Moses Hamon
Encyclopedia
Moses Hamon (Amon) was the son of Joseph Hamon, born in Spain
. Going with his father to Constantinople
, he became physician to Sultan Sulaiman I. This "famous prince and great physician," as he is called by Judah ibn Verga
, accompanied the monarch on all his expeditions, enjoying great favor on account of his knowledge and skill.
Hamon was a fine linguist
, versed in Arabic
, Turkish
, and Persian
, and was a patron
of Jewish learning. He printed some Hebrew works at Constantinople as early as 1515 and 1516. He also built in that city, at his own cost, a school which was presided over by the learned Joseph Taitazak
of Salonica. He did not, however, translate the Pentateuch into Persian
, nor the prayers of the Israelites into Turkish
, as Manasseh b. Israel records, but he had Jacob Tavus' Persian Pentateuch translation, together with Saadia
's Arabic translation, printed at his own expense in 1546.
Hamon, who was everywhere highly respected on account of his firm character and philanthropy, was a fearless advocate of his coreligionists. When about 1545 the Jews of Amasia
were falsely accused of having murdered a Christian
for ritual purposes, and the innocence of those that had been executed was established soon after by the reappearance of the missing man, Hamon induced the sultan to decree that thenceforward no accusation of the kind should be entertained by any judge of the country, but should be referred to the royal court (see Danon in El Progreso, i. 148 et seq., where a legendary account of the event is given, probably taken from Me'ora'ot 'Olam, Constantinople, 1756).
Hamon was also called upon to decide communal difficulties. After an affray which arose in the Jewish community of Salonica, Hamon summoned the instigators to Constantinople and induced the sultan to send a judge to Salonica to investigate the affair and to punish the guilty ones (see Danon, l.c. i. 162 et seq., 178 et seq., where several of Hamon's Hebrew letters are reprinted). The sultan, at Hamon's request, exempted the latter's descendants from all taxes.
Jewish Encyclopedia
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. Going with his father to Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
, he became physician to Sultan Sulaiman I. This "famous prince and great physician," as he is called by Judah ibn Verga
Judah ibn Verga
Judah ibn Verga was a Spanish historian, kabalist, perhaps also mathematician, and astronomer, of the 15th century, born at Seville. He is supposed to have been the grandfather Judah ibn Verga (Hebrew: יהודה אבן וירגה) was a Spanish historian, kabalist, perhaps also mathematician, and astronomer,...
, accompanied the monarch on all his expeditions, enjoying great favor on account of his knowledge and skill.
Hamon was a fine linguist
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
, versed in 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...
, Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
, and Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
, and was a patron
Patrón
Patrón is a luxury brand of tequila produced in Mexico and sold in hand-blown, individually numbered bottles.Made entirely from Blue Agave "piñas" , Patrón comes in five varieties: Silver, Añejo, Reposado, Gran Patrón Platinum and Gran Patrón Burdeos. Patrón also sells a tequila-coffee blend known...
of Jewish learning. He printed some Hebrew works at Constantinople as early as 1515 and 1516. He also built in that city, at his own cost, a school which was presided over by the learned Joseph Taitazak
Joseph Taitazak
Joseph ben Solomon Ṭaiṭazaḳ , also referred to by the acronym MahaRITaTS, was a talmudic authority and kabalist who lived at Salonica in the 15th and 16th centuries...
of Salonica. He did not, however, translate the Pentateuch into Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
, nor the prayers of the Israelites into Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
, as Manasseh b. Israel records, but he had Jacob Tavus' Persian Pentateuch translation, together with Saadia
Saadia
Saadia is a Jewish name and Arabic name. it can refer to several people:*Saadia Gaon - Ninth century rabbi, philosopher, and exegete of the Geonic period.*Saadia Afzaal - Pakistani journalist and television news anchor....
's Arabic translation, printed at his own expense in 1546.
Hamon, who was everywhere highly respected on account of his firm character and philanthropy, was a fearless advocate of his coreligionists. When about 1545 the Jews of Amasia
Amasia
Amasia may refer to:*Amasya, a town in Northern Turkey*Amasea *Amasia , former administrative district of Soviet Armenia*Amasia, Shirak, a town in Armenia*Amasia, Armavir, a town in Armenia...
were falsely accused of having murdered a Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
for ritual purposes, and the innocence of those that had been executed was established soon after by the reappearance of the missing man, Hamon induced the sultan to decree that thenceforward no accusation of the kind should be entertained by any judge of the country, but should be referred to the royal court (see Danon in El Progreso, i. 148 et seq., where a legendary account of the event is given, probably taken from Me'ora'ot 'Olam, Constantinople, 1756).
Hamon was also called upon to decide communal difficulties. After an affray which arose in the Jewish community of Salonica, Hamon summoned the instigators to Constantinople and induced the sultan to send a judge to Salonica to investigate the affair and to punish the guilty ones (see Danon, l.c. i. 162 et seq., 178 et seq., where several of Hamon's Hebrew letters are reprinted). The sultan, at Hamon's request, exempted the latter's descendants from all taxes.
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...
bibliography
- David ConforteDavid ConforteDavid Conforte was a Hebrew literary historian born in Salonica, author of the literary chronicle known by the title Ḳore ha-Dorot.-Biography:...
, Ḳore ha-Dorot, ed. Cassel. pp. 32b, 34b; - Shebeṭ Yehudah, pp. 33, 53, 111;
- Joseph ha-KohenJoseph ha-KohenJoseph ben Joshua ben Meïr ha-Kohen was a historian and physician of the sixteenth century.-Life:...
, 'Emeḳ ha-Baka, p. l05; - Samuel UsqueSamuel UsqueSamuel Usque was a Portuguese marrano Jewish author who settled in Ferrara.His major work is the Consolação ás Tribulações de Israel , Ferrara, 1553...
, Consolaçao as Tribulaçoens de Yisrael, p. 208a; - M. A. Levy, D. Joseph Nasi, Herzog von Naxos, und Zwei Jüdische Diplomaten Seiner Zeit, p. 6;
- Moritz SteinschneiderMoritz SteinschneiderMoritz Steinschneider was a Bohemian bibliographer and Orientalist. He received his early instruction in Hebrew from his father, Jacob Steinschneider , who was not only an expert Talmudist, but was also well versed in secular science...
, Hebr. Bibl. ii. 67, 83; - Eliakim CarmolyEliakim CarmolyEliakim Carmoly was a French-Jewish scholar. He was born at Soultz-Haut-Rhin, then in the French department of Haut-Rhin. His real name was Goschel David Behr ; the name Carmoly, borne by his family in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, was adopted by him when quite young...
, Histoire des Médecins Juifs, p. 159; - Heinrich Grätz, Gesch. ix. 33, 339;
- R. E. J. xl. 230.
External links
- Jewish Encyclopedia article for HAMON written by Gotthard DeutschGotthard DeutschGotthard Deutsch , also spelled Gottard Deutsch, was a scholar of Jewish history.- Education :...
& Meyer KayserlingMeyer KayserlingMeyer Kayserling was a German rabbi and historian.-Life:He was educated at Halberstadt, Nikolsburg , Prague, Würzburg, and Berlin. He devoted himself to history and philosophy...
.