Robert Dick Wilson (1856-1930)

Robert Dick Wilson was an extraordinary American linguist and Presbyterian scholar who devoted his life to proving the reliability of the Hebrew Bible. In his determination to prove the accuracy of the original manuscripts he learned the 45 languages into which the Scriptures had been translated into up to 600 AD. These included Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek

He was a brilliant language student. While still a student he could read the New Testament in 9 languages.

Wikipedia sets up chronologically the universities he graduated from:-
Princeton
Humboldt, Berlin
and the universities he worked in:-
Western Theological Seminary ( now Pittsburgh Theological Seminary) (1883-90
Professor of the Old Testament
Princeton )1990-1920+)
William Henry Green professor of Semitic languages and O.T Criticism
Westminster Theological Seminary. (1920+ -?)

Aged 25 he estimated that he would live to about 70 (he actually lived to be 74).
He decided for the first 15 years he would study every language that had a bearing on the Old Testament (OT) - he mastered 45
The next 15 years to studying the text of the OT - he looked at every consonant -about 1.25 million of them (Hebrew has no vowels)
The Bible was amazingly precise
The following 15 years he spent his time writing down the results of his long research. The result was *A Scientific Investigation of the Old Testament (1926).
Robert wrote, after 45 years research, that he could confidently affirm
'*we are scientifically certain that we have substantially the same Old Testament test that was in the possession of Christ and the apostles and so far as anybody knows , the same as that written by the original composers of the Old Testament documents. ’
*
Occasionally God gives His church a man of unusual gifts, deep piety and true insight E.J. Young

Richard died at the age of 74.

Bible students are indebted to him for the masterful work he did in helping confirm the credibility of the Old Testament.
Christian Courier

Sources used
Christian Courier
Princeton Theological Seminary
Trinity Book service
wikipedia