ASHKENAZI, JONAH BEN JACOB
- ASHKENAZI, JONAH BEN JACOB
- ASHKENAZI, JONAH BEN JACOB (d. 1745), Hebrew printer in
Turkey. Born in Zalośce (in the province of Lemberg), Poland, Ashkenazi
immigrated to Turkey and settled in Constantinople. In 1710 he
established a new printing press, using characters which he had engraved
himself. Later he cast new ones, together with decorations for the title
pages, and finally produced some beautiful books. During the first two
years Ashkenazi was in partnership with another Polish emigrant,
Naphtali b. Azriel of Vilna. He was compelled to leave Constantinople
twice, continuing his work in the nearby village of Ortaköy. In 1720 a
consignment of his books was lost at sea, and a dishonest agent of his
fled to Poland. Ashkenazi followed him, and on his way back to
Constantinople, stopped in Amsterdam. There, in 1721, he printed the
Shitah Mekubbeẓet of bezalel ashkenazi on Bava
Meẓ'ia according to a manuscript which he had brought with him
from Constantinople. On his return to Constantinople, he printed mainly
the works of local rabbis. In 1714 he traveled to Egypt where he
received several works of Egyptian rabbis for printing. There he found a
manuscript of the Tikkunei Zohar, which had been corrected by
Ḥayyim Vital, and which he published. In 1728 he established a branch of
his press in Smyrna in partnership with R. David Ḥazzan, who later in
1739 immigrated to Palestine. The press then closed down.
During the 35 years of his activity in Constantinople and Smyrna,
Ashkenazi printed 125 books. After his death in 1745, the press passed
to his three sons: Reuben, Nissim, and Moses; later to his grandsons;
and continued until 1778. In all 180 books were printed by three
Ashkenazi generations. He printed in Ladino the Bible, a siddur,
Josippon, and the first edition of Me-Am Lo'ez, as well
as other works. Ashkenazi made Constantinople the metropolis of Hebrew
printing in the Orient.
-BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Rosanes, Togarmah, 4 (1935), 391 ff.; Yaari, in: KS, 14
(1937/38), 524 ff.; 15 (1939), 97 ff., 240 ff.; idem, in:
Aresheth, 1 (1959), 97 ff.; H.B. Friedberg, Toledot
ha-Defus ha-Ivri be-Italyah (19562), 127 ff.; A. Yaari,
Ha-Defus ha-Ivri be-Kushta (1967), index, S.V.
Yonah b. Ya'akov mi-Zalaziẓ.
(Avraham Yaari)
Encyclopedia Judaica.
1971.
Look at other dictionaries:
Obadiah ben Jacob Sforno — For the article elaborating on the many members of the Sforno family, see Sforno (family). Obadiah ben Jacob Sforno (Obadja Sforno, Hebrew: עובדיה ספורנו) was an Italian rabbi, Biblical commentator, philosopher and physician. He was born at… … Wikipedia
LURIA, ISAAC BEN SOLOMON — (1534–1572), kabbalist, referred to as Ha Ari (האר״י; the (sacred) lion from the initials of האלוהי רבי יצחק; Ha Elohi Rabbi Yiẓḥak, the divine Rabbi ). This cognomen was in use by the end of the 16th century, apparently at first in kabbalistic… … Encyclopedia of Judaism
Moses ben Jonathan Galante — For other uses, see Moses Galante (disambiguation). Moses ben Jonathan Galante (1621 – February 4, 1689 Jerusalem), grandson of Moses Galante, was a 17th century rabbi at Jerusalem. He served as the first Rishon Le Zion and was called Magen (מגן) … Wikipedia
SAADIAH (Ben Joseph) GAON — (882–942), greatest scholar and author of the geonic period and important leader of Babylonian Jewry. Saadiah was born in Pithom (Abu Suweir), in the Faiyum district in Egypt. Little is known about his family except that his opponents slandered… … Encyclopedia of Judaism
MALAKH, ḤAYYIM BEN SOLOMON — (between 1650 and 1660–1716 or 1717), leader of the Shabbatean sect. Malakh was born in Kalish. Nothing is known about his early career, but he became a highly respected rabbinic scholar, kabbalist, and preacher. He was soon attracted by the… … Encyclopedia of Judaism
MEIRI, MENAHEM BEN SOLOMON — (1249–1316), Provençal scholar and commentator of the Talmud. Meiri was born in Perpignan where he spent his whole life. His family, regarded as one of the most distinguished in Provence, originated from Carcassonne and Narbonne. Few… … Encyclopedia of Judaism
DURAN, SIMEON BEN ẒEMAḤ — (RaSHBaẒ, Hebrew acronym of Rabbi Shimon ben Ẓemaḥ; 1361–1444), rabbinic authority, philosopher, and scientist. He was born in Majorca to R. Ẓemaḥ Astruc Duran. In his youth Simeon studied in Palma (Majorca) at the yeshivah of Ephraim Vidal, who… … Encyclopedia of Judaism
MICHAELSON, EZEKIEL ẒEVI BEN ABRAHAM ḤAYYIM — (1863–1942), Polish rabbi, biographer, and bibliographer. He was a child prodigy, and in one of his works he cites responsa which he claims to have written at the age of 12. Orphaned in his early youth, he was forced to move from one place to… … Encyclopedia of Judaism
ISTANBUL — ISTANBUL, city in N.W. turkey , on both sides of the Bosphorus at its entrance on the Sea of Marmara (for history prior to 1453, see constantinople ). Constantinople was taken from the Byzantine emperor in 1453 by the Ottoman sultan Mehmed II… … Encyclopedia of Judaism
Judaism — /jooh dee iz euhm, day , deuh /, n. 1. the monotheistic religion of the Jews, having its ethical, ceremonial, and legal foundation in the precepts of the Old Testament and in the teachings and commentaries of the rabbis as found chiefly in the… … Universalium
