JOHN DAVID, a celebrated biblical critic, and author of many esteemed works, was the eldest son of Dr Christian Benedict Michaelis, professor in the university of Halle in Lower Saxony, and was born at that place, Feb. 27. 1717. His father devoted him at an early age to an academical life; and with that view he received the first part of his education in a celebrated Prussian seminary, called the Orphan house, at Glanche, in the neighbourhood of his native place. Michael He commenced his academical career at Halle in 1733, and took his master's degree in the faculty of philosophy in 1739. In 1741 he made an excursion to this country, where his superior knowledge of the oriental languages, which was considerably increased by his indefatigable researches in the Bodleian library at Oxford, introduced him to the acquaintance, and gained him the esteem, of our first literary characters; with several of whom, and particularly Bishop Lowth, he was in correspondence for many years. On his return to Halle, after an absence of fifteen months, he began to read lectures on the historical books of the Old Testament, which he continued after his removal to Gottingen in 1745. In 1746 he was appointed professor extraordinary, and soon after professor of philosophy, in that university. The next year he obtained a place of secretary to the Royal Society there, of which he was director in 1761, and was soon afterwards made alic counsellor by the court of Hanover. In 1764 his distinguished talents, but chiefly a publication relative to a journey to Arabia, which was undertaken by several literary men, at the expense of the king of Denmark, in consequence of his application by means of Count Bernsdorf, procured him the honour of being chosen a correspondent, and afterwards foreign member of the Academy of Inscriptions at Paris, of whom the institution admitted only eight; and in the same year he became a member of the society of Haerlem. In 1775, Count Hopkin, who eighteen years before had prohibited the use of his writings at Upsal, when he was chancellor of that university, prevailed on the king of Sweden to confer on him the order of the Polar Star, as a national compensation. In 1786 he was raised to the distinguished rank of privy counsellor of justice by the court of Hanover; and in 1788 received his last literary honour, by being unanimously elected a fellow of the Royal Society of London.—His great critical knowledge of the Hebrew language, which he displayed in a new translation of the Bible, and in other works, raised him to a degree of eminence almost unknown before in Germany; and his indefatigable labours were only equalled by his desire of communicating the knowledge he acquired to the numerous students of all countries who frequented his admirable lectures, which he continued to deliver on various parts of the sacred writings in half-yearly courses, and on the Hebrew, Arabic, and Syriac languages, to the last year of his life. He was professor in the university of Gottingen 45 years, and, during that long period, he filled the chair with dignity, credit, and usefulness. He died October 22. 1791, aged 74. He is said to have left behind him several valuable MSS. Of the works that were published during his life-time, and which are very numerous, a catalogue, in the order of their publication, is given in the Gentleman's Magazine for March 1792.