Ernst Sellin

Who was Ernst Sellin?

Ernst Sellin was a German theologian.

Sellin studied theology and oriental languages. During 1897–1908 he taught at the evangelical faculty of theology in Vienna, during 1908–1913 at the University of Rostock, during 1913–1921 in Kiel and in 1921–1935 in Berlin.

Sellin was pioneer of application of archaeology into Biblical sciences. He participated on excavations in Palestine.

Among his greatest discoveries was the solution to a great alleged Bible contradiction involving whether Jesus healed a blind man on the way to or after arriving in the city of Jericho. Sellin discovered the twin cities of Jericho, one being the old city mentioned in the book of Joshua, and the other the new Roman city. The two were about a mile apart in separation and called "Jericho." Therefore Jesus left Luke's Jericho and was arriving at Mark's Jericho when this took place.

As a theologian he dealt with topics from Old Testament. He also tried to integrate ideas of Sigmund Freud into theology.