William Robertson Smith

William Robertson Smith was a Scottish orientalist, Old Testament scholar, and minister of the Free Church of Scotland, best known for his pioneering work on comparative religion and the social anthropology of ancient Semitic cultures. His most influential book, 'The Religion of the Semites,' argued that totemism and ritual sacrifice formed the core of early religious practice, challenging conventional views on biblical history. He also served as editor of the Encyclopaedia Britannica, where his controversial articles on biblical criticism sparked significant theological debate.