Porter, Josias Leslie

D.D. (Edinburgh, 1864), LL.D. (Glasgow, 1864), D.Litt. (Queen's University, Ireland, 1881), Presbyterian; b. at Burt, County Donegal, Ireland, Oct. 4, 1823; graduated at Glasgow, B.A. 1842, INI. A. 1843; studied theology at the Free Church College and University, both Edinburgh, 1843-45; in the Presbyterian Church of England, pastor at Xewcastle-on-Tyne, 1846-49; mi ionary of the Presbyterian Church of Ireland in Damascus, 1849-59; profe or of biblical criticism in the A embly's College, Belfast, Ireland, 1860-77; appointed by the British Parliament commi ioner of education in Ireland, 1878; and by the Queen, president of Queen's College, Belfast, and senator of the Queen's University, 1879; and in 1880 senator of the Royal University of Ireland. He was moderator of the Irish General A embly, 1875; was largely engaged in preparing the great scheme of intermediate education in Ireland, 1878-79, and in framing the constitution and the educational courses of the Royal University, 18S1-S4. He has travelled very extensively in Palestine, Syria, Arabia, Asia Minor, Turkey, Egypt, North Africa, Europe, and America, 1849-S0. He is the author of Five Years in Damascus, with Travels and Researches in Lebanon, Palmyra, and Hauran, London, 1855, 2 vols., 2d ed. 1870; Hand-book for Syria and Palestine (Murray's), 1858, 2 vols., 3d ed. 1875; The Pent a teuch and the Gospels, Edinburgh, 1864;. The Giant Cities of Bashan, and Holy Places of Syria, 1865; The Life and Times of Henry Cooke, D.D., LL.D. (his father-in-law), London, 1871, 3d ed. Belfast, 1877; The Pew and Study Bible, 1876; numerous articles in the Bibliotheca Sacra, And over, U.S.A.; Journal of Sacred Literature, London; Smith's Dictionary of the Bible; Kitto's Cyclopaedia of Biblical Literature, ed. W. L. Alexander; Encyclopaedia Britannica, 8th ed.; numerous pamphlets, reviews, and lectures. He edited Kitto's Bible Readings, Edinburgh, 1866; and Brown's Bible, London, 1873.