Gerónimo de Santa Fe
Encyclopedia
Jerónimo de Santa Fe (born Yehosúa ben Yosef ibn Vives) was a Spanish physician and religious writer who after conversion to Catholicism, wrote in Latin as Hieronymus de Sancta Fide (Jerome of the Holy Faith).
Born Yehosúa ben Yosef ibn Vives, his epiphet "al-Lorquí", from Lorca
, near Murcia, may indicate his place of birth or later residence. An alternative hypothesis places his home time as Alcañiz
.
According to Richard Gottheil (1911) it is not correct to identify him with the author of the same name who wrote an anti-Christian letter to Solomon ha-Levi (Paul de Burgos). The only proof offered for such an identification is a note appended to the manuscript of the letter to the effect that "the author afterward became a Christian." This note, not in another manuscript ("Cat. Leyden," pp. 276, 354), was probably added by a later copyist who was misled by the similarity of the names (see Joshua ben Joseph ibn Vives al-Lorqui). Joshua ha-Lorki was baptized before Vicente Ferrer
delivered his proselytizing sermons in Lorca. Although not a rabbi, as Spanish chroniclers claim, he was well versed in the Talmud
and in rabbinical literature. In order to show his zeal for the new faith he tried to win over to Christianity his former cobelievers, and to throw suspicion on them and on their religion. For that reason he was called "megaddef" (= "the blasphemer"), from the initial letters of his name, Maestro Geronimo de Santa Fé. He offered to prove from the Talmud that the Messiah
had already come in the person of Jesus. For this purpose he induced Antipope Benedict XIII
, whose physician he was, to arrange the Disputation of Tortosa
with learned Jews. Either before or after the debate Hieronymus, at the request of Pope Benedict XIII., wrote two articles in which he heaped up accusations against the Jews and repeated the old slanderous charges. One of these articles was Tractatus Contra Perfidiam Judæorum; the other, De Judæis Erroribus ex Talmuth; they were published together as Hebræomastix (Zurich, 1552; Frankfort-on-the-Main, 1602; Hamburg, n. d.), printed in the Bibliotheca Magna Veterum Patrum, Lyons, vol. xxvi., and Cologne, 1618; they were also translated into Spanish under the title Azote de los Hebreos. Articles in response were written by Don Vidal Benveniste
, with the title "Ḳodesh ha-Ḳodashim," and by Isaac Nathan ben Kalonymus
in his "Tokaḥat Mat'eh."
Hieronymus had several sons. One of them, Pedro, was in special favor with Queen Maria. Another was assessor for the governor of Aragon and lived in Saragossa; this son of the "apostle of Tortosa," as De los Rios calls him ("Hist." iii. 264), took part in the rebellion against Pedro Arbucs, was arrested with other Marrano
s, and, in order to escape the disgrace of being publicly burned, killed himself in prison. His body was burned publicly on Oct. 21-22, 1486. Other members of the Santa Fe family were burned as marrano
s in 1497 and 1499.
Born Yehosúa ben Yosef ibn Vives, his epiphet "al-Lorquí", from Lorca
Lorca
Lorca is a municipality and town in the autonomous community of Murcia in southeastern Spain, 36 miles southwest of the city of Murcia. It had a population of 92,694 in 2010, up from the 2001 census total of 77,477. Lorca is the municipality with the second-largest surface area in Spain with...
, near Murcia, may indicate his place of birth or later residence. An alternative hypothesis places his home time as Alcañiz
Alcañiz
Alcañiz is a town and municipality in the province of Teruel, in the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. The town is located on the banks of the river Guadalope. Alcañiz is the unofficial capital of the Lower Aragon historical region...
.
According to Richard Gottheil (1911) it is not correct to identify him with the author of the same name who wrote an anti-Christian letter to Solomon ha-Levi (Paul de Burgos). The only proof offered for such an identification is a note appended to the manuscript of the letter to the effect that "the author afterward became a Christian." This note, not in another manuscript ("Cat. Leyden," pp. 276, 354), was probably added by a later copyist who was misled by the similarity of the names (see Joshua ben Joseph ibn Vives al-Lorqui). Joshua ha-Lorki was baptized before Vicente Ferrer
Vincent Ferrer
Saint Vincent Ferrer was a Valencian Dominican missionary and logician.-Early life:Vincent was the fourth child of the Anglo-Scottish nobleman William Stewart Ferrer and his Spanish wife, Constantia Miguel. Legends surround his birth...
delivered his proselytizing sermons in Lorca. Although not a rabbi, as Spanish chroniclers claim, he was well versed in the 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....
and in rabbinical literature. In order to show his zeal for the new faith he tried to win over to Christianity his former cobelievers, and to throw suspicion on them and on their religion. For that reason he was called "megaddef" (= "the blasphemer"), from the initial letters of his name, Maestro Geronimo de Santa Fé. He offered to prove from the Talmud that the Messiah
Messiah
A messiah is a redeemer figure expected or foretold in one form or another by a religion. Slightly more widely, a messiah is any redeemer figure. Messianic beliefs or theories generally relate to eschatological improvement of the state of humanity or the world, in other words the World to...
had already come in the person of Jesus. For this purpose he induced Antipope Benedict XIII
Antipope Benedict XIII
Benedict XIII, born Pedro Martínez de Luna y Pérez de Gotor , known as in Spanish, was an Aragonese nobleman, who is officially considered by the Catholic Church to be an antipope....
, whose physician he was, to arrange the Disputation of Tortosa
Disputation of Tortosa
The Disputation of Tortosa, one of the famous disputations between Jews and Christians of the Middle Ages, was held in the years 1413–1414 in the city of Tortosa, Spain....
with learned Jews. Either before or after the debate Hieronymus, at the request of Pope Benedict XIII., wrote two articles in which he heaped up accusations against the Jews and repeated the old slanderous charges. One of these articles was Tractatus Contra Perfidiam Judæorum; the other, De Judæis Erroribus ex Talmuth; they were published together as Hebræomastix (Zurich, 1552; Frankfort-on-the-Main, 1602; Hamburg, n. d.), printed in the Bibliotheca Magna Veterum Patrum, Lyons, vol. xxvi., and Cologne, 1618; they were also translated into Spanish under the title Azote de los Hebreos. Articles in response were written by Don Vidal Benveniste
Vidal Benveniste
Vidal Benveniste was a Spanish Jew who lived in Zaragoza, in what is now Spain, during the 15th century. He was elected, by the notables of the Jewish communities of Aragon, as the chief speaker at the disputation of Tortosa , because of his knowledge of Latin and his reputed wisdom.Benveniste...
, with the title "Ḳodesh ha-Ḳodashim," and by Isaac Nathan ben Kalonymus
Isaac Nathan ben Kalonymus
Isaac Nathan ben Kalonymus was a French Jewish philosopher and controversialist. He lived at Arles, perhaps at Avignon also, and in other places, in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries....
in his "Tokaḥat Mat'eh."
Hieronymus had several sons. One of them, Pedro, was in special favor with Queen Maria. Another was assessor for the governor of Aragon and lived in Saragossa; this son of the "apostle of Tortosa," as De los Rios calls him ("Hist." iii. 264), took part in the rebellion against Pedro Arbucs, was arrested with other Marrano
Marrano
Marranos were Jews living in the Iberian peninsula who converted to Christianity rather than be expelled but continued to observe rabbinic Judaism in secret...
s, and, in order to escape the disgrace of being publicly burned, killed himself in prison. His body was burned publicly on Oct. 21-22, 1486. Other members of the Santa Fe family were burned as marrano
Marrano
Marranos were Jews living in the Iberian peninsula who converted to Christianity rather than be expelled but continued to observe rabbinic Judaism in secret...
s in 1497 and 1499.