The Swedish polymath who mentored Linnaeus and defined the study of biblical plants

Ideas & Philosophy · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Olof Celsius was a towering figure in eighteenth-century Swedish intellectual life, serving as a botanist, philologist, and clergyman. While his name is often eclipsed by his famous nephew, the inventor of a temperature scale, Celsius was a vital mentor to Carl Linnaeus and a pioneer in the study of biblical flora.

Born in 1670, Olof Celsius belonged to a family of deep academic pedigree. His father, Magnus Celsius, was a mathematician, and his brother, Nils, was an astronomy professor. Olof himself became a professor at Uppsala University, where his influence extended far beyond his own research. He is perhaps best remembered for his mentorship of the young Carl Linnaeus, providing the budding scientist with essential access to his personal library during a period when Linnaeus was struggling to support himself by teaching botany in the university gardens between 1730 and 1732.

Celsius was a man of diverse intellectual appetites, contributing significantly to fields as varied as runology and botany. His most enduring scholarly contribution is the Hierobotanicon, a comprehensive work on biblical plants published in two parts between 1745 and 1747. This text solidified his reputation as a philologist and botanist, demonstrating his ability to bridge the gap between theological inquiry and the natural sciences. His standing in the scientific community was formally recognized in 1739 when he was inducted as a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

The family legacy continued through his children and relatives. His nephew, Anders Celsius, gained global fame for developing a temperature scale, though the modern version we use today—where zero is freezing and one hundred is boiling—was actually reversed by Jean-Pierre Christin in 1744. Olof’s own children also achieved prominence, with his son Olof Celsius the Younger becoming the Bishop of Lund, and his other son, Magnus von Celse, establishing himself as a historian and librarian. Olof Celsius died in 1756, leaving behind a legacy that spanned the church, the academy, and the foundational development of modern natural history.

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