A native of Exeter, educated at Queen’s College, Cambridge; Vicar of Swavesey, 1705; Arabic Professor at Cambridge, 1711, until his death. He published two occasional sermons, 1710–13, and several works, the most important of which are: 1. “Introductio ad Linguis Orientales,” Cantabury, 1706, 12mo. 2. “History of the Present Jews throughout the World,” 1707, 12mo. 3. “History of the Conquest of Egypt, Persia, Syria, &c., by the Saracens, &c., 632–705,” London, 2 vols. 8vo: vol. i., 1708; ii., 1718…. 4. “The Improvement of Human Reason; from the Arabic,” 1708, 8vo. 5. “An Account of South West Barbary, 1713, 8vo.”

Personal

  At a time when oriental studies were in their infancy in this country, Simon Ockley, animated by the illustrious example of Pococke and the laborious diligence of Prideaux, devoted his life and his fortune to these novel researches, which necessarily involved both. With that enthusiasm which the ancient votary experienced, and with that patient suffering the modern martyr has endured, he pursued, till he accomplished, the useful object of his labours. He, perhaps, was the first who exhibited to us other heroes than those of Rome and Greece; sages as contemplative, and a people more magnificent even than the iron masters of the world. Among other oriental productions, his most considerable is “The History of the Saracens.” The first volume appeared in 1708, and the second ten years afterwards. In the preface to the last volume, the oriental student pathetically counts over his sorrows, and triumphs over his disappointments; the most remarkable part is the date of the place from whence this preface was written—he triumphantly closes his labours in the confinement of Cambridge Castle for debt!

General

  Ockley had the culture of oriental learning very much at heart, and the several publications which he made were intended solely to promote it.

  The very curious history of the Saracens, given by Ockley, should be consulted, and is somewhat necessary to enable the student more exactly to comprehend the character of the Arabians, which is there displayed, by their own writers, in all its singularities.

  Although many of its details require correction, the importance of Ockley’s work in relation to the progress of oriental studies cannot be overestimated. Following in the steps of Pocock’s famous “Specimen Historiæ Arabum,” but adopting a popular method, and recommending it by an admirable English style, Oakley for the the first time made the history of the early Saracen conquests attractive to the general reader, and stimulated the student to further research. With all its inaccuracies, Ockley’s “History of the Saracens” became a secondary classic, and formed for generations the main source of the average notions of early Mohammedan history.