Jacob of London
Encyclopedia
Jacob of London was the first known Presbyter Judaeorum
of the Jews of England; appointed to that position by King John in 1199, who also gave him a safe-conduct
. He appears to have died in 1217, when Josce of London
is mentioned as his successor. He is possibly identical with the rabbi Jacob of London who translated the whole Haggadah into the vernacular so that women and children could understand it (Isserles
, "Darke Mosheh," to Tur Orah hayyim, 473).
Presbyter Judaeorum
The Presbyter Judaeorum or Presbyter Judæorum was the chief official of the Jews of England prior to the Edict of Expulsion. The office appears to have been for life, though in two or three instances the incumbent either resigned or was dismissed. Prynne, in his "Demurrer" The Presbyter Judaeorum...
of the Jews of England; appointed to that position by King John in 1199, who also gave him a safe-conduct
Safe-conduct
Safe conduct is the situation in time of international conflict or war where one state, a party to such conflict, issues to a person, usually an enemy state's subject, a pass or document to allow the enemy alien to traverse its territory without harassment, bodily harm, or fear of death. Safe...
. He appears to have died in 1217, when Josce of London
Josce of London
Josce of London was an English Jew and the Presbyter Judaeorum, or Chief Rabbi, of the Jews of England from 1217 to 1237.Josce succeeded Jacob of London as Chief Rabbi on his death in 1217. This would imply that Josce was very wealthy, as only the wealthiest of the Jews obtained this position...
is mentioned as his successor. He is possibly identical with the rabbi Jacob of London who translated the whole Haggadah into the vernacular so that women and children could understand it (Isserles
Isserles
Isserles, or Isserlis:* Rabbi Moses Isserles * Leon Isserlis , a Jewish Ukrainian-British statistician** Isserlis’ theorem, in probability theory* Steven Isserlis, CBE , a British cellist...
, "Darke Mosheh," to Tur Orah hayyim, 473).
Resources
- Jacobs, Joseph. "Jacob of London." Jewish EncyclopediaJewish EncyclopediaThe Jewish Encyclopedia is an encyclopedia originally published in New York between 1901 and 1906 by Funk and Wagnalls. It contained over 15,000 articles in 12 volumes on the history and then-current state of Judaism and the Jews as of 1901...
. Funk and Wagnalls, 1901-1906, which gives the following bibliography: - Prynne, Short Demurrer, ii. 3-5;
- H. Adler, in Papers of the Anglo-Jewish Historical Exhibition, pp. 262-263.