Jacob Abendana facts for kids

Jacob Abendana (born 1630, died 12 September 1685) was an important Jewish leader. He served as the hakham (a wise religious leader) of London from 1680 until he passed away.

Jacob Abendana's Life Story

Jacob Abendana was the oldest son of Joseph Abendana. He also had a brother named Isaac Abendana. Even though their family later lived in Hamburg, Jacob and his brother were both born in Spain.

Later, his family moved to Amsterdam. There, Jacob studied at a special school for rabbis called the De los Pintos rabbinical academy in Rotterdam. In 1655, he became the hakham of Rotterdam. On May 3, 1655, Jacob gave a famous speech. It was a memorial sermon for two people, Nunez and Bernal, who had died in Cordoba.

Publishing Books

A few years later, Jacob worked with his brother, Isaac, to publish a Bible commentary. This book was called Miklal Yofi by Solomon ben Melekh. Jacob also added his own comments to the book. His part was called Lekket Shikchah (which means "Gleanings"). It explained parts of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible), the Book of Joshua, and some of the Book of Judges. This book was first published in Amsterdam in 1660. A second edition came out in 1685.

Scholarly Discussions

Jacob traveled to Leiden to find people who would buy his books. There, he met a Christian scholar named Antonius Hulsius. Jacob helped Hulsius with his studies. Hulsius tried to convince Jacob to become a Christian. This led to a long exchange of letters between them throughout their lives. The Abendana brothers also impressed other Christian scholars. These included Johannes Buxtorf from Basel and Johann Coccejus and Jacob Golius from Leyden.

Jacob and Hulsius had a scholarly discussion about a Bible verse, Haggai 2:9. Hulsius believed the verse was about the Church. Their debate happened through letters from September 24, 1659, to June 16, 1660. Jacob replied by translating a book called Kuzari by Rabbi Judah Halevi into Spanish in 1663. Hulsius later published their letters in 1669.

Hakham of London

In 1675, Jacob Abendana spoke to the community at the opening of a new synagogue in Amsterdam. Five years later, in 1680, he moved to London. He became the hakham of London, taking over from Joshua da Silva. He served as the hakham of the Bevis Marks Synagogue in London for five years.

During these years, he finished a Spanish translation of the Mishnah. The Mishnah is a very important collection of Jewish laws and traditions. He also included comments from famous scholars like Maimonides and Obadiah of Bertinoro. Christian scholars often used his work, but it was never officially published. Jacob Abendana passed away in London in 1685. He was buried in the Portuguese cemetery at Mile End.

Sources

• Abendana, Jacob in The Jewish Encyclopedia, New York ; London : Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1901–06, volume 1, p 53.