Some Jewish Witnesses For Christ
man whose mind as a Jew was trained in rabbinic quibbles, and as a
Romanist had learned to hold the doctrine of intention.
Raimuch (Remoch) Astruc, physician of Fraga, in the fourteenth century.
As an orthodox Jew he visited Benveniste ibn Laki, of Saragossa, and
other prominent Jews; but in 1391 he embraced Christianity, taking the
name of Francisco Dias Corni, and endeavoured to convert his former
Jewish friends, among them, En Shealticel Bonfos (Gräetz viii. 85).
Ratisbonne Alphonsi Marie, born at Strassburg in 1812, and died at
Jerusalem, 1884. After taking his degree in law he visited Rome, when
probably he met his brother, who won him for the Church. After passing
through the novitiate of the Society of Jesus, he joined the Order of
Notre Dame de Sion. He then went to Jerusalem, founded the Order of the
Sisters of Sion there, had a school for Jewish children, and officiated
there as a priest until his death. He was the author of "Elevations sur
les Litanies de la Sainte Vierge."
Ratisbonne, Marie Thédor, brother of the former, born at Strassburg,
1802; died at Paris, 1884, was also a lawyer before his conversion. He
became successively, Professor in the Petit Seminaire, Assistant Rector
of the Cathedral of Strassburg, and Superior-General of the Order of
Notre Dame de Sion, founded by him in thanksgiving for the conversion of
his brother. Among other works, he published, "Essai sur l'Education
Morale" (Strassburg, 1828). "Histoire de Saint Bernard," 2 vols. (_ib._
1841). "Le Manuel de la Mère Chrétienne" (_ib._ 186). "Questions Juives"
(1868). "Miettes Evangeliques" (_ib._ 1872). "Reponse aux Questions d'un
Israélite de Notre Temps" (_ib._ 1878).
Ricius Augustinus, Jewish convert to Christianity and astronomer of the
fifteenth century. He was a disciple of R. Abraham Zacuto, and wrote a
work on the motion of the eighth sphere, a Latin translation of which
appeared in Paris, 1521. He quotes Ibn Ezra, Abraham ben Hiyya, and
other Jewish authors, and mentions the epoch 1477.
Riccio Paulo, or Paulus Riccius, was born in Germany, and flourished in
the first half of the sixteenth century. After his conversion to
Christianity he became Professor of Philosophy in the University of
Pavia, subsequently he was physician to Maximilian I. He was a friend of
Erasmus, and held a controversy with Eck on astronomical subjects. He
sought the spiritual welfare of his Jewish brethren, and imparted to
Christians much information about Jewish literature. His best known book
is his "De Posta Lucis R. Josephi Gecatilia" (Augsburg, 1616), which is
a free translation of a part of the Kabbalistic work of "Sha'a re Orah,"
by Joseph Gikatila. Jerome Riccio (Hieronymes Riccius), Paulo's son,
sent a copy of the work to Reuchlin, who utilized it in the composition
of his "De Arte Cabbalistica." Riccio relates that he was ordered by the
Emperor Maximilian to prepare a Latin translation of the Talmud. All
that has come down of it are the translations of the tractates of
"Berakhoth, Sanhedrin, and Makkoth" (Augsburg, 1519), which are the
earliest Latin renderings of the "Mishnah" known to bibliographers. The
most important of his works is "De Cælisti Agricultura," a large
religio-philosophical work in four parts, dedicated to the Emperor
Charles and to his brother Ferdinand (Augsburg, 1541, 2nd ed. Basel,
1597). His "Opuscula Varia," which contains a treatise on the 613
commandments, a religio-philosophical and controversial work, aiming to
demonstrate to the Jews the truths of Christianity, and an introduction
to the Kabbalah, followed by a compilation of its rules and dogmas, went
through four editions (Pavia 1510, Augsburg 1515, 1541, and Basel 1597).
Riccio wrote about ten other works, all in Latin, on various religious,
philosophical and Kabbalistic subjects, which appeared in Augsburg in
1546, and were reprinted in Basel in 1599.
Rittangel, Johann Stephanus, controversial writer, born at Forsheim,
near Bamberg; died at Königsberg in 1652. He first became a Roman
Catholic, but when he found out the serious errors of the Roman Catholic
Church he became a Protestant. He was professor of Oriental languages at
Königsberg, and issued a number of translations of Hebrew works: one of
the "Sefer Yezirah" (1642); one of the "Passover Haggadah" (1644); he
published also his "Libra Vertatis" (Fraenker, 1698); and one of the
earliest translations of Jewish prayers, under the title,
"Hochfeyerliche Solentäten, Gebete und Collecten Anstalt der Opfer,
nebst andern Ceremonien so von der Jüdischen Kirchen am Ersten
Neuen-Jahrstag Gebet und Abendgebet werden müssen" (Königsberg, 1653).
His posthumous work, "Biblia Veritatis" was written to substantiate the
claim that the Targums prove the doctrine of the Trinity. This is also
the subject of his "Veritatis Religionis Christianæ."
Rosenthal, David Augustus, German physician and author, born at Neisse,
Silesia, 1812; died at Breslau, 1575. In 1851 he embraced Roman
Catholicism and set about to improve the tone of the Catholic press and
the condition of the Catholics of Silesia. In 1862 he edited the
poetical works of the Roman Catholic mystic, Angelus Silesius, better
known as Johan Scheffler. Between 1869 and 1872, he published his
"Convertetenbilder aus dem neinzehnten Jahrhundert" (4 vols.,
Schaffhausen), or biographical sketches of Jews and Protestants who had
embraced the Roman Catholic faith during the nineteenth century. This
was arranged according to countries. A supplement of the entire work is
found in the last volume. The "Convertetenbilder," which went through
several editions, is a very important contribution to the history of the
Church in the nineteenth century, and supplements de le Roi's work,
"Geschichte der Evangelischen Juden Mission," which treats only of the
Jews who have joined the Protestant Church.
Santangel (Sancto Angelos) Luis (Azorias) De, a convert and learned
jurist of Calatayad, Spain, died before 1459. He was converted by the
sermons of Vincent Ferrer (probably in 1412, when that missionary was
most active) and was made magistrate of the capital of Aragon. One of
his grandsons took part in the discovery of America by lending 17,000
ducats towards the expenses without interest.
Sixtus Sinensis, born at Sienna in 1520; died in 1569. After embracing
Christianity he joined the Franciscan Order. By the order of Paul IV.,
Sixtus and another convert travelled about the Papal States preaching in
the synagogues. He was more favourable to the Zohar than to the Talmud.
Besides homilies and mathematical writings, Sixtus was the author of the
"Bibliotheca Sancta" (Venice, 1566), a Latin work in eight books,
treating of the divisions and authority of the Bible. It contains an
alphabetical index and an alphabetical list of the rabbinical
interpreters of the Bible.
Ugolino Blaisio, an Italian Jewish convert, born about 1700. He is known
for his "Thesaurus Antiquitatum" (34 vols., Venice, 1744-69). In this
work he reprinted most of the seventeenth century treatises on Jewish
antiquities by Bochart, Bonfrère, Buxtrof, Carpzov, Cellarius,
Clavering, Deyling, Goodwin, Hottinger, Huet, Lowth, Opitz, Pfeiffer,
Prideaux, Reland, Rhenferd, Saubertius, Selden, Sigonius, Spencer,
Trigland, Van Til, Wagenseil, and Witsius, besides some from fresh
contributors, and translating much himself from the "Midrashim." He also
himself translated the treatises Menahoth, and Zebahim (vol. xxi.)
Pesahim, Shekalim, Yoma, Succa, Rosh-Hashanah, Tamid, Megilah, Hagigah,
Bezah, Moed Katon, Ma'aseroth, Maaser Sheni, Hallah, Orlah, and Bikkurim
(vols, xvii.-xix.), besides a part of Maimonides' "Yad-Hazakah," and of
Abraham Portaleone's "Shilte ha Gibborim."
Veil, Ludwig Karl de, a native of Metz, whose father and grandfather
were rabbis, the latter an author of Hebrew books, embraced the Roman
Catholic faith at the age of 17, when he was a teacher of Hebrew in
1655. It is said that Louis XIII., King of France, compelled him to be
baptized in Compiègne. At all events, the King and the Queen were his
sponsors. He is also called Compiègne, after the town. He became
afterwards ordinary Royal professor of Oriental languages in the
Sorbonne, Paris. Wagenseil, who made his acquaintance in Paris, praises
him for his modesty as well as for his learning and talents. Ludwig de
Veil translated the first eight tracts of the "Yad-Hazakah" of
Maimonides into Latin, adding notes thereto (Paris, 1662-78); also
"Sefer Hakorbanoth," with Abrabanel's introduction to Leviticus (London,
1683). A separate edition of this introduction appeared under the title
"Hakdamat Abravenl El Sefer Wayikra" (Amsterdam, 1701).
Veit, Johann Emanuel was born in Ruthenplan, in Bohemia, in 1789, died
in Vienna in 1876. He was the son of a rich Jew named Benedict (Boruch).
He studied medicine and philosophy first at Prague and then in Vienna,
in which city he became professor and director in the Veterinary College
in 1819. In the newspaper "Bohemia," he was reported to have given the
reason for his conversion in these words:--"I went through the Old
Testament, and now I must look into the New." And to Döllinger he once
said, "Judaism is the vestibule to the Hall Christianity, and I wanted
to pass from the one to the other." Here are some remarks which he made
occasionally in letters to friends with reference to his spiritual
development and his coming to Christ. Thus he wrote:--"The time past,
the near as well as the remote, lies behind me like a series of
dissolving views. I am not in the state to give chronological data, I
know only that it is a good while ago that a decided direction to the
positive belief took me without my exertion." A deeper view is given to
us in the following letter:--"You do not know the miserable history of
my life, neither the ways by which the Divine Mercy has conducted me,
nor the unutterable distress incumbent upon me. Nobody did know me,
myself the least, but the Lord has helped me wonderfully. What can the
world judge of a poor, contrite old student, full of sinfulness,
craving only God's love, who has finally prostrated himself, in great
anxiety of heart, at the feet of Jesus, the Crucified, crying, 'O Lord,
do not cast away from Thee the poor dog which licks Thy feet, although
it stretches still its nostrils to the hideous savours of this world.'"
Having such a confession before us, we forbear to search after other
influences which may have worked upon his soul. A true Israelite, with
the humility of the woman of Samaria, he found in Jesus Christ the peace
with God which neither Judaism, the modernised as little as the
rabbinical, nor the philosophical systems could give him. Of course, he
desired to confess his belief in Jesus Christ as his Saviour and
Redeemer by baptism, and this he did on May 4th, 1816, in the Church of
St. Carl, Vienna. Eventually Veit was appointed as Cathedral preacher at
St. Stephen's and his fervent eloquence drew large crowds to hear him,
and many on bended knees cried out for pardon of secret sins. When in
1840 the Damascus blood accusation affair took place, Veit stood up in
the pulpit before the whole congregation, lifted up a crucifix, and
swore solemnly that this oft repeated accusation had no foundation
whatever in fact.
Wolken of Ratisbon, a convert to Roman Catholicism in the second half of
the fifteenth century. In contrast to Veit, he was an accuser of his
former co-religionists. Whether this arose from personal spite or from
superstition does not matter. His memory is only here preserved as a
warning to others.
Wolowski, a Polish family in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries,
directly descended from Osias Tebuat Shor, gave to the Roman Catholic
Church several members, _viz._, a Jewess named Hayya Wolowski (she had