Editing William Robertson Smith (section)

==Life and career==
[[File:William Robertson Smith.jpg|thumb|William Robertson Smith with a large volume]]
Smith was born in [[Keig]] in [[Aberdeenshire]] the eldest son of Rev Dr William Pirie Smith DD (1811–1890), minister of the recently created Free Church of Scotland for the parishes of Keig and Tough, and of his wife, Jane Robertson. His brother was [[Charles Michie Smith]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002|date=July 2006|publisher=The Royal Society of Edinburgh|isbn=0-902-198-84-X|url=https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp2.pdf|access-date=16 July 2018|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304074135/https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp2.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

He demonstrated a quick intellect at an early age. He entered [[Aberdeen University]] at fifteen, before transferring to [[New College, Edinburgh|New College]], [[Edinburgh]], to train for the ministry, in 1866. After graduation he took up a chair in [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] at the [[Christ's College, Aberdeen|Aberdeen Free Church College]] in 1870, succeeding Prof [[Marcus Sachs]].<ref>Ewing, William ''Annals of the Free Church''</ref>

In 1875, he wrote a number of important articles on religious topics in the ninth edition of the ''Encyclopædia Britannica''. He became popularly known because of his [https://william-robertson-smith.net/en/biography-the-heresy-trial trial for heresy] in the 1870s, following the publication of an article in ''Britannica''.

[[File:Brief van William Robertson Smith (1846-1894) aan Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje (1857-1936) Or. 8952 C 4 18.pdf|thumb|page=2|Letter by Smith (1887)]]
In 1871 he was elected a Fellow of the [[Royal Society of Edinburgh]] his proposer was [[Peter Guthrie Tait]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002|date=July 2006|publisher=The Royal Society of Edinburgh|isbn=0-902-198-84-X|url=https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp2.pdf|access-date=16 July 2018|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304074135/https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp2.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Smith's articles approached religious topics without endorsing the Bible as literally true. The result was a furore in the [[Free Church of Scotland (1843-1900)|Free Church of Scotland]], of which he was a member<ref>{{cite book|last1=Walker|first1=Norman|title=Chapters from the history of the Free church of Scotland|year=1895|publisher=Oliphant, Anderson & Ferrier|location=Edinburgh; London|pages=271–297|url=https://archive.org/stream/chaptersfromhist00walk#page/270/mode/2up|access-date=1 May 2017}}</ref> as well as criticism from conservative parts of America.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Dabney|first1=Robert Lewis|title=Discussions of Robert Lewis Dabney Vol. 1: Evangelical and Theological|pages=399–439|url=https://archive.org/stream/DiscussionsOfRobertLewisDabneyVol.1EvangelicalAndTheological/DiscussionsOfR.l.DabneyV.1#page/n417/mode/2up|access-date=1 May 2017}}</ref> As a result of the heresy trial, he lost his position at the Aberdeen Free Church College in 1881 and took up a position as a reader in [[Arabic language|Arabic]] at the [[University of Cambridge]], where he eventually rose to the position of University Librarian, Professor of Arabic and a fellow of [[Christ's College, Cambridge|Christ's College]].<ref>John Sutherland Black & George Chrystal, The Life of William Robertson Smith (London: Adam & Charles Black 1912) chs. xi & xii</ref><!-- {{Ven|id=SMT883WR|name=Smith, William Robertson}} --> It was during this time that he wrote ''The Old Testament in the Jewish Church'' (1881) and ''The Prophets of Israel'' (1882), which were intended to be theological treatises for the lay audience.

In 1887 Smith became the editor of the ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' after the death of his employer [[Thomas Spencer Baynes]] left the position vacant. In 1889 he wrote his most important work, ''Religion of the Semites'', an account of ancient [[Jewish]] religious life which pioneered the use of sociology in the analysis of religious phenomena. He was Professor of Arabic there with the full title '[[Sir Thomas Adams Professor of Arabic]]' (1889–1894).

He died of [[tuberculosis]] at [[Christ's College, Cambridge]] on 31 March 1894. He is buried with his parents at [[Keig]] churchyard.