Jacob Emden, also known as Ya'avetz, was a leading German rabbi and talmudist who championed Orthodox Judaism in the face of the growing influence of the Sabbatean movement. He was acclaimed in all circles for his extensive knowledge.
Biblical poetry such as the Song of the Sea and the Song of Deborah may be considered early examples of Jewish epic poetry, though very short by normal epic standards. Both songs are compared by scholars to Canaanite and Assyrian epic poetry.
A maggid, also spelled as magid, is a traditional Jewish religious itinerant preacher, skilled as a narrator of Torah and religious stories. A chaplain of the more scholarly sort is called a darshan, and usually occupies the ordained position of para-rabbi. The title of maggid mesharim probably dates from the sixteenth century.
Heilprin is a Jewish surname with many variants.
Joseph Athias was a merchant, bookprinter and the publisher of a famous Hebrew Bible which was approved by States-General of the Dutch Republic and both Jewish and Christian theologians.
Francisco Maldonado da Silva was an Argentine marrano physician who was burned at the stake with eleven other Jews in Lima, Peru, in the largest Auto-da-fé recorded in history. His life has been novelized by Argentinean best selling author Marcos Aguinis in the book Against the Inquisition.
Hanan of Iskiya (Asikia) was rector of the Talmudical academy at Pumbedita, 589-608. He was succeeded by Mari ben R. Dimi after his death in 609.
Jewish printers were quick to take advantages of the printing press in publishing the Hebrew Bible. While for synagogue services written scrolls were used, the printing press was very soon called into service to provide copies of the Hebrew Bible for private use. All the editions published before the Complutensian Polyglot were edited by Jews; but afterwards, and because of the increased interest excited in the Bible by the Reformation, the work was taken up by Christian scholars and printers; and the editions published by Jews after this time were largely influenced by these Christian publications. It is not possible in the present article to enumerate all the editions, whole or partial, of the Hebrew text. This account is devoted mainly to the incunabula.
Moses Prado was a Christian convert to Judaism who lived Marburg, Germany, and Salonica, Greece. His Christian name at birth was Conrad Victor, and he filled the position of professor of the classic languages at the University of Marburg. Finding it impossible to accept the dogma of the Trinity and of the divinity of Jesus, he went, in 1607, to Salonica, where he embraced Judaism, assuming the name of Moses Prado. After a residence of seven years in that city he began to solicit permission from the Duke of Hesse to return to Marburg, where he had left his wife. In a series of letters addressed by him to an old friend at Marburg named Hartmann, Moses justifies himself for embracing Judaism. The truth of Judaism, he declares, is beyond question, since both the Muslims and the Christians are compelled to acknowledge it. He only asks the Duke of Hesse to show himself as tolerant as the sultan, who grants freedom of conscience to every man. The desired permission was refused, and Moses remained at Salonica until his death.
Jacob Tirado was one of the founders of the Spanish-Portuguese community of Amsterdam.
Thomas Jones was a publisher and bookseller in London.
Joseph Abraham Steblicki was a teacher and treasurer who became notable for converting to Judaism.
Isaac ben Abraham of Troki, Karaite scholar and polemical writer (b. Trakai, Grand Duchy of Lithuania, c. 1533; d. Trakai, c. 1594.
Johann Joachim Bellermann was a German Hebraist and professor of theology at Berlin University. He was one of the earliest students of Hebrew epigraphy.
The history of the Jews in Calabria reaches back over two millennia. Calabria is at the very south of the Italian peninsula, to which it is connected by the Monte Pollino massif, while on the east, south and west it is surrounded by the Ionian and Tyrrhenian seas. Jews have had a presence in Calabria for at least 1600 years and possibly as much as 2300 years. Calabrian Jews have had notable influence on many areas of Jewish life and culture. The Jews of Calabria are virtually identical to the neighbouring Jews of Sicily but are considered separate. However, the Jews of Calabria and the Jews of Apulia are historically the same community, only today are considered separate. Occasionally, there is confusion with the southern Jewish community in Calabria and the northern Jewish community in Reggio Emilia. Both communities have always been entirely separate.
Maskil Moses Hirschel was a German writer, polemicist and chess author.
Jekuthiel ben Isaac Blitz was a rabbi who made the first whole translation of the Hebrew Bible into Yiddish.
Abraham ben Jacob was a Dutch Jewish engraver who worked in Amsterdam in the 17th century.
Gershom ben Solomon Kohen was among the first printers of Hebrew books in Prague. He was the founder of the Gersonides, a dynasty of Ashkenazi Jewish printers. Mid-career, he attained rights to be an exclusive printer of Hebrew books in Bohemia authorized to produce Hebrew books.
The Amsterdam Machzor of 1670 was a heavily ornamented prayer book printed by Uri Phoebus ben Aaron Ha-levi.
