John Scott Porter lived from 1801 to 1880. A student of Johann Griesbach, Porter was considered a pioneer in the field of textual criticism. For many years, he held the position of Professor of Sacred Criticism and Theology and eventually also of Hebrew and Cognate languages for the Association of Non-subscribing Presbyterians in Ireland. Academically, he was at ease in the Greek and Latin classics and well as the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek of the Old and New Testaments. Porter was also fluent in numerous languages beyond those of Scripture, including Syriac, Arabic, Latin, German, French, Italian, Spanish, and Irish. Beyond the study of ancient and modern languages, he was also heavily involved in the Irish archeology, particularly in County Londonderry in what is today Northern Ireland.