Moses ha-Kohen de Tordesillas
Encyclopedia
Moses ha-Kohen de Tordesillas (fl.
1370s) was a Spanish Jewish controversialist of the fourteenth century.
An attempt was made to convert him to Christianity by force. Despite persecution, he remained true to his convictions, although he was robbed of his possessions and reduced to poverty. He was chosen rabbi by the community of Ávila.
He was compelled to carry on a religious debate, about 1372, with the convert John of Valladolid
, in the presence of Christians and Muslims. Moses was acquainted with the Christian sources, and refuted in four debates the arguments of his opponent, who tried to prove the Christian dogmas from the Scriptures.
Soon afterward he was obliged to enter upon a new contest with a disciple of the convert Abner of Burgos
, with whose writings, especially with his Mostrador de Jeosticia, Moses was thoroughly acquainted. In 1374, at the desire of the members of his community, he wrote, in the form of a dialogue between a Jew and a Christian, the main substance of his debates, which treated of the Trinity, of the virginity of Mary, of sacrifice, of the alleged new teachings of Jesus and of the New Testament, of the seven weeks of Daniel, and of similar matters. His book, which is divided into seventeen chapters, dealing with 125 passages emphasized by Christian controversialists, is entitled "'Ezer ha-Emunah" (The Support of Faith אמונה). It was sent by its author to David ibn Ya'ish
at Toledo, and manuscripts of it are found at Oxford, Berlin, Parma, Breslau, and elsewhere.
Moses ha-Kohen made strong use of the theory in the defence of Yechiel of Paris
at the Disputation of Paris
in 1240 that there were two Jesuses - the Jesus in the Talmud
, and the Jesus of the New Testament. Isidore Loeb
(1888) showed that Moses ha-Kohen followed on from the pioneering works such as Shem Tov Shaprut
's The Touchstone, Joseph Kimhi
's Sefer ha-berit and most of all Jacob ben Reuben
's Milhamot ha-Shem. It also shares common ground with later works such as The refutation of the Christian principles of Hasdai Crescas
.
Floruit
Floruit , abbreviated fl. , is a Latin verb meaning "flourished", denoting the period of time during which something was active...
1370s) was a Spanish Jewish controversialist of the fourteenth century.
An attempt was made to convert him to Christianity by force. Despite persecution, he remained true to his convictions, although he was robbed of his possessions and reduced to poverty. He was chosen rabbi by the community of Ávila.
He was compelled to carry on a religious debate, about 1372, with the convert John of Valladolid
John of Valladolid
John of Valladolid was a Spanish Jewish convert to Christianity.An able speaker, and possessed of some knowledge of rabbinical literature, he persuaded King Henry II of Castile that he could convince the Jews of the truth of Christianity if they were obliged to listen to him and to answer his...
, in the presence of Christians and Muslims. Moses was acquainted with the Christian sources, and refuted in four debates the arguments of his opponent, who tried to prove the Christian dogmas from the Scriptures.
Soon afterward he was obliged to enter upon a new contest with a disciple of the convert Abner of Burgos
Abner of Burgos
Abner of Burgos was a Jewish philosopher, a convert to Christianity and polemical writer against his former religion. Known after his conversion as Alfonso of Valladolid.-Life:...
, with whose writings, especially with his Mostrador de Jeosticia, Moses was thoroughly acquainted. In 1374, at the desire of the members of his community, he wrote, in the form of a dialogue between a Jew and a Christian, the main substance of his debates, which treated of the Trinity, of the virginity of Mary, of sacrifice, of the alleged new teachings of Jesus and of the New Testament, of the seven weeks of Daniel, and of similar matters. His book, which is divided into seventeen chapters, dealing with 125 passages emphasized by Christian controversialists, is entitled "'Ezer ha-Emunah" (The Support of Faith אמונה). It was sent by its author to David ibn Ya'ish
David ibn Ya'ish
David ibn Ya'ish was a Spanish Jewish writer. Moses ha-Kohen de Tordesillas dedicated his work to him....
at Toledo, and manuscripts of it are found at Oxford, Berlin, Parma, Breslau, and elsewhere.
Moses ha-Kohen made strong use of the theory in the defence of Yechiel of Paris
Yechiel of Paris
Yechiel ben Joseph of Paris was a major Talmudic scholar and Tosafist from northern France, father-in-law of Isaac ben Joseph of Corbeil. He was a disciple of Rabbi Judah Messer Leon, and succeeded him in 1225 as head of the Yeshiva of Paris, which then boasted some 300 students; his best known...
at the Disputation of Paris
Disputation of Paris
The Disputation of Paris took place in 1240 in the court of the reigning king of France, Louis IX . The disputation had four rabbis defending the Talmud against the accusations of a Franciscan Order member.-Disputers:...
in 1240 that there were two Jesuses - the Jesus in the Talmud
Jesus in the Talmud
The Talmud contains passages that some scholars have concluded are references to Christian traditions about Jesus.The history of textual transmission of these passages is complex and scholars are not agreed concerning which passages are original, and which were added later or removed later in...
, and the Jesus of the New Testament. Isidore Loeb
Isidore Loeb
Isidore Loeb was a French-Jewish scholar born at Soultzmatt, Haut-Rhin. The son of Rabbi Seligmann Loeb of Sulzmatt, he was educated in Bible and Talmud by his father...
(1888) showed that Moses ha-Kohen followed on from the pioneering works such as Shem Tov Shaprut
Ibn Shaprut
Shem-Tob ben Isaac Shaprut of Tudela was a Spanish Jewish philosopher, physician, and polemicist. He is often confused with the physician Shem-Ṭob ben Isaac of Tortosa, who lived earlier...
's The Touchstone, Joseph Kimhi
Joseph Kimhi
Joseph Ḳimḥi , was a medieval Jewish rabbi and biblical commentator. He was the father of Moses and David Kimhi, and the teacher of Rabbi Menachem Ben Simeon....
's Sefer ha-berit and most of all Jacob ben Reuben
Jacob ben Reuben
Jacob ben Reuben may refer to:*Jacob ben Reuben ; eleventh-century Karaite scholar, probably from Constantinople*Jacob ben Reuben ; author of a polemical work against Christianity...
's Milhamot ha-Shem. It also shares common ground with later works such as The refutation of the Christian principles of Hasdai Crescas
Hasdai Crescas
Hasdai ben Judah Crescas was a Jewish philosopher and a renowned halakhist...
.