Alfonso de Alcalá facts for kids
Alfonso de Alcalá was an important Spanish scholar from Alcalá la Real. He lived in the 1500s and was known as a doctor, a professor of medicine, and a Hebraist. A Hebraist is someone who studies the Hebrew language and Jewish texts. It's important not to confuse him with another famous Hebraist named Alfonso de Zamora.
Alfonso de Alcalá was originally a doctor and a rabbi, which is a Jewish religious leader. Before the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492, he chose to become a Christian. This was a significant event in his life, as many Jewish people had to make difficult choices during that time in Spain.
Working on the Complutensian Polyglot
Alfonso de Alcalá played a key role in a huge project to translate the Bible. A powerful church leader named Cardinal Ximenez de Cisneros asked him to help. A Cardinal is a very high-ranking official in the Catholic Church, just below the Pope.
What Was the Complutensian Polyglot?
The Complutensian Polyglot was a very special edition of the Bible. It was printed between 1514 and 1517. What made it unique was that it showed the Bible's text in several different languages side-by-side. These languages included Hebrew, Greek, and Latin.
Alfonso de Alcalá, along with Alfonso de Zamora and Paul Nuñez Coronel, worked together on this project. Their main job was to create a new translation of the Hebrew Bible into Latin. This was a massive and important task for scholars of that time. Their work helped many people study the Bible in different languages.
See also
In Spanish: Alonso de Alcalá (hebraísta) para niños
