Johann August Ernesti (1707-81) studied at the universities of Wittenberg and Leipzig. He then taught at Leipzig, first in ancient literature then in rhetoric, and finally in theology. As a classicist, he edited works on Homer, Cicero, Suetonius, Polybius, Tacitus, Aristophanes, and a Greek lexicon. Ernesti became one of the founders of the historical-grammatical method in biblical studies, applying principles of interpretation that fairly articulate the meaning of texts.