James Henry Breasted

Date of Birth: August 27, 1865

Zodiac Sign: Virgo

Date of Death: December 2, 1935

Biography

James Henry Breasted was a distinguished American archaeologist, Egyptologist, and historian, renowned for his work on ancient Egyptian civilization. Born in Rockford, Illinois, Breasted’s academic journey began at North Central College, and he later earned his Ph.D. from the University of Berlin in 1894, becoming the first American to receive a doctorate in Egyptology. He joined the faculty of the University of Chicago in 1895 and founded the Oriental Institute in 1919, which became a premier research center for the study of ancient Near Eastern civilizations. Breasted’s extensive fieldwork and scholarship, including his seminal work “A History of Egypt” and the multi-volume “Ancient Records of Egypt,” significantly advanced the understanding of ancient Egypt and its influence on Western civilization. His contributions established him as a pioneer in the field, and his legacy continues to shape Egyptology and archaeology.

5 Interesting Facts about James Henry Breasted

1. James Henry Breasted was the first American to earn a Ph.D. in Egyptology.

2. He founded the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago, which remains a leading center for the study of ancient civilizations.

3. Breasted coined the term “Fertile Crescent” to describe the region in the Near East where early civilizations flourished.

4. He translated and compiled the “Ancient Records of Egypt,” a five-volume collection that remains a crucial resource for Egyptologists.

5. Breasted was a member of the President’s Committee for the Protection of American Monuments in the 1920s, advocating for the preservation of historical sites.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from James Henry Breasted

1. “The man who first saw that the world was round, the man who discovered the New World, the man who first saw the circulation of the blood, and the man who first read the hieroglyphs were all profoundly influenced by the intellectual heritage of the ancient Near East.”

2. “We are not the first beings to have been interested in the past and to have sought to understand it.”

3. “It is the first duty of a historian to be on guard against his own sympathies and antipathies.”

4. “The ancient Egyptians were the first people to have a sense of history.”

5. “The monuments of ancient Egypt are the most impressive and enduring records of human achievement.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

James Henry Breasted’s highest net worth is not well-documented, as his wealth was primarily academic and intellectual rather than financial. However, his contributions to Egyptology and archaeology have an immeasurable value in the academic world.

Children

James Henry Breasted had two children: Charles Breasted and Robert Breasted. Charles followed in his father’s footsteps to some extent, documenting his father’s life and work in the biography “Pioneer to the Past: The Story of James Henry Breasted, Archaeologist.”