sophy, and mathematics, procured the titles of Wise, and The Astronomer. He employed the most learned Jews of Toledo, among whom was R. Isaac ben Said, to compose those famous astronomical tables, originally written in Hebrew, that yet bear his name, and to translate the various renowned Arabic works on that science.

ALSCHECH R. MOSES, a learned commentator born in Saphet, where he was head of the congregation, and flourished in the middle of the sixteenth century, noted for the eloquence of his sermons. To most of his works he gave metaphorical and flowery titles, as "The Rose of Sharon," "The Lily of the Valley," &c.

AMBROSE, ST., Bishop of Milan, born in 340, and died at the age of 57. He wrote various treatises. The softness of his style procured for him the appellation of the Mellifluous Doctor.

AME', R., Chief of the colleges of the Holy Land in 300.

ANANIA, JOHN DE, Archdeacon of Boulogne, wrote in Latin some learned theological works. He died in 1458 at the age of 70.

ANAXAGORAS was a disciple of the philosopher, Anaximene, and instructor of Socrates, Euripides, and Pericles. He was the first who introduced the Asiatic philosophy at Athens. He held the sun to be a mass of fire; the moon to contain mountains and valleys; that it was or might be inhabited; that the planets had at first irregular movements, and were subsequently fixed in their present order, and that every thing is composed of an infinity of atoms. He died 428 years before the christian era.

ANAXIMENE, the philosopher, was born at Miletus, one of the principal cities of Ionia, 528 years before the Christian era. He held the hypothesis that air was infinite, and the origin of every thing; that instead of being produced by the gods, it produced them. He is considered by Pliny to have invented the sun-dial, which is erroneous, for the retrogradation of the shadow in the time of Hezekiah took place before his birth. ANGEL, R. MEIR, Chief of the Synagogues of Judea and Greece in 1600. He wrote two works on the Masora.

Angelus, Peter, was born at Barges, in Tuscany. His preceptor, was subsequently raised to the papal see, (Gregory XIII.) He is considered a first-rate poet. And although born of indigent parents, his talents enabled him to acquire a splendid

fortune. By sobriety and exercise, he lived (without illness until that of which he died) to the age of 78.

AQUINAS, ST. THOMAS, born in 1224, studied at Cologne and Paris was deeply versed in scholastic theology. He belonged to the order of Dominicans, and refused various bishoprics offered him by Gregory X. and John XXIII. : he was canonized by the latter. His numerous works are well known to Christian theologians.

ARAMA, R. ISAAC, was a native of Zamora, and quitted Spain at the expulsion; one of the best instructed philosophers, theologists, and expositors of his time. His two most esteemed works are, his commentary on the Five Rolls of the Hagiography, and the "Ligation of Isaac," a short philosophical commentary on the Mishna and Talmud. The foundation of Jewish jurisprudence is there explained according to the doctrines and authorities of the most classical of the ancient Rabbins. The original manuscripts are in the library of the Escurial.

ARAMA, R. MEIR, son of the preceding, whom he accompanied to Naples, when they quitted Spain. He was a philosopher of repute. He wrote comments on Psalms, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Job, which are much admired. He died in 1556 in Turkey.

ARISTOTLE, founder of the Peripatetic sect of philosophers, was born 384 years before the Christian era. He studied under Plato, and was instructed in the Egyptian religion and sciences by a Jew, at Athens, as Eusebius relates, he told his friend Clearchus, "Know that a Jew came from Asia; we were many days together; he took away some philosophy from us, but left us much more which we learned from him." He was preceptor to Alexander the Great. His life is to be found in so many works, that it need not be extended on here.

ARTEMIDORUs, famous for his treatise on dreams, which, although full of frivolous observations, contains some interesting matter.

ASHER, RABENU, was by birth a German. His profound learning procured his election to the presidency of the college at Toledo, in the beginning of the thirteenth century.

ATHANASIUS, ST., was, for nearly 50 years, bishop of Alexandria, and flourished in 320. He was a strong opponent to Arianism. His writings are held in estimation by many christians.

AVICENNA, an Arabian philosopher and physician, born in 980, possessed so astonishing a memory, as to retain the entire Alcoran when only ten years of age. At sixteen, he commenced visiting the sick and practising medicine, which he had taught himself. After perfecting himself in astronomy, geometry, and mathematics, he began to study theology, and is said to have read the Metaphysics of Aristotle forty times before he understood them perfectly.

AUGUSTIN, ST., or ST. AUSTIN, born in 354, was ordained bishop of Calarne, in 395, and died in 430. He wrote treatises on the Holy Scriptures, commentaries on Psalms, and various other works. The one most quoted in this is his "Civitate Dei."

AULUS GELLIUS, a celebrated grammarian of the second century. Under the title of Noctes Atticæ, (from being written in the evenings of a winter passed at Athens), he wrote for the use of his children a collection of observations on authors, which are valuable, from preserving many facts and monuments of antiquity not found elsewhere.

AZARIAH, R. ADOMI, a native of Mantua, resided and flourished at Ferrara in the sixteenth century; wrote a much esteemed and learned work under the title of "The Light of the Eyes." The first part treats on earthquakes, and the latter on the history, philosophy, and antiquities of the Jews.

AZPILCUETA, MARTIN, commonly called, The Navarese, from being born near Pampeluna, in that kingdom, in the sixteenth century. At different periods he was Professor of Civil Law at Toulouse, Salamanca, and Coimbra. He was considered one of the most learned jurisconsults of his age. He died at Rome in 1586, aged 94. He had gone there to defend his friend, the Archbishop of Toledo, who was accused of heresy by the Inquisition.

BADRASI, R. ABRAHAM, called also Happenini, was a native of Bezieres, wrote a work on Hebrew Synonymes.

BADRASI, R. JEDIDIAH, son of the preceding was born at Barcelona in 1250; from his eloquence he was called by Christians the Hebrew Cicero; he wrote a beautiful didactic poem, entitled “ An Investigation of the Moral World," an epic poem on Chess, and various philosophical and moral works.

BALMES, R. ABRAHAM, a celebrated philosopher, grammarian, and physician; he practised medicine in the early part of the 16th century, wrote an excellent Hebrew grammar and lexicon, to which D. Bomberg added a Latin preface.

BARUCH, R. BEN AYAZIEL, wrote under the title of "The Congregation of Jacob," a literal Commentary on Ecclesiastes, and an allegorical one, entitled "The Sanctity of Israel;" they were printed in 1599.

BASIL, ST., was born about 328, and died in his 50th year; he was Bishop of Cæsaria in Cappadocia ; his comments on the Bible are lost. Erasmus considered him superior to Demosthenes and the greatest orators of Ancient Greece; many panegyrics have been written on him.

BECHAYAI, R., was born at Saragossa in 1131, among his many esteemed works, a number of which are in Arabic, he left one entitled "The Obligation of the Heart, or the Vanity of the World;" it treats on spiritual life and the duty of man towards God, himself, and his fellow

creatures.

BECHAYAI, RABENU BEN ASHER, was chief judge and head rabbi of the Jews of Arragon in 1340; he wrote a highly esteemed literal, allegorical, and cabalistical exposition of the Pentateuch.

Bede, the VenERABLE, born in 673 at Newcastle-upon-Tyne; Pope Sergius, desirous of benefiting by his counsel, invited him to Rome, but he never quitted England; he was one of the greatest theologists of his age, his Commentaries on Scripture are chiefly extracts from others in the Works of the Fathers; he completed his History of England four years previous to his death.

BELLARMIN, CARDINAL THOMAS, was born in 1542, wrote a Commentary on Psalms; he was a profound theologian and a great controversialist against the Protestants; he died in 1621.

BEN SIRACH, a learned writer 312 years before the Christian era. Ecclesiasticus, in the Apocrypha, is said to have been written by him.

BERNARD, ST., born in Burgundy in 1091, was the first Abbot of Clairvaux, his seminary was so distinguished that it

produced a pope, six cardinals, and upwards of thirty prelates; he preached the Crusade under Louis the Seventh, but strongly opposed the Monk Raoul's desire of murdering the Jews. For his letter on the subject, see the Jewish Calendar, p. 116, Ann. 1146; he died in 1153.

BEROSUS flourished about three centuries before the Christian era, in the reign of Ptolemy Philadelphius. Pliny informs us that on account of his extraordinary predictions, he was so highly considered by the Athenians that they raised a statue to him with the tongue gilt; he was a Chaldean by birth and served as a priest to Belus.

BODIN, JOHN, an able historian, flourished in the 16th century; he wrote rules for the study of history.

POETIUS, F. A. M. I. S., a celebrated prose and poetical writer, was born at Rome in 476, went at an early age to study philosophy at Athens. His works shew his knowledge of theology, mathematics, ethics, and logic; for centuries his Treatise on Music supplied the place of the Greek manuscripts that were supposed to have been lost; his "Consolation of Philosophers" is a master-piece, it was written while in prison (the victim of a conspiracy) where he was ultimately beheaded by order of Theodoric the Goth to whom he had rendered great services in the government of Italy.

BUONAVENTURA, ST., was born in Tuscany in 1221. He taught theology in various places; by his decision as a cardinal, Gregory X. was raised to the Papal See: he died in 1274, and was canonized in 1482 by Sextus IV.

CALEPIN, AMBROSE, an Augustine friar, born at Calepio near Bergami in Italy, from which he took his name; he wrote some theological works and died in 1510.

CAPELLA, M. M. F., a Latin poet. It is doubtful whether he was a Roman or a Carthaginian, nor is the precise time of his writing known; but from Boetius quoting him, it is supposed to have been at the commencement of the 6th century.

ČARÇA or SARSA, R. SAMUEL, wrote comments on the Commentaries of Aben Ezra, Nachmanides, and Maimonides on the Law. Endeavouring to preach publicly the Aristotelian philosophy of the eternity of the world, a learned Rabbi made use of Moses' exclamation, "Why is the bush not burned ?" in allusion to his

name which means bush: he was thereon seized and burnt as an Atheist.

CARDANAS, J. B., was a native of Valencia, he wrote various ecclesiastical works, and became Bishop of Tortosa, where he died in 1590.

CARNITOL, R. JOSEPH, flourished in 1500; he wrote various Cabalistical works, the one bearing the title of "The Gates of Justice" is translated entire in "Cabala Desnudata," published in Latin by Rosenroth in 4 vols. 4to. 1677.

CARO, R. ISAAC, was born in Castile a few years previous to the expulsion, when he went to Portugal, whence he embarked for the Holy Land; but being wrecked he lost his wife, children, and books, which induced him to lead a secluded life, when he wrote his "Book of Generations;" he was a jurist, philosopher, and expositor. The compendium of our rites and ceremonies was written by him; he died at Saphet in 1575.

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CASTANEDA, FERDINAND LOpes de, in 1540 accompanied his father, who went as judge to India, he wrote a History of the Discovery and Conquest of India by the Portuguese."

CAYETANO, CONSTANTINE, a Benedictine abbot, flourished at the commencement of the 17th century, his first work was printed in 1612. In 1641, he published a work to prove that Ignatius de Loyola, the founder of the order of Jesuits, was educated by Benedictines.

CECINNA, AULUS, a Roman knight, the friend and defender of Cicero. In the civil war he sided with Pompey: he is accused of having written against Cæsar. He wrote a treatise on the formation of thunder.

CELSUS, an epicurean philosopher, flourished in the 2nd century under Adrian. He wrote a work against the Christians under the title of "The True Discourse."

CELSUS, AURELIUS CORNELIUS, a celebrated physician in the 1st century; he wrote in Latin eight works on medicine which are highly esteemed, he is termed the Hippocrates of the Latins.

CENSORIUS Wrote in 238 his treatise on the natal day. It is a work of importance to chronology; he dedicated it to Q. Carrelius.

CHELPHETA, R. an excellent Casuist, his sons were disciples of R. Meir.

CHRYSOSTOM, ST. JOHN., was born at Antioch in 384, he obtained his name, which signifies the golden mouth, from his elegant delivery as a rhetorician: he was a profound, philosopher and became

a Carthusian. He passed forty years in solitude and the strictest discipline of the church: he lived in constant disputes with the clergy of his age, and died in 407.

CICERO, MARCUS TULLUS, the famous Roman philosopher and orator was born 116 years before the Christan era: his eloquence always had the most powerful effect; he was murdered at 63 years of age by a man accused of parricide, who had been saved by his defence of him; his Phillipics caused M. Anthony to proscribe him; his life is written by Plutarch and many eminent writers.

CLEMENT, TITUS FLAVIUS, surnamed the Alexandrian, lived in the reign of Severus about 202. Although well acquainted with the Scriptures, he was more of a philosopher than a theologian: he explains most passages allegorically, and in his writings he attends more to morality than dogmas.

COMES, NATALIS, of Venice, flourished in 1580: his works on mythology and history prove his acquaintance with the belles-lettres.

CORDOVA, R. MOSES DE, born in that city in 1508, was a learned jurist, philosopher, and cabalist. From Spain he went to Saphet, where his profound learning procured him the post of chief of that congregation: he died there in 1570; his work, "The Orchard of Pomegranates," is a key to Cabala; he wrote many other theological, philosophical, and cabalistical works.

CYRIL, ST. patriarch of Alexandria in the 5th century. In 415, he pillaged and drove away the Jews, seized and desecrated their synagogues and cemeteries, which led to a quarrel between him and Orestes the governor; he was a subtle metaphysician.

DAMASCUS, ST. JOHN OF, called the Damascene, born about 676, studied philosophy, mathematics, and theology; he wrote in favour of the worship of images: from his eloquence the Orthodox Christians of his time gave him the cognomen of Chrysoboas.

DANDEAU, LAMBERT, a French Calinist minister, who wrote various theological works, died in 1596.

DE LEON, R. DAVID, was a physician at Mantua in 1500; he wrote various philosophical works.

DE LEON, R. JUDAH, commonly known by the appellation of Messer Leon, flourished at Mantua in 1470, wrote a philosophical work, entitled "The Per

fection of Beauty," and another on rhetoric.

DIODORUS SICULUS, the historian, flourished in the reigns of Julius Cæsar and Augustus: his history of Egypt, Persia, Syria, Rome, Greece, Media, and Carthage, was a labour of thirty years. He is said to have visited all the places he describes: he is too credulous and prolix on fabulous reports; while events of importance are treated briefly.

DIOGENES, APOLLINATUS, a philosopher, who lived five centuries before the Christian era. His profound knowledge of nature procured him many enemies who sought to kill him at Athens.

DION CASSIUS, the esteemed Roman historian in the 3rd century, was governor of Dalmatia and proconsul of Sicily.

DIONYSIUS, a learned geographer to whom the Periegesis is attributed; he is supposed to have lived in the Augustan age, he wrote many works, but this is the only one we have remaining.

DOSA BEN, a disciple of R. Meir, his maxims in the Ethics of the Fathers are much esteemed.

DURAN, R. PERIPOT, a grammarian, mathematician, and one of the most celebrated Talmudists of his age, was born in Arragon: he assisted at the disputation held at Tortosa; his work against Paul of Burgos and the worship of images, printed at Constantinople, is prohibited in Catholic countries; he is the author of "The Ephodi," a "Grammar," and "Comments on Maimonides' Guide."

EGYPT, R. MOSES OF. See MAIMO

NIDES.

ELEAZAR, R., assisted his father, R. Simeon ben Jochai, in writing the Zoar in 120.

ELIEZER, R., was son of Hyrcanus, a relative of R. Gamliel, whose writings he collected; he also wrote many learned and moral axioms in the Ethics of the Fathers: his celebrated Pirqué contains some interesting astronomical and geographical information of that early period. He flourished about a century before the Christian era.

ELIEZER, R. ASKENASI, (or the German), flourished in the 16th century at Mentz, where he died in 1586: among his many learned works, the most esteemed was the title of " The Works of God."

EMPEDOCLES, a philosopher, poet, and historian, born in Sicily about 450 years before the Christian era, believed in

Metempsycosis, and adopted the Pythagorean philosophy: he entertained the opinion that there were links that united the four elements, and a discord that kept them asunder.

EPIMENIDES, GNOSSIUS, a Cretan, contemporary with Solon 596 years before the Christian era, wrote a poem of 5000 verses, is said to have slept for 27 years, and on awaking neither to have known or been known to any one.

EPHRAIM, R., surnamed Lundschutz, was Chief Rabbi of the Congregation at Lemberg in 1580, and wrote seven learned and esteemed works on various subjects. EUCLID taught mathematics at Alexandria three centuries before the Christian era.

EUCLID OF MEGARA, a disciple of Socrates, on whose death and Plato's, from his great repute as a philosopher, many repaired to him for instruction from dread of the tyrants of Athens. EURIPIDES, a famous Greek tragic poet, born 480 years before the Christian era, he died at the age of 75.

FICIN MARCELLUS, was a native of Florence, greatly esteemed by the Medici❘ family as an ecclesiastic, he applied himself to the study of theology and philosophy, his works form 2 vols. fol. He died in 1503 aged 70.

FINE ÖRONTES, a celebrated mathematician, born at Briançon in 1494, he wrote various esteemed works on geometry, geography, astrology, optics, and mechanics.

FULGENTIUS, ST., flourished in the early part of the 6th century, termed the St. Augustin of his age; among his various works he left one on Predestination | and Grace.

GABAY, R. MEIR, a cabalistical writer of note in the 16th century.

GABRIOL, R. SOLOMON, born at Malaga in 1048, resided at Saragossa, and was celebrated for his skill in music: he was an excellent poet, astronomer, and philosopher; his works on all those subjects are deservedly much esteemed; in astronomy he followed the Ptolemeian system, as his beautiful poem "The Crown of the Kingdom" shews.

GALEN, the prince of Greek physicians, was born at Pergamus about 131: next to Hippocrates he was considered the greatest physician of antiquity; he performed such surprising cures that he was accused of magic; the jealousy of the faculty at Rome, where he had gone to

reside, forced him to quit that city, to which he was recalled by Aurelius, on whose death he returned to his native country where he died in 200.

GARMISA, R. ELIEZER, of Worms, a profound Cabalist, flourished in 1240, wrote among many esteemed works one against astrology.

GERONA, R. MOSES. See NACHMA

NIDES.

GERSHON, R. BEN SOLOMON, father of R. Levi, lived in Catalonia in 1270, and wrote an esteemed work on natural philosophy under the title of "The Gates of Heaven:" there is a manuscript copy of it at Oxford.

GIATH, R. ISAAC BEN, was a celebrated poet, born at Lucena: being deeply versed in Hebrew, Greek, and Arabic literature, he became head of the college at Cordova, where he died in 1089.

GREGORY, ST., of Nyssa in Cappadocia, was bishop of that city, born about 330: from their philosophical tendency his writings are said more to resemble those of Plato and Aristotle than those of a Christian divine, he died in 396.

GUIGATILLA, R. JOSEPH, born in Castile, was one of the exiles at the expulsion: he was surnamed the Divine Cabalist from his learned works on that subject. He also wrote some excellent theological treatises.

HABIB, R. JACOB, a celebrated jurist, theologist, and cabalist, born in 1450 in Spain, which he quitted at the expulsion: his work "The Fountain of Jacob," is an excellent compendium of Jewish jurisprudence.

HABIB, R. JOSEPH, a learned jurist and Talmudist, born at Leon: he commented the lesser constitutions of Rab Alfez.

HABIB, R. LEVI BEN, flourished at Jerusalem in the 16th century: he wrote learned answers to some theological questions.

HALI BEG, chief dragoman at the court of the Grand Signor in the middle of the 17th century, born of Christian parents in Poland: being taken when young by the Tartars, he was sold to the Turks: he translated the Bible into the Turkish language. Some of his works are translated into English by Dr. Hyde. He was acquainted with 17 languages; he also wrote a Turkish grammar and dictionary.

HANINA, R. BEN DOSA, flourished in the 8th year of the Christian era.

HASDAI, R. died at Cæsarea in 1380, he wrote three learned works under the