Solomon ibn Verga facts for kids

Solomon ibn Verga (born around 1460, died 1554) was a Spanish historian and doctor. He was also an author. His most famous book is called Shevet Yehudah, which means "Scepter of Judah" in Hebrew.

It's not clear if he was related to another person named Judah ibn Verga. However, we know for sure that Judah was not his father.

The Book: Shevet Yehudah

Solomon ibn Verga wrote that he was sent by Jewish communities in Spain. His job was to collect money to help free prisoners in Málaga. He also lived in Lisbon, Portugal, as a marrano. This means he was a Jew who pretended to be Christian to avoid persecution. He saw a terrible event there in 1506 when many people were killed.

Later, he escaped to Turkey, probably to a city called Adrianople. There, he wrote Shevet Yehudah. This book tells the story of how Jewish people were persecuted in different countries and at different times.

In a short introduction, he explained how the book came to be. He found some stories about persecutions in a book by Judah ibn Verga. He copied these stories. Then, he added accounts of persecutions that happened during his own time. His son, Joseph ibn Verga, later finished and organized the entire collection. The title "Shevet Yehudah" is a clever reference to Judah ibn Verga. "Shevet" in Hebrew means "staff" or "scepter," which is similar to the Spanish word "verga."

The book describes 64 different persecutions. It also includes stories of debates between Jews and Christians. Plus, it talks about Jewish customs in various places. Ibn Verga tried to understand why Jewish people, especially those in Spain, suffered more than others. He suggested a few reasons. One idea was that God loves them, and sometimes God tests those He loves. Another main reason he thought was their different food customs, which kept them separate from Christians. He also believed their troubles could be a punishment for their sins. Ibn Verga was honest about the Jewish people's faults and sometimes even made them seem worse.

Since three different authors contributed to this book, the stories are not in time order. The narratives don't always connect perfectly. However, the Hebrew writing style is clear and easy to understand. Ibn Verga knew Latin and used many Latin sources for his stories. The book also includes a section about the design of the Temple of Solomon. Experts have noted the book's importance for geography because it names many places and describes local customs.

How the Book Spread

The Shevet Yehudah was first printed in Turkey around 1550. It has been printed many times since then. It was translated into Yiddish four times, with the first Yiddish version appearing in Cracow in 1591. It was also translated into Spanish in 1640 and into Latin in 1651. Later, it was translated into German in 1856 and 1858. Parts of the book were also translated by other scholars. Ibn Verga mentioned that he wrote another book called Shebeṭ 'Ebrato, which had more persecution stories. This book is now lost.

What People Thought of the Book

Some historians have questioned how accurate the information in Shevet Yehudah is. They believe that while Ibn Verga was an original writer, he wasn't always completely reliable. Some of his stories might be more like legends than true history. Ibn Verga was very interested in the religious debates between Jews and Christians. His book gives the most detailed accounts of these discussions. However, even these debates seem to be made up, except for one that happened in Tortosa.

Despite this, Shevet Yehudah is still valuable. It contains many interesting Jewish folk tales and popular traditions.

Only one writer from Ibn Verga's time, Samuel Usque, seemed to use his work in his own book, Consolação.