Henry Leopold Ellison (July 10, 1903 Krakow, Poland – July 10, 1983 Dawlish), usually cited as H. L. Ellison, was a biblical scholar, professor, missionary, speaker, and author in the 1900s. His parents were Leopold Zeckhausen and Sara Jane Ellison. His father, being a Jewish Believer, was a missionary to the Jews throughout Europe.

He and his brother, Christian (a missionary in China), changed their last names from Zeckhausen to Ellison in 1925 to better assimilate into British society.

Following in his father’s footsteps, Ellison was an Anglican missionary to the Jews in Europe in the late 1920s and ’30s. However, after receiving Believer’s Baptism, he was kicked out of the Church of England. Upon his return to Britain, he held many positions in the academic realm as a respected Old Testament scholar and became associated with the Open Brethren.

He was a friend and colleague of F. F. Bruce.

My encounter with Ellison in the 1970s and early 1980s was as a young leader trying to bring Messianic Judaism to the UK and fearful that the “old guard” of Hebrew Christians would be against us. This was far from the case and we were met with a gracious and heartfelt welcome by the giants of the past. “You are the answer to our prayers” said Eric Lipson as we brought our new-fangled guitars and Messianic worship songs to the somewhat staid Hebrew Christian Alliance of Great Britain conferences. Harry, and later his widow Jean, showed us nothing but kindness and appreciation. We were in awe of their history, scholarship and somewhat professorial manner. Men like Ellison, Jocz, and the Samuel brothers, Harcourt and Theodore, continued to influence us long after they passed. Ellison was known for marking essays whilst sitting in committee meetings – but always with one eye on the business in hand. Whilst his manner could be abrupt, the sparkle in his eye showed his razor-sharp mind, his humour and his graciousness. His books are still in high demand today – popular and accessible scholarship combined with deep biblical and theological study.

Prayer: Thank you Lord for the wisdom and contributions of scholarship and godly character of Harry Ellison. How much the Messianic movement needs people like him today! May his name and legacy of scholarship continue to be a blessing! In Yeshua the Messiah’s name we pray!

Books

Torah and Other Essays – IHCA Tribute

Men Spake From God (1952)
Ezekiel: The Man and His Message (1956)
The Christian Approach to a Jew (1958)
From Tragedy to Triumph: A Study of Job (1958)
The Household Church: Apostolic Practice in a Modern Setting (1963)
Understanding the Old Testament: Joshua – 2 Samuel (1966)
The Mystery of Israel: An Exposition of Romans 9-11 (1966)
The Psalms (1968)
The Message of the Old Testament (1969)
The Prophets of Israel (1969)
Understanding the New Testament: 1 Peter – Revelation (1969)
Understanding a Jew (1972)
From Babylon to Bethlehem (1976)
Fathers of the Covenant (1978)
Understanding Bible Teachings: Jesus as Man (1978)
Exodus (1982)

References
richardsh (12 August 2015). “12 August 1888 Leopold Zeckhausen, father of H L Ellison, declares his faith in Yeshua #otdimjh”.

12 August 1888 Leopold Zeckhausen, father of H L Ellison, declares his faith in Yeshua #otdimjh