Brian Walton (bishop)

Brian Walton (c. 1600 – 29 November 1661) was an English clergyman, biblical scholar, and orientalist, best known for his polyglot Bible, the Biblia Sacra Polyglotta.

Walton was born in Cleveland, Yorkshire. He was educated at Magdalene College, Cambridge, where he earned his B.A. in 1623 and his M.A. in 1626. He became rector of St. Martin's, London, in 1628, and later, rector of Sandon, Hertfordshire. During the English Civil War, he was sequestered from his livings due to his Royalist sympathies.

It was during this period of reduced income and activity that Walton conceived of his ambitious project: a polyglot Bible, which would present the text of the Bible in multiple languages side-by-side, including Hebrew, Syriac, Chaldee, Samaritan, Greek, Latin, and Ethiopic. The Biblia Sacra Polyglotta, also known as the London Polyglot, was published in six volumes between 1654 and 1657. It was a significant scholarly achievement and was praised for its comprehensiveness and accuracy. It included various related texts such as the Samaritan Pentateuch, the Peshitta, and the Septuagint, along with variant readings and critical apparatus. It also contained grammars of the relevant languages.

After the Restoration, Walton was appointed chaplain to King Charles II. He was consecrated Bishop of Chester in December 1660, but died a few months later in November 1661. He is buried in St. Paul's Cathedral, London.

Walton's Biblia Sacra Polyglotta was a landmark in biblical scholarship and influenced subsequent generations of scholars. It remains an important resource for biblical studies and historical linguistics.