Daniel Chwolson
Encyclopedia
Daniel Abramovich Chwolson or Chwolsohn or Khvolson - )) was a Russian-Jewish orientalist.
and Talmud
, his parents, who were very religious, destined him for the rabbinate
, and placed him at the yeshiva
of Rabbi Israel Günzburg. Up to his eighteenth year he did not know any other language than Hebrew, but in three years he acquired a fair knowledge of German, French, and Russian.
Chwolson went to Breslau in 1841, and, after three years' preparation in the classical languages, entered Breslau University, where he devoted himself to the Oriental languages, especially Arabic
. There he studied until 1848, and in 1850 he received the degree of doctor of philosophy
at Leipzig University.
On his return to Russia he settled in St. Petersburg, where his son, the physicist Orest Khvolson
, was born in 1852. In 1855, being highly appreciated in learned circles, and having embraced Christianity, he was appointed extraordinary professor of Oriental languages in the university. Three years later he received a similar appointment in the Dukhovnaya Akademiya (Theological Academy). In 1856 the Imperial Academy
issued, at its own expense, Chwolson's first work, which established the authority of its author in the field of Oriental research, the two-volume Die Ssabier und der Ssabismus (Sabians
and Sabianism). Three years later Chwolson published Ueber die Ueberreste der Altbabylonischen Literatur in Arabischen Uebersetzungen (St. Petersburg, 1859; also in Russian in Russki Vyestnik under the title Novootkrytie Pamyatniki). This work made a great sensation among scholars by the importance of its discoveries and by Chwolson's theories concerning the old Babylonian monuments. It was followed in 1860 by Ueber Tammuz und die Menschenverehrung bei den Alten Babyloniern (ib. 1860).
The learned world in 1899 celebrated Chwolson's literary jubilee by presenting him with a collection of articles written in his honor by prominent European scholars. This was published by Baron David Günzburg under the title Recueil des travaux rédigés en mémoire du jubilé scientifique de M. Daniel Chwolson, Berlin, 1899.
accusations had been brought against the Jews of Saratov
in 1857, and the government summoned a commission of scholars to see whether any passages could be found in Jewish literature recommending the use of Christian blood for ritual purposes. Chwolson, who was appointed a member of the commission, wrote a report in which he demonstrated the groundlessness of the accusations in general, and pointed out that in the particular case of Saratov the evidence given by the two principal witnesses was full of contradictions and absurdities. The investigation extended over a period of nine years. Chwolson secured permission to publish his memoir, which appeared in 1861 as O nekotorykh srednevekovykh obvineniyakh protiv evreyev ("On several medieval accusations against the Jews").
In 1877 Chwolson saw a new blood accusation brought against Jews at Kutais
, Transcaucasia. At the same time several Russian anti-Semitic writers undertook a campaign against the Talmud, repeating the old charge that it contained blasphemies against Jesus. Chwolson again took up the defense of the Jews, and republished his memoir with many additions (St. Petersburg, 1880). A German edition of this work appeared in the year 1901 under the title Die Blutanklage und Sonstige Mittelalterliche Beschuldigungen der Juden. In this edition Chwolson, before entering into a discussion of the blood question, expounds the history of the Talmud, and shows that the "Pharisees
" condemned by Jesus in the Gospels were not the Rabbinites in general and that it was not the Pharisees but the Sadducees
who were the enemies and persecutors of Jesus. He further demonstrates that, according to Talmudic law, Jews were bound to look upon Christians as their brethren, the assertions to the contrary being due partly to misconception, partly to hatred.
The deep-rooted belief that Jesus was crucified by the Jews being the principal cause of the prejudice against them on the part of the Christians, Chwolson, in a dissertation entitled Poslyedniyaya paskhalnaya vecherya Isusa Christa i den' yevo smerti (St. Petersburg, 1875; German translation, Das letzte Passamal Christi, 1892) shows the groundlessness of this belief, pointing out that the proceedings of the trial and condemnation of Jesus, as related in the Gospels, were in violation of the rabbinical laws and consequently could not have been conducted by a Jewish tribunal.
He defended the Jewish people as well as Judaism
. In a work entitled Kharakteristika semitskikh narodov published in Russkii Vestnik (The Russian Messenger
), 1872 (German ed., Berlin, 1872), he draws a parallel between the distinguishing characteristics of the Jew, the representative of the Semitic race, and those of the Greek, the representative of the Aryan peoples, not always to the advantage of the latter. The pamphlet was translated into English under the title The Semitic Nations (Cincinnati, 1874).
He also wrote:
Mention may be made here of Chwolson's early contributions of Jewish biographies from Arabic sources, especially that of Maimonides
, to the Orient, 1846.
Chwolson was an indefatigable collector of Hebrew books, and his collection of Hebrew incunabula was valuable. A catalogue of his Hebrew books was published by him under the title Reshimat Sifre Yisrael, Vilna, 1897.
Biography
Chwolson was born at Vilna, which was then part of the Russian Empire. As he showed marked ability in the study of HebrewHebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
and Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
, his parents, who were very religious, destined him for the rabbinate
Rabbinate
The term rabbinate may refer to the office of a rabbi or rabbis as a group:*Chief Rabbinate of Israel, the supreme Jewish religious governing body in the state of Israel...
, and placed him at the yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
of Rabbi Israel Günzburg. Up to his eighteenth year he did not know any other language than Hebrew, but in three years he acquired a fair knowledge of German, French, and Russian.
Chwolson went to Breslau in 1841, and, after three years' preparation in the classical languages, entered Breslau University, where he devoted himself to the Oriental languages, especially Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
. There he studied until 1848, and in 1850 he received the degree of doctor of philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
at Leipzig University.
On his return to Russia he settled in St. Petersburg, where his son, the physicist Orest Khvolson
Orest Khvolson
Orest Danilovich Khvolson or Chwolson was a Russian physicist and honorary member of the Soviet Academy of Sciences...
, was born in 1852. In 1855, being highly appreciated in learned circles, and having embraced Christianity, he was appointed extraordinary professor of Oriental languages in the university. Three years later he received a similar appointment in the Dukhovnaya Akademiya (Theological Academy). In 1856 the Imperial Academy
Imperial Academy
Imperial Academy may refer to:* The Imperial Academy of Arts in St Petersburg.* The Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow .* The former Imperial Military Academy in St Petersburg....
issued, at its own expense, Chwolson's first work, which established the authority of its author in the field of Oriental research, the two-volume Die Ssabier und der Ssabismus (Sabians
Sabians
The Sabians of Middle Eastern tradition were a monotheistic Abrahamic religious group mentioned three times in the Quran: "the Jews, the Sabians, and the Christians." In the Hadith they are nothing but converts to Islam, while their identity in later Islamic literature became a matter of...
and Sabianism). Three years later Chwolson published Ueber die Ueberreste der Altbabylonischen Literatur in Arabischen Uebersetzungen (St. Petersburg, 1859; also in Russian in Russki Vyestnik under the title Novootkrytie Pamyatniki). This work made a great sensation among scholars by the importance of its discoveries and by Chwolson's theories concerning the old Babylonian monuments. It was followed in 1860 by Ueber Tammuz und die Menschenverehrung bei den Alten Babyloniern (ib. 1860).
The learned world in 1899 celebrated Chwolson's literary jubilee by presenting him with a collection of articles written in his honor by prominent European scholars. This was published by Baron David Günzburg under the title Recueil des travaux rédigés en mémoire du jubilé scientifique de M. Daniel Chwolson, Berlin, 1899.
Work against antisemitism
Blood libelBlood libel
Blood libel is a false accusation or claim that religious minorities, usually Jews, murder children to use their blood in certain aspects of their religious rituals and holidays...
accusations had been brought against the Jews of Saratov
Saratov
-Modern Saratov:The Saratov region is highly industrialized, due in part to the rich in natural and industrial resources of the area. The region is also one of the more important and largest cultural and scientific centres in Russia...
in 1857, and the government summoned a commission of scholars to see whether any passages could be found in Jewish literature recommending the use of Christian blood for ritual purposes. Chwolson, who was appointed a member of the commission, wrote a report in which he demonstrated the groundlessness of the accusations in general, and pointed out that in the particular case of Saratov the evidence given by the two principal witnesses was full of contradictions and absurdities. The investigation extended over a period of nine years. Chwolson secured permission to publish his memoir, which appeared in 1861 as O nekotorykh srednevekovykh obvineniyakh protiv evreyev ("On several medieval accusations against the Jews").
In 1877 Chwolson saw a new blood accusation brought against Jews at Kutais
Kutais
Kutais may refer to:* Kutaisi a city in the country of Georgia* Kutaisi people a subgroup of the Dayaks of Borneo...
, Transcaucasia. At the same time several Russian anti-Semitic writers undertook a campaign against the Talmud, repeating the old charge that it contained blasphemies against Jesus. Chwolson again took up the defense of the Jews, and republished his memoir with many additions (St. Petersburg, 1880). A German edition of this work appeared in the year 1901 under the title Die Blutanklage und Sonstige Mittelalterliche Beschuldigungen der Juden. In this edition Chwolson, before entering into a discussion of the blood question, expounds the history of the Talmud, and shows that the "Pharisees
Pharisees
The Pharisees were at various times a political party, a social movement, and a school of thought among Jews during the Second Temple period beginning under the Hasmonean dynasty in the wake of...
" condemned by Jesus in the Gospels were not the Rabbinites in general and that it was not the Pharisees but the Sadducees
Sadducees
The Sadducees were a sect or group of Jews that were active in Ancient Israel during the Second Temple period, starting from the second century BC through the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD. The sect was identified by Josephus with the upper social and economic echelon of Judean society...
who were the enemies and persecutors of Jesus. He further demonstrates that, according to Talmudic law, Jews were bound to look upon Christians as their brethren, the assertions to the contrary being due partly to misconception, partly to hatred.
The deep-rooted belief that Jesus was crucified by the Jews being the principal cause of the prejudice against them on the part of the Christians, Chwolson, in a dissertation entitled Poslyedniyaya paskhalnaya vecherya Isusa Christa i den' yevo smerti (St. Petersburg, 1875; German translation, Das letzte Passamal Christi, 1892) shows the groundlessness of this belief, pointing out that the proceedings of the trial and condemnation of Jesus, as related in the Gospels, were in violation of the rabbinical laws and consequently could not have been conducted by a Jewish tribunal.
He defended the Jewish people as well as Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
. In a work entitled Kharakteristika semitskikh narodov published in Russkii Vestnik (The Russian Messenger
The Russian Messenger
The Russian Messenger has been the title of three notable magazines published in Russia in the 19th century.-The Russian Messenger of Sergey Glinka:...
), 1872 (German ed., Berlin, 1872), he draws a parallel between the distinguishing characteristics of the Jew, the representative of the Semitic race, and those of the Greek, the representative of the Aryan peoples, not always to the advantage of the latter. The pamphlet was translated into English under the title The Semitic Nations (Cincinnati, 1874).
He also wrote:
- Statistische Nachrichten über die Orientalische Facultät der Universität zu St. Petersburg, Leipzig, 1861
- "Achtzehn Hebräische Grabschriften aus der Krim," in the Mémoires of the St. Petersburg Academy of Science, 1865 (Russian translation, "Vosemnadtzat nadgrobnykh nadpisei iz Kryma," St. Petersburg, 1866)
- Izvyestiya o khazarakh, burtasakh, mad'yarakh, slavyanakh, i russakh Abu-Ali Akhmeda ben Omar Ibn-Dasta, neizvestnago dosele arabskago pisatelya nachala X veka, St. Petersburg, 1869
- "Novootkryty pamyatnik moavitskavo tsarya Meshi," Khristianskoe chtenie, 1870
- "O vliyanii geograficheskago polozheniya Palestiny na sud'bu evreiskago naroda," ib. 1875 (reprinted in Sbornik budushchnosti, ii.1-4)
- "Die Quiescentes הוי in der althebräischen Orthographie," Leyden, 1878 (Russian tr. in Khristianskoe chtenie, St. Petersburg, 1881) ("a brilliant though erratic study of the matres lectionis in old Hebrew orthography")
- Corpus Inscriptionum Hebraicarum, St. Petersburg and Leipzig, 1882 (Russian translation, ib. 1884)
- Predvaritelnaya zametka o naidennykh v Semiryechenskoi oblasti siriiskikh nadgrobnykh nadpisyakh, Zapadno-Vostochnoe Otdelenie Imperatorskago Russkago Arkhivnago Obshchestva, 1886
- "Syrische Grabschriften aus Semirjetschie," ib. 1890, in the Mémoires of the St. Petersburg Academy
- "Hat es jemals irgend einen Grund gegeben, den Rüsttag des jüdischen Passahfestes als Πρώτῃ τῶν 'Αζύνων zu bezeichnen?" in Zeitschrift für Wissenschaftliche Theologie, v. 38. Leipzig, 1896
- "Staropechatnyya evreiskiya knigi," on Hebrew incunabula, St. Petersburg, 1897 (Hebrew transl., "Reshit Ma'ase ha-Defus," Warsaw, 1897).
Mention may be made here of Chwolson's early contributions of Jewish biographies from Arabic sources, especially that of Maimonides
Maimonides
Moses ben-Maimon, called Maimonides and also known as Mūsā ibn Maymūn in Arabic, or Rambam , was a preeminent medieval Jewish philosopher and one of the greatest Torah scholars and physicians of the Middle Ages...
, to the Orient, 1846.
Chwolson was an indefatigable collector of Hebrew books, and his collection of Hebrew incunabula was valuable. A catalogue of his Hebrew books was published by him under the title Reshimat Sifre Yisrael, Vilna, 1897.
External links
- Important Individuals in Karaim History at www.turkiye.net