Joseph ha-Kohen

Joseph ha-Kohen

Joseph ben Joshua ben Meïr ha-Kohen (also Joseph HaKohen, Joseph Hakohen or Joseph Hacohen) (December 20, 1496, Avignon, France - 1575 or shortly thereafter, Genoa, Italy) was a historian and physician of the sixteenth century.

Life

Joseph's family originally lived at Cuenca, then at Chuete, Spain; when the Jews were expelled from Spain the family settled at Avignon. At the age of five Joseph left Avignon with his father and went to Genoa, where they remained until 1516. Driven from that city, they went to Novi, but returned to Genoa in 1538, where Joseph practiced medicine for twelve years. On June 3, 1550, he and all his coreligionists were driven from Genoa as a consequence of the rivalry of the non-Jewish physicians. Joseph then settled at Voltaggio, at the request of the citizens of that small town, practicing there until 1567. When the Jews were driven out of the territory of Genoa, he went to Costeletto (Montferrat), where he was very well received. In 1571 he was again established at Genoa, where he died a few years later.

Joseph ha-Kohen had three sons (Joshua, Isaac, Judah) and two daughters. He was highly regarded, not only as historian and physician, but also for the interest he took in all Jewish matters. One of his chief concerns was the release of the many Jewish captives taken by the vessels of the Italian republics and by the Corsairs; as in 1532, when Andrea Doria captured many Jews on taking Coron, Patras, and Zante; in 1535, when the emperor Charles V took Tunis; in 1542, when the galleys of Cegala Visconti had imprisoned a number of Jews.

Historical works

In Hebrew literature Joseph ha-Kohen achieved prominence by two historical works. The first of these, "Dibre ha-Yamim le-Malke Zarfat we-'Otoman" (Chronicles of the Kings of France and Turkey), is in the nature of a history of the world, in the form of annals, in which he represents the sequence of events as a conflict between Asia and Europe, between Islam and Christianity, the protagonist for Islam being the mighty Turkish empire, and for Christianity, France. With these two great groups he connects European history, beginning with the downfall of the Roman empire. The work was completed in November 1533, printed the next year at Venice, and reprinted at Amsterdam in 1733; parts were translated into German and French; the entire work was issued in English, but badly translated, by Bialloblotzky.

Joseph was a careful historian. He gathered his facts from all possible sources, made notes, kept registers, and conducted a wide correspondence. He added continually to the first redaction of his works, carefully dating each one. Of his "Emeq ha-Bachah" (The Vale of Weeping) he made, or caused to be made, at least nine copies; of the "Book of India", at least five. His work is valuable also on account of its brilliant narrative, excellent characterization, and fine biblical style. Having lived in Italy from his childhood and become acquainted with persons prominent politically, he is a valuable source for the history of his time; concerning many events, he had closely examined competent witnesses. He also mentions a number of important facts ignored by other historians. He is less accurate in the treatment of ancient history, for which he often was obliged to consult untrustworthy sources.

The Jewish Annals

In writing his annals Joseph ha-Kohen at first intended to devote a special work to the great Jewish persecutions, with which he had become acquainted through then unused sources, and accounts of which he inserted in the annals. This idea he carried out, drawing upon Samuel Usque's "Consolaçam as Tribulaçoens de Ysrael" (1557), in his "Emeq ha-Bakah" in which he dwells upon the sorrows and sufferings the Jews endured in various countries in the course of centuries. The book, which is a martyrology from beginning to end, closes with the 24th of Tammuz, 5335 AM (1575 CE). The author's moderation and self-control are admirable. He does not make use either of the chronicle of Abraham ibn Daud or of those written by any of the other Judæo-Spanish chroniclers. [Variants to the printed text will be found in "Revue des Etudes Juives" x.248, xvi.5.]

Joseph ha-Kohen began this work in 1558, at Voltaggio, and concluded it, in its initial form, toward the end of 1563, the book circulating in Italy in manuscript. It was finally carried by the author down to 1575. Max Letteris edited it with notes (Vienna, 1852), and M. Wiener issued a German translation (Leipzig, 1858).

Joseph ha-Kohen wrote also a Hebrew version, with the title "Meqitz Nirdamim", of Meïr Alguadez's Spanish medical work giving prescriptions for the healing of various diseases; to these prescriptions he added some of his own. [Comp. Johann Christoph Wolf, "Bibliotheca Hebræa", iv.853 "et seq."; Moritz Steinschneider, in Berliner's "Magazin", x.166; Steinschneider, "Hebräische Übersetzungen", p. 775; Steinschneider, in "Jewish Quarterly Review" xv.137)]

Other Works

Less known is his work upon the New World, "Dibre ha-Yamim". It contains a reference to Columbus (whom, however, he confounds with Amerigo Vespucci); the work is very meager in its information. [Harrisse, in "Centralblatt für Bibliothekswesen", 1888, p. 136] After writing it he became acquainted with Francisco López de Gómara's "Historia General de las Indias" and Joan Boemus's "Omnium Gentium Mores Leges et Ritus". From these, in 1557, he compiled his "Matztzib Gebulot 'Ammim" (Who Setteth the Boundaries of Nations), [See Deuteronomy xxxii.6] a history of the conquest of Mexico, to which he added a full account of the discoveries of Columbus.

A small work of a different kind was his "Peles ha-Shemot", written in 1561, containing an alphabetical list of Hebrew nouns, with scripture illustrations of their occurrence given for the purpose of fixing their gender — a matter in which (as he says) "many writers in Hebrew erred." He also compiled, in 1567, a book of polite formulas to be used in addressing letters, and a large number of verses, which are found, written in his own hand, at the end of his works. A large number of letters, evidently meant to serve as models, are found in the MSS. Rabbinowicz, No. 129 (now in the library of the Alliance Israélite Universelle at Paris). Two-thirds of these are by Joseph ha-Kohen; they give a good insight into his private life.

Notes

Bibliography

* Karin Almbladh (ed.) "Sefer Emeq ha-Bakha : The vale of tears : with the chronicle of the anonymous Corrector /Joseph ha-Kohen ; introd., critical ed., comments by Karin Almbladh", Uppsala 1981 ISBN 91-554-1143-6
*Max Letteris, introduction to the Hebrew edition of "Emeq Habachah"
*Wiener, introduction to the German edition of the same work
*Heinrich Grätz, "Geschichte der Juden" 3d ed., ix. 324 "et seq.", especially "Isidore Loeb, Josef Haccohev et les Chroniqueurs Juifs", in "Revue des Etudes Juives" xvi. 28 "et seq." (also published separately)
*Isidore Loeb, "Josef Haccohev et les Chroniqueurs Juifs", in "Revue des Etudes Juives" xvi. 28 "et seq." (also published separately).
*See also Richard Gottheil, "Columbus in Jewish Literature", in "Publications of the American Jewish Historical Society" ii. 129 "et seq."
*JewishEncyclopedia|article=Joseph ben Joshua ben Meïr Ha-Kohen|author=Eduard Neumann and Richard Gottheil|url=http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=490&letter=J&search=Joseph%20ha-Kohen

External links

* [http://www.chabad.org/library/article.asp?AID=111903 Mindel, Nissan, "Gallery of Our Great".]
* [http://www.aish.com/tishaBavAntiSemitism/tishaBavAntiSemitismDefault/hacohen.asp Raphael, David, "Expulsion 1492 Chronicles".]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Joseph ha-Kohen — (* 20. Dezember 1496 in Avignon; † nach 1577 in Genua) war ein jüdischer Arzt und Chronist in Italien. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Leben 2 Werke 3 Literatur …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • JOSEPH HA-KOHEN — (1496–1578), historiographer, physician, and philologist active in Italy. His parents were originally from Spain, and, after the expulsion of the Jews from that country, went to Avignon. In 1501/02 they moved to genoa , where Joseph received a… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • HELLER, ARYEH LEIB BEN JOSEPH HA-KOHEN OF STRY — (1745?–1813), Galician rabbi, a descendant of yom tov lipmann heller . Heller was born in Kalisz, and studied under Meshullam Igra of Pressburg. In his youth he served as rabbi of the small town of Rozhnyatov, Galicia, where he lived in poverty,… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • AARON BEN JOSEPH HA-KOHEN SARGADO — (also known as Ḥalaf ibn Sargado), gaon and head of the academy at Pumbedita, 942–60. His antagonist saadiah gaon slanderously altered his Arabic first name, Ḥalaf, to read Kelev ( dog ) and it appears in this erroneous form in the Hebrew… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • SCHWARTZ, JOSEPH HA-KOHEN — (1877–1944), Hungarian rabbi and author. Born in Felsővisó, Hungary (now Viseul de Sus in Romania), Schwartz was the son of Naphtali ha Kohen Schwartz and a pupil of jacob tennenbaum . He edited the periodical Va Yelakket Yosef for 20 years, from …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • KOHEN-ZEDEK, JOSEPH — (1827–1903), Hebrew poet, writer, and publicist. Kohen Zedek, who was born in LVOV, studied rabbinics with solomon kluger in Brody and S.J. Nathanson in Lvov. He first engaged – unsuccessfully – in business and then turned to literature and… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Kohen Gadol — Statue d Aaron en tenue de Kohen Gadol Kohen Gadol (en hébreu כהן גדול, « Grand Prêtre »), Kohen ha Gadol ou Kohen ha Rosh est le titre que portait le Grand Prêtre dans la première religion israélite ancienne et dans le judaïsme… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • JOSEPH BEN MORDECAI GERSHON HA-KOHEN OF CRACOW — (1510–1591), Polish halakhic authority. Joseph, who was born in Cracow, was a brother in law of moses isserles and a member of his bet din. For about 50 years he served as head of a yeshivah in Cracow. He is the author of She erit Yosef (Cracow,… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Joseph ben Mordechai Gershon — Ha Kohen (Cracow, 1510 ndash; 1591)Polish Talmudist; born in Cracow 1510; died 1591. He began his studies in the Talmud at an early age, and became the head of a yeshivah founded for him by his father in law. The many pupils who attended this… …   Wikipedia

  • Joseph ben Abraham — (Heb. Yosef ben Avraham ha Kohen, also known as Yusuf al Basir [ [http://www.muslimphilosophy.com/ip/rep/J052.htm Karaism ] ] ) was a Karaite philosopher and theologian who flourished in Babylonia or Persia in the first half of the eleventh… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

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