, a famous rabbi, was born at Lisbon in 1437,. of a family who boasted
, a famous rabbi, was born at
Lisbon in 1437,. of a family who boasted their descent
from king David. He raised himself considerably at the
court. of Alphonso V. king of Portugal, and was honoured
with very high offices, which he enjoyed till this prince’s
death; but, upon his decease, he felt a strange reverse of
fortune under the new king. Abrabanei. was in his 45th
year, when John II. succeeded his father Alphonso. All
those who had any share in the administration of the preceding reign were discarded: and, if we give credit to our
rabbi, their death was secretly resolved, under the pretext of their having formed a design to give up the crown
of Portugal to the king of Spain. Abrabanei, however,
suspecting nothing, in obedience to the order he received
to attend his majesty, set out for Lisbon with all expedition; but having, on his journey, heard of what was plotting against his life, fled immediately to his Castilian
majesty’s dominions. A party of soldiers were dispatched
after him, with orders to bring him dead or alive: however, he made his escape, but his possessions were confiscated. On this occasion he lost all his books; and also
the beginning of his Commentary upon the book of Deuteronomy, which he much regretted. Some writers affirm,
that the cause of his disgrace at this time was wholly owing
to his bad behaviour; and they are of the same opinion in
regard to the other persecutions which he afterwards suffered. They affirm that he would have been treated with
greater severity, had not king John contented himself with
banishing him. They add that by negociating bills of exchange (which was the business he followed in Castile), he
got introduced at the court of Ferdinand and Isabella: that
he amassed prodigious wealth, by practising the usual tricks
and frauds of the Jewish people, that he oppressed the poor,
and by usury made a prey of every thing; that he had the
vanity to aspire at the most illustrious titles, such as the
noblest houses in Spain could hardly attain, and that being
a determined enemy of the Christian religion, he was the
principal cause of that storm which fell upon him and the
rest of his nation. Of the truth of all this, some doubt
may be entertained. That he amassed prodigious wealth
seems not very probable, as immediately on his settling in
Castile, he began to teach and write. In 1484, he wrote
his “Commentary upon the books of Joshua, Judges, and
Samuel.
” Being afterwards sent for to the court of
Ferdinand and Isabel, he was advanced to preferment; which
he enjoyed till 1492, when the Jews were driven out
of the Spanish dominions. He used his utmost endeavours to avert this dreadful storm; but all proved ineffectual; so that he and all his family were obliged to quit the
kingdom, with the rest of the Jews. He retired to Naples;
and, in 1493, wrote his “Commentary on the books of
the Kings.
” Having been bred a courtier, he did not
neglect to avail himself of the knowledge he had acquired
at the courts of Portugal and Arragon, so that he soon ingradated himself into the favour of Ferdinand king of Naples, and afterwards into that of Alphonso. He followed
the fortune of the latter, accompanying him into Sicily,
when Charles VIII. the French king, drove him from
Naples. Upon the death of Alphonso he retired to the
island of Corfu, where he began his “Commentary on
Isaiah
” in Commentary on Deuteronomy;
”
and also composed his “Sevach Pesach,
” and his “Nachalath Avoth.
” In the succeeding year he wrote his
“Majene Hajeschua;
” and in Maschmia Jeschua,
” and his “Commentary on Isaiah.
” Some time after,
he went to Venice, to settle, the disputes betwixt the Venetians and Portuguese relating to the spice trade; and
on this occasion he displayed so much prudence and capacity, that he acquired the favour and esteem of both
those powers. In 1504 he wrote his “Commentary on
Jeremiah;
” and, according to some authors, his “Commentary on Ezekiel, and the twelve minor propnets.
” In
Commentary on Exodus;
” and
died at Venice in Commentaries on Genesis, Leviticus, and Numbers.
”
2. “Rach Amana.
” 3. “Sepher Jeschuoth Moschici, a
treatise on the traditions relating to the Messiah.
” 4.
“Zedek Olammim, upon future rewards and punishments.
”
5. “Sepher Jemoth Olam, a history from the time of
Adam.
” 6. “Maamer Machase Schaddai, a treatise on
prophecy and the vision of Ezekiel, against rabbi Mainionides.
” 7. “Sepher Atereth Sekenim.
” 8. “Miphaloth
Elohirn, works of God.
” 9. “Sepher Schamaim Chadaschim.
” 10. “Labakath Nebhiim.
” His “Commentary on
Haggai
” was translated into Latin by Adam Sherzerus,
and inserted in the Trifolium Orientale, published in
Leipsic in 1663, where his “Commentary on Joshua,
Judges, and Samuel,
” was also printed in Annotations on Hosea,
” with a
preface on the twelve minor prophets, were translated into
French by Francis ab Husen, and published at Leyden.
In 1683, Mr. de Veil, a converted Jew, published at London Abrabanel’s preface to Leviticus. His commentaries
on the Scriptures, especially those on the prophets, are
filled with so much rancour against our Saviour, the church,
the pope, the cardinals, the whole clergy, and all Christians in general, but in a particular manner against the
Roman catholics, that father Bartolocci was desirous the
Jews should be forbid the perusal of them. And he
tells us that they were accordingly not allowed to read or
to keep in their houses Abrabanel’s commentaries on the
latter prophets. He was a man of so great a genius, that
most persons have equalled him, and some even preferred
him, to the celebrated Maimonides. The Jews set a high
value upon what he has written to refute the arguments
and objections of the Christians; and the latter, though
they hold in contempt what he has advanced upon this
head, yet allow great merit in his other performances,
wherein he gives many proofs of genius, learning, and penetration. He does not blindly follow the opinions of his
superiors, but censures their mistakes with great freedom.
The persecutions of the Jews, under which he had been a
considerable sufferer, affected him to a very great degree;
so that the remembrance of it worked up his indignation,
and made him inveigh against the Christians in the strongest terms. There is hardly one of his books where he has
omitted to shew his resentment, and desire of revenge;
and whatever the subject may be, he never fails to bring
in the distressed condition of the Jews. He was most assiduous in his studies, in which he would spend whole
nights, and would fast for a considerable time. He had a
great facility in writing; and though he discovered an implacable hatred to the Christians in his compositions, yet,
when in company with them, he behaved with great politeness, and would be very cheerful in conversation.
dreadful calamity under the emperor Adrian, was a Jew, who proclaimed himself the Messiah, and found a famous rabbi, Akiba, who applauded this impious pretension.
, or Barcochab, an impostor, who involved his nation in a dreadful calamity under the emperor Adrian, was a Jew, who proclaimed himself the Messiah, and found a famous rabbi, Akiba, who applauded this impious pretension. This false Messiah accommodated himself wonderfully to the prejudices of his people he spoke of nothing but wars, battles, and triumphs and the first lesson of his gospel was that they must rise against the Romans. He had so much the less difficulty in persuading them to this doctrine, because he took the opportunity, when the zeal of the Jews for their religion had enraged them against the emperor. This prince had lately settled a colony near Jerusalem, and established idolatry. The Jews considered this as an insupportable abomination, and a prodigious profanation of their holy place upon which account they were disposed to rise. Some writers pretend, that circumcision was forbid them, which was a violation of their conscience. Barcochebas fortified himself in divers places; but he chose the city of Bitter for his place of arms, and the seat of his empire. He ravaged many places, and massacred an infinite number of people, but his chief cruelty was against the Christians. The emperor being informed of these ravages, sent troops to llufus, governor of Judea, with orders to suppress this sedition immediately. Rufusin obedience to these orders exercised many cruelties, yet without effect. The emperor was therefore obliged to send for Julius Severus, the greatest general of that time, and to intrust him with the whole care of this war. This general chose to fall upon them separately, to cut off their provisions, to shut them up, and streighten them and at last the whole affair was reduced to the siege of Bitter ia the eighteenth year of Adrian. The vast number of Jews, who threw themselves into that city, was the cause that they defended themselves a long while, and that they were reduced by famine to the greatest -extremities. After the taking of this city, the war was not entirely concluded but it did not continue much longer. Barcochebas perished there, and it is supposed that about fifty thousand Jews were killed in the course of this rebellion.
, otherwise Raschi and Isaaki, a famous rabbi, was born in 1104, at Troyes in Champagne in France.
, otherwise Raschi and Isaaki, a famous rabbi, was born in 1104, at Troyes in
Champagne in France. Having acquired a good stock of
Jewish learning at home, he travelled at thirty years of
age visiting Italy, Greece, Jerusalem, Palestine, and
Egypt, where he met with Maimonides. From Egypt he
passed to Persia, and thence to Tartary and Muscovy; and
last of all, passing through Germany, he arrived in his
native country, after he had spent six years abroad. After
his return to Europe, he visited all the academies, and
disputed against the professors upon any questions proposed by them. He was a perfect master of the Talmud
and Gemara, but filled the postils of the Bible with so
many Talmudical reveries, as totally extinguished both the
literal and moral sense of it. Many of his commentaries
are printed in Hebrew, and some have been translated into
Latin by the Christians, among which is his “Commentary
upon Joel,
” by Genebrard; those upon Obadiah, Jonah,
and Zephaniah, by Pontac; that upon Esther, by Philip
JDaquin. But the completest of these translations is that
of his Commentaries on the Pentateuch, and some other
books, by Fred. Breithaupt, who has added learned notes.
The style of Jarchi is so concise, that it is no easy thing to
understand him in several places, without the help of other
Jewish interpreters. Besides, when he mentions the traditions of the Jews recorded in their writings, he never
quotes the chapter nor the page; which gives no small
trouble to a translator. He introduces also several French
words of that century, which have been very much corrupted, and cannot be easily understood. M. Breithaupt
has overcome all those difficulties. The style of his translation is not very elegant: but it is clear, and fully expresses the sense of the author. It was printed at Gotha
in 1710, 4to. There are several things in this writer that
may be alleged against the Jews with great advantage.
If, for instance, the modern Jews deny that the Messias is
to be understood by the word Shiloh, Gen. xlix. 10, they
may be confuted by the authority of this interpreter, who
agrees with the Christians in his explication of that word.
M. Reland looks upon rabbi Jarchi as one of the best
interpreters we have and tells us in his preface to the
“Analecta Rabbinica,
” that when htf met with any difficulty in the Hebrew text of the Bible, the explications of
that Jewish doctor appeared to him more satisfactory than
those of the great critics, or any other commentator.
, surnamed the Proselyte, a famous Rabbi of the first century, and author of the Chaldee
, surnamed the Proselyte, a famous Rabbi
of the first century, and author of the Chaldee Targum on
the Pentateuch, flourished in the time of Jesus Christ, according to the Jewish writers; who all agree that he was, at
least in some part of his life, contemporary with Jonathan
Ben Uzziel, author of the second “Targum upon the Prophets.
” Prideaux thinks, he was the elder of the two, for
several reasons the chief of which is the purity of the style
in his “Targum,
” coming nearest to that part of Daniel
and Ezra which is in Chaldee. This is the truest standard
of that language, and consequently the most antient; since
that language, as well as others, was in a constant flux, and
continued deviating in every age from the original: nor does
there seem any reason why Jonathan Ben Uzziel, when he
understood his “Targum,
” should pass over the law, and
begin with the prophets, unless that he found Onkelos had
done this work before him, and with a success which he
could not exceed.