author
Jacob Bryant
1715–1804
An English scholar and mythographer, he spent much of his life tracing ancient legends back to a single sacred source. His books offered bold, wide-ranging theories that made him a distinctive voice in eighteenth-century antiquarian writing.
2 Audiobooks
About the author
Educated at Eton and King’s College, Cambridge, he went on to serve as tutor and later secretary in the household of the Duke of Marlborough. A longtime student of classical literature, history, and religion, he built a reputation as an antiquary with a special fascination for the origins of myths and ancient peoples.
His best-known work, A New System; or, An Analysis of Ancient Mythology, argued that many ancient traditions could be connected to biblical history. He also wrote on classical and biblical subjects, including studies of ancient history and editions of older texts. Though many of his ideas are now read as part of the history of scholarship rather than accepted fact, they show the scale of his ambition and curiosity.
Remembered today for his sweeping attempts to explain mythology, he remains an interesting figure for readers drawn to the meeting point of religion, legend, and early historical speculation.