Bohm Boehm, or Bochme, Jakob (often called by English writers Jacob Behmen), a German mystic, horn at Altseidenberg, near Gorlitz, in Silesia,in 1675, died at Gorlitz, Nov. 27, 1024. The sen of a peasant, his education was very deficient, He was apprenticed to a shoemaker, travelled for many years as a journeyman, and by unceasing efforts made himself familiar with the current theological literature. Having returned from his travels, he set up a shoemaker's shop at Gorlitz in 1594, and married the daughter of a butcher. He was subject to hallucinations, during which he imagined that he conversed with God, and obtained knowledge of nature and grace, which he considered it necessary he should make known to his fellow men. Accordingly, in 1612 he published his first book, Au-TOTUy oder die Morgenrothe im Aufgang, in which he proposed "to light a torch for all who are longing for truth."' This hook, which contains very deep and obscure philosophical sentiments, in God, nature, and mankind, couched in crude figurative language, was violently denounced. In 1619 he published other writings, among which were Beschreibung der drei Prin-cipien gottlichen Wesens and Von wahrer Busse und wahrer Gelassnheit. The consequence was his banishment from the city.

He went to Dresden, where he defended his opinions in a public discussion with eminent theologians. He next went to Silesia, and obtained the abrogation of the decree of banishment just in time to return home and die. His theological ad-versaries refused to allow his remains a Christian burial, but were compelled to do so by the civil authorities. - Boehm's writings, notwithstanding their obscurity, found many admirers, not only in Germany, but in England, where a religious sect was built upon them. In 1697 Jane Leade, an enthusiastic admirer of Boehm, founded a society for the true interpretation of his works(Philadelphists). .John Pordage was the profoundesl expounder of Boehm. A new edition of Boehm's works was published by Schiebler (Leipsio, 1881-'46). The best English translation of them is that of William law (2 vols, 4to, London, 1764).