FARISSOL, ABRAHAM BEN MORDECAI

FARISSOL, ABRAHAM BEN MORDECAI
FARISSOL, ABRAHAM BEN MORDECAI (c. 1451–c. 1525), Bible commentator, geographer, and polemicist. Born in Avignon, Abraham spent most of his life in Ferrara, Italy, where he did most of his work, and in Mantua. He served as a cantor, and for many years as a copyist, a task he performed with great devotion and care. It seems that he was highly regarded by the Jews of Ferrara, for they chose him to represent Judaism before the duke of Ferrara in a religious dispute with two Dominican monks. Farissol's main works are (1) Pirhei Shoshannim, a short commentary on the Torah, which was never printed but is extant in manuscript; a commentary on Ecclesiastes, also in manuscript; and a commentary on the Book of Job, printed in the Bomberg Bible (Venice 1516–17). (2) Magen Avraham, a work dedicated to the defense of Judaism in religious disputes, and containing in two separate chapters, polemical attacks against Christianity and Islam. Most of the work is basedupon the writings of earlier medieval Hebrew polemicists, but parts were influenced by the author's own experience in the dispute in Ferrara. The work is still extant in manuscript. (3) Iggeret Orḥot Olam, his most famous and most important work, is the first modern Hebrew work on geography (Ferrara 1524; Venice 1586; and many subsequent printings). Each of its 30 chapters deals with a certain geographical area or subject. In addition, many cosmological and historical matters are also treated. The author collected all the evidence he could regarding Jewish settlements in each country. The inclusion of a description of the New World makes Farissol the first Hebrew writer to deal in detail with the newly-discovered America. The 14th chapter of Iggeret Orḥot Olam, which deals mainly with the settlements of the ten lost tribes , is of special interest. According to Farissol's introduction to this chapter, it is clear that what moved him to undertake this investigation was the appearance in Italy in 1523 of david reuveni , many of whose descriptions are included in this work. -BIBLIOGRAPHY: Steinschneider, Cat Bod, 689–90; Benjacob, Ozar, 9 no. 189, 296 no. 490; Graetz, Hist, 4 (1894), 411–3; Waxman, Literature, 2 (19602), 485–7, 556.

Encyclopedia Judaica. 1971.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Abraham ben Mordecai Farissol — Mahzor, rite pour les femmes rédigé en 1471 par Abraham ben Mordecai Farissol, MS 8255, Fol. 5v° Abraham ben Mordecai Farissol (Avignon, 1451, Italie, 1525 ou 1526) est un écrivain, chercheur et géographe juif du XVe siècle …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Abraham Farissol — Manuskript von Abraham ben Mordecai Farissol (1471) Abraham ben Mordechai Farissol (* um 1451 in Avignon; † um 1525 in Ferrara) war ein italienisch jüdischer Autor, Bibelkommentator und Geograph. Inhaltsverzeichnis …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • LEON, MESSER JUDAH BEN JEHIEL — (15th century), rabbi and author. The place and the year of Judah s birth are unknown. It is possible that his native city was Mantua, where he was the head of a yeshivah. He was a typical representative of the Jewish humanism of the Renaissance …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • KABBALAH — This entry is arranged according to the following outline: introduction general notes terms used for kabbalah the historical development of the kabbalah the early beginnings of mysticism and esotericism apocalyptic esotericism and merkabah… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Liste des toponymes juifs en France — Les toponymes juifs sont nombreux en France et témoignent de plus de 2000 ans d histoire des Juifs en France. Beaucoup notamment rappellent la présence des Juifs avant leur expulsion du royaume au XIVe siècle. Sommaire 1 Rues et lieux dits 1 …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Mantoue — Place Sordello Administration N …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Ferrare — La cathédrale Saint Georges. Administration P …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Hercule Ier d'Este — Pour les autres membres de la famille, voir : Maison d Este. Hercule Ier d Este Hercule Ier d Este (dit aussi Hercule de Ferrare, en italien Ercole di Ferrara), né l …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Liste de personnalités liées à Avignon — Article principal : Avignon. De nombreuses personnalités sont liées à l histoire du territoire d Avignon et de sa ville. Qu’ils y soient nés ou simplement fortement liés, on trouve des personnalités religieuses comme des papes ou des… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • MONEYLENDING — The Religious Context BIBLICAL PERIOD Deuteronomy 23:20–21 states: You shall not lend on interest to your brother, interest of food or money or anything on which interest can be charged. You may charge interest to a foreigner, but not to your… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”