Edersheim emigrated to
Hungary and became a teacher of languages. He converted to
Christianity in
Pest when he came under the influence of
John Duncan, a
Free Church of Scotland chaplain to workmen engaged in constructing a bridge over the
Danube. Edersheim accompanied Duncan on his return to
Scotland and studied theology at
New College, Edinburgh, and at the
University of Berlin. In 1846 Alfred was married to Mary Broomfield. They had seven children. In the same year, he was ordained to the ministry in the
Free Church of Scotland. He was a
missionary to the Jews at
Iaşi, Romania, for a year. On his return to Scotland, after preaching for a few months in a Free Church of Scotland congregation at
Woodside, Aberdeen, Edersheim was appointed in 1849 to minister in that denomination in
Old Aberdeen. In 1861 health problems forced him to resign and the Church of St. Andrew was built for him at
Torquay. In 1867/8 he cared for the
Rev Prof Robert Lee in his home, for the final months of Lee's life. In 1872, Edersheim's health again obliged him to retire, and for four years he lived quietly at
Bournemouth. In 1875, he was ordained in the
Church of England, and was
Curate of the Abbey Church,
Christchurch, Hants, for a year, and from 1876 to 1882
Vicar of
Loders,
Bridport,
Dorset. He was appointed to the post of
Warburtonian Lecturer at
Lincoln's Inn 1880-84. In 1882 he resigned and relocated to
Oxford. He was Select Preacher to the
University 1884-85 and
Grinfield Lecturer on the
Septuagint 1886-88 and 1888-89. Edersheim was an advocate of
gap creationism. He died in
Menton,
France, on 16 March 1889. ==Works==