KLEIN, GOTTLIEB

KLEIN, GOTTLIEB (1852–1914), rabbi and historian of religion. Klein was born in Homonna, Slovakia (then in Hungary), and received a traditional Jewish education, although he later adopted Reform Judaism. He studied at several universities, the Berlin rabbinical seminary, and later the Hochschule fuer die Wissenschaft des Judentums. After serving as rabbi at Schuettenhofen (Bohemia) and Elbing (East Prussia), in 1883 Klein became chief rabbi of Stockholm, a position he held until his death. He was an outstanding preacher, lecturer, and scholar, and his influence extended far beyond his congregation to leading liberal Swedish theologians, with many of whom he enjoyed close friendships. He also delivered discourses before King Oscar ii.

Klein's main scholarly interest was early Christianity in the light of biblical and talmudic sources. Some of his works in this field are Fader Var (1905, "The Lord's Prayer"), Den foersta kristna katekesen (1908, Ger. 1910, "First Christian Catechism"), and Studien ueber Paulus (edited by Archbishop Nathan Soederblom, 1918). Klein also wrote "Ueber das Buch Judith" (in: Transactions of the Eighth International Congress of Orientalists, 1889), and Steht die Moral des Alten Testaments wirklich auf der Stufe der Barbaren? (1892).

bibliography:

Svensko maen och kvinnor, 4 (1948); Foersamlingsblad foer Mosaisko foersomlingen i Stockholm, 13:1 (1952); L. Geiger, in azdj, 76 (1912), 76–77.

[Hugo Mauritz Valentin]