Judah Leon Templo
Encyclopedia
Jacob Judah Aryeh Leon Templo (born 1603 in Hamburg
, died after 1675) was a ḥakam
, translator of the Psalms
, and expert on heraldry
, of Marano
descent.
He was son of Abraham de Leon. He became ḥakam in Middelburg
and, after 1643, in Amsterdam
, where he was engaged also as teacher in the Talmud Torah
. He vocalized the entire Mishnah
which was printed in 1646 at the establishment of Manasseh ben Israel, with the anonymous collaboration of Adam Boreel
.
Jacob Judah caused a great stir by a plan, drawn by him, of Solomon's Temple
. It was exhibited before Charles II of England
. The author published a short, comprehensive description in Spanish entitled Retrato del Templo de Selomoh. (Middelburg, 1642). This was translated into Dutch in the same year; into French in 1643; and by himself into Hebrew in 1650, with the title Tabnit Hekal. Duke August of Brunswick, and more particularly his wife Elizabeth, wished a German translation of this description and entrusted the task to Johann Saubert of Helmstädt
. Someone else published such a translation in 1665, and Saubert therefore wrote a Latin translation in that year. An English version appeared in 1778, done by M. P. Decastro, a relative of Templo's, and in whose possession the plan was then held.
In 1647 Jacob Judah wrote Tratado de la Arca del Testamento (Amsterdam, 1653). His treatise on the cherubim, their form and nature, written in Latin in 1647, appeared in Spanish under the title Tratado de los Cherubim (Amsterdam, 1654); and his description of Moses' tabernacle, written in 1647 in Dutch, was published under the title Retrato del Tabernaculo de Moseh (Amsterdam, 1654), and in English (1675). His last work was a Spanish paraphrase of the Psalms, which was printed with the text, under the title Las Alabanças de Santitad (Amsterdam, 1671), and, as is stated in the introduction, was written in seven months. The work was dedicated to Isaac Senior Teixéyra, financial agent, in Hamburg, of Queen Christina of Sweden, and was praised by many ḥakamim, scholars, and poets in Hebrew, Latin, and Spanish verses.
Jacob Judah wrote also a dialogue (Colloquium Middelburgense) between a rabbi and a Christian scholar on the value of the Christian dogmas; and he left in manuscript Disputaciones con Diferentes Theologos de la Cristiandad.
He was a skilful draftsman. The coat of arms of the English Grand Lodge of Masons with the motto , now "Holiness to the Lord," is the work of the "famous and learned Hebrewist, architect, and brother, Rabi Jacob Jehudah Leon." He drew also more than 200 figures and vignettes to illustrate Talmudical subjects, which his son Solomon gave to Surenhusius for his Latin translation of the Mishnah.
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, died after 1675) was a ḥakam
Hakam
Hakam may refer to:*Al-Hakam in Arabic الحكم means the wise man, referring to the old Arab arbitrators that predated qadis.*Hakam or The National Human Rights Society, a Malaysian human rights organization*Hakham, a wise man, in Judaism*Hakam, Yemen...
, translator of the Psalms
Psalms
The Book of Psalms , commonly referred to simply as Psalms, is a book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible...
, and expert on heraldry
Heraldry
Heraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander"...
, of Marano
Marano
Marano as a surname has noble Italian origin, derives from last name Marani of Vicenza that came to Naples in the 16th century with Francesco Antonio buried in the church of Sant'Antonelli to Caponapoli in the ancient center of Naples city...
descent.
He was son of Abraham de Leon. He became ḥakam in Middelburg
Middelburg
Middelburg is a municipality and a city in the south-western Netherlands and the capital of the province of Zeeland. It is situated in the Midden-Zeeland region. It has a population of about 48,000.- History of Middelburg :...
and, after 1643, in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, where he was engaged also as teacher in the Talmud Torah
Talmud Torah
Talmud Torah schools were created in the Jewish world, both Ashkenazic and Sephardic, as a form of public primary school for boys of modest backgrounds, where they were given an elementary education in Hebrew, the Scriptures , and the Talmud...
. He vocalized the entire Mishnah
Mishnah
The Mishnah or Mishna is the first major written redaction of the Jewish oral traditions called the "Oral Torah". It is also the first major work of Rabbinic Judaism. It was redacted c...
which was printed in 1646 at the establishment of Manasseh ben Israel, with the anonymous collaboration of Adam Boreel
Adam Boreel
Adam Boreel was a Dutch theologian and Hebrew scholar. He was one of the founders of the Amsterdam College; the Collegiants were also often called Boreelists, and regarded as a small sect...
.
Jacob Judah caused a great stir by a plan, drawn by him, of Solomon's Temple
Solomon's Temple
Solomon's Temple, also known as the First Temple, was the main temple in ancient Jerusalem, on the Temple Mount , before its destruction by Nebuchadnezzar II after the Siege of Jerusalem of 587 BCE....
. It was exhibited before Charles II of England
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
. The author published a short, comprehensive description in Spanish entitled Retrato del Templo de Selomoh. (Middelburg, 1642). This was translated into Dutch in the same year; into French in 1643; and by himself into Hebrew in 1650, with the title Tabnit Hekal. Duke August of Brunswick, and more particularly his wife Elizabeth, wished a German translation of this description and entrusted the task to Johann Saubert of Helmstädt
Helmstadt
Helmstadt is a municipality in the district of Würzburg in Bavaria in Germany....
. Someone else published such a translation in 1665, and Saubert therefore wrote a Latin translation in that year. An English version appeared in 1778, done by M. P. Decastro, a relative of Templo's, and in whose possession the plan was then held.
In 1647 Jacob Judah wrote Tratado de la Arca del Testamento (Amsterdam, 1653). His treatise on the cherubim, their form and nature, written in Latin in 1647, appeared in Spanish under the title Tratado de los Cherubim (Amsterdam, 1654); and his description of Moses' tabernacle, written in 1647 in Dutch, was published under the title Retrato del Tabernaculo de Moseh (Amsterdam, 1654), and in English (1675). His last work was a Spanish paraphrase of the Psalms, which was printed with the text, under the title Las Alabanças de Santitad (Amsterdam, 1671), and, as is stated in the introduction, was written in seven months. The work was dedicated to Isaac Senior Teixéyra, financial agent, in Hamburg, of Queen Christina of Sweden, and was praised by many ḥakamim, scholars, and poets in Hebrew, Latin, and Spanish verses.
Jacob Judah wrote also a dialogue (Colloquium Middelburgense) between a rabbi and a Christian scholar on the value of the Christian dogmas; and he left in manuscript Disputaciones con Diferentes Theologos de la Cristiandad.
He was a skilful draftsman. The coat of arms of the English Grand Lodge of Masons with the motto , now "Holiness to the Lord," is the work of the "famous and learned Hebrewist, architect, and brother, Rabi Jacob Jehudah Leon." He drew also more than 200 figures and vignettes to illustrate Talmudical subjects, which his son Solomon gave to Surenhusius for his Latin translation of the Mishnah.