BAHRDT, Karl Friedrich, a German theologian, distinguished for his extreme rationalism and his erratic life, was born in 1741 at Bischofswerda, of which place his father, afterwards professor of theology at Leipsic, was for some time pastor. He was educated chiefly at the celebrated school of Pforta, and afterwards entered the university of Leipsic, where he studied theology, and at first attached himself to the strongly orthodox party headed by Crusius. After graduation he Lectured for a time as adjunct to his father, and then with the rank of catechist proceeded to Leipsic, where he became exceedingly popular as a preacher, and was appointed extraordinary professor of Biblical philology. During this period of his life he published a popular book of devotions, called the Christian in Solitude. In 1768 the notorious irregularity of his conduct necessitated his resignation and his departure from Leipsic. By some influence he obtained a professorship of Biblical antiquities in the philosophical faculty of the new university of Erfurt, and having procured a theological degree from Erlangen, he again began to read theological lectures. His orthodoxy had by this time completely vanished ; he was an avowed rationalist of the extreme school, and with great diligence and ability sought to popularise the principles of his creed. At the same time his bitter and quarrelsome disposition embroiled him with his colleagues, and in 1771 he left Erfurt, but obtained another professor ship at Giessen. Here also the bold expression of his opinions cut short his tenure of office; in 1775 he resigned and became director of Von Salis's educational establishment, the philanthropin at Marschlins, a post he held for only one year. For a brief period he acted as general superintendent at Dürkheim, and then endeavoured, but unsucessfully, to set up an educational institution at Heidesheim. He had now become most obnoxious to the German Government, who prohibited him from lecturing or publishing any work on theology, or from holding any professorial office. In 1779 he took refuge in Halle, where he resided for ten years, lecturing in the forenoon on moral philosophy, and officiating in the afternoon as landlord of a public-house which he had opened at the gate of the town, and which was largely patronised by the students. In 1789 he was arrested, partly on account of a pasquinade he had written upon the Prussian religious edict, and was condemned to two years' imprisonment. The period of his confinement, reduced by the king to one year, was employed by Bahrdt in writing memorials of his life and opinions. After his release he continued his former course of life, and died after a severe illness, 23d April 1792. His numerous works, including a translation of the New Testament, are comparatively worthless, and are written in an offensive tone. He has been well called by Herzog a caricature of the rationalism of the 18th century.
BAHREIN, the principal island of a cluster in the Persian Gulf, in an indentation of the Arabian coast. It is about 70 miles long and nearly 25 broad, and is very flat and low except towards the east, where a range of hills attain an elevation of 800 or 900 feet. The climate is mild, but humid, and rather unhealthy. The soil is for the most part fertile, and produces rice, pot herbs, and fruits, of which the citrons are especially good. Water is abundant, but frequently brackish. Fish of all kinds abound off the coast, and are very cheap in the markets. The inhabitants are a mixed race of Arab, Qrnanite, and Persian blood, slender and small in their physical appearance; they possess great activity and intelligence, and are known in all the ports of the Persian Gulf for their commercial and industrial ability. The traffic in the island itself is great and various, the harbour of Manama, which admits vessels of 200 tons, being largely frequented by ships from Persia, Sindh, India, &c. This town, which has in some respects supplanted the older and more inland Ruffin, is well built, and contains about 25,000 inhabitants ; and there are besides about 15 villages in the island. There is a city of almost equal extent in the neighbouring and smaller island of Mohanek, but the trade is not so great. Bahrein has from a remote period been famous for its pearl fishery, which produces the finest pearls in the world. The Portuguese obtained possession of the islands in 1507, but were driven from their settlements in that quarter by Shah Abbas in 1622. The islands afterwards became an object of contention between the Persians and Arabs, and at last the Arabian tribe of the Athubis made themselves masters of them in 1784. Since then they have been for some time subject more or less to the Wahabees, whose interference has greatly damaged the commerce of the ports, and led to extensive emigration of the inhabitants. (See Palgrave, in J. Roy. Geo. Soc., vol. xxxiv.)
BAIÆ, an ancient town of Campania, Italy, situated between the promontory of Misenum and Puteoli, on the Sinus Baianus, and famous for its warm springs and baths, which served the wealthier Romans for the purposes both of health and pleasure. The variety of these baths, the mild ness of the climate, and the beauty of the landscape, captivated the minds of the opulent nobles. The habitations at first were small and modest ; but increasing luxury added palace to palace, and enterprising architects, supported by boundless wealth, laid the foundations of new erections in the sea. From being a place of occasional resort for a season, Baiae grew up into a city, and the confluence of wealthy inhabitants rendered it as much a miracle of art as it had before been of nature, though it never attained the rank of a municipium, but continued to be dependent on Cumse. C. Marius, Lucullus, Pompey, and Julius Caesar are among the most remarkable of those who gave é to Baice during the republic ; and at a later period it was a favourite resort of Nero, Caligula, Hadrian, and Severus. It flourished till the days of Theodoric the Goth ; but its destruction followed quickly upon the irruption of the northern conquerors. When the guardian hand of man was withdrawn, the sea reclaimed its old domain ; moles and buttresses were washed away ; and promontories, with the proud towers that once crowned their brows, were under mined and tumbled into the deep. Innumerable ruins, heaps of marble, mosaics, and other relics of the past, attest the ancient splendour of the city. The most remark able are the so-called temples of Mercury, Venus, and Diana, and various buildings which, rightly or wrongly, have been assigned to the more famous of those who are known to have had villas in the town. The Castello di Baja was built in the 16th century by Pietro di Toledo. Long. 14 3 E., lat. 40 50 N.
BAIBURT, a town of Asiatic Turkey, in the pashalic of Erzerourn, and 65 miles W.N.W. from that city. According to Neumann it was an Armenian fortress in the 1st century, and it is identified by Ritter with the Baiberdon fortified by Justinian. It was afterwards one of the strong holds of the Genoese, when prosecuting their trade with India. Remains of their fortifications still exist, but in a very dilapidated state, the Russians having blown up the defences in 1829. (See view in Yule s Marco Polo, vol. i.) Population of town about 6000.
Lazare de Baif and an Italian girl. He was born in 1532 at Venice, where his father was residing as French ambassador.
Thanks, perhaps, to the surroundings of his childhood, he