it by deputy. In 1770 he was made prebend of Westminster; a preferment which he soon exchanged for a canonry in Christ Church, Oxford. He died in 1783, after a lingering illness, at the age of 65.
Kennicott's great work is his edition of the Hebrew Bible. To prepare the way, he published in 1753 an essay On the printed Hebrew Text of the Old Testament, the object of which was to overthrow the opinion at that time received by many eminent divines, and at one time held by Kennicott himself, that the Hebrew text was absolutely correct, that it agreed with the MSS., and, as a consequence, that the MSS. agreed with each other except in very trifling cases. In some religious communities a belief in the Divine authority of what is known as the Masoretic text was required as an article of faith from those entering the ministry. The question was obviously to be decided by an appeal to the Hebrew MSS. themselves, and in this important work Kennicott led the way in those laborious researches which have resulted in the collation of many hundreds of Hebrew MSS. Kennicott undertook to show that the MSS. which had been supposed to agree with each other, and with the printed text, contained numerous and various readings, which tended to support the authority of the ancient versions; and he announced the existence of six Samaritan