§ LVII.

The school of Montpelier was occupied at that time in the discussion of a superstitious question relating to the talisman of the figure of a lion, which was used as a remedy. Abba Mari, Rabbi of this city, wrote upon this subject in 1303, to the celebrated Solomon ben Adereth of Barcelona, to demand of him if it was time that he had countenanced this superstition.* The latter replied, that in fact he had tolerated it, because the great Nachmanides had not only permitted but practised it himself.t But the Montpelier doctor combatted this opinion, and proved to him that the famous Isaac des Lattes, although himself making use of this talisman subsequently to Nachmanides, did not hesitate to declare that his opinion was altogether opposed to it.‡

This latter whose whole name is Isaac ben Jehuda des Lattes,§ was held in the highest consideration, not only in France, but throughout all Spain; he was also the same person that Solomon ben Adereth selected to compromise the dispute between himself and the learned Rabbi of the school of Montpelier, Solomon de Lunel which had originated in the discussion of the talisman. The Rabbi of Barcelona reproached des Lattes for his silence in the discussion, which he had in some degree provoked by his own use of the figures of the lion in the treatment of many diseases. But des Lattes in place of making peace between the two doctors of the law, ranged himself under the banner of his countrymen, and wrote a violent letter against the Spanish Rabbi,¶ because he had taken advantage of the occasion to fulminate in 1304, a decree which prohibited the Jewish youth from studying philosophy before the age of twenty-five years.

This decree produced great excitement, and found a host of enemies: the combat was warmly waged, particularly in the Montpelier school, but the banishment of the Jews from France in 1306, terminated this intellectual war. It was a most revolting

*Minchath Kenaoth, letter i. † Ib. letter iii. p. 23. § Ibid. les. xxxvi. p. 80. || Ibid. and let. xliii. p. 96.

Ib. letter v. p. 32. Minchath Kennoth, Ibid.

spectacle to see so many learned men, who had adorned and benefitted France, proscribed wanderers, without a country, or an asylum. Some of them expired of grief on the road. Abba Mari gives in his work* heart-rending details of the expulsion of the Jews from Montpelier, at the head of whom, were the professors and the doctors of the faculty.

S LVIII.

SAMUEL OF CAPUA, AARON OF MESSINA, MISCHEL OF VERONA, ISAAC OF NAPLES.

Whilst Philip the fair, thus banished the Jews from his kingdom, another French prince, Charles II, king of Naples, protected them in Italy.

This prince, who upon the authority of Muratori, had no equal for liberality, probity and clemency, had as his physician, a Jew named Samuël ben-Jacob of Capua, who had acquired a reputation by the translation of many treatises of Arabic medicine. We shall refer only to his version of the medical works of Iahya ben-Masoriah, found in MSS. in the Royal Library of Paris.† In the preface to the work, the translator informs us that he made his version, not from the original Arabic, but from a Latin translation, recently published in Egypt.

It was at this epoch that the master Ahron flourished; who was a distinguished physician of Messina. In 1305, the Rabbis of this city having excommunicated him, he preferred his complaint before the royal court. The judge condemned each of the two chiefs of the society, to pay ten ounces.‡ the doctor Mischel ben Abraham ha-Rofa, who practised his art at Verona,§ and the learned Isaac, the physician attached to the person of Robert of Anjou, king of Naples. This prince, who reigned in 1309 to 1348, was one of the most enlightened sovereigns of his

* Ibid. let. c. p. 179. † ROCCHI PIRRI, Sicilia Sacra, t. i. p. 410. MSS. Heb. t. i. p. 480. Bibliotheque, royale de Paris, ancien fonds, No. 142. § Cod. Hebr. de l'ancien fonds, No. 379, 380, 381, 382 and 408.

time. Boccage and other writers, place him, as regards science, on a par with Solomon.* He was an eloquent orator, and also philosopher; a learned physician, and profoundly versed in the most abstract theological subjects. He took pleasure only in the conversation of learned men; he loved to hear them read their works, and bestowed upon them commendations and rewards. He invited to his court, all those who had any reputation, and even those whom he did not invite, presented themselves, well assured of being received with that welcome which they merited. Finally, he collected at great expense, a very valuable library, which he entrusted to the care of Paul de Perouse, one of the most learned men of his time.

Among the numerous works contained in this library, there were many in Hebrew, which king Robert caused to be translated into Latin, by his Jewish Physician, particularly the works of Jehuda ben Moseh Romano, as we read at the end of a work of this learned man found in MSS. in the Royal Library of Paris.+

LIX.

THE ANAVIM FAMILY.

We could not speak of the Jewish physicians of Italy without taking notice of the Anavim family, which bears the title of physician, (Rofé) from the fact of this science being hereditary in this celebrated family. The most distinguished members of the house of Anavim, are Benjamin Rofé and Abraham Rofé, who flourished at Rome, in the reign of Innocent III, of whom, they were most probably the physicians. The glory connected with their name was transmitted to their descendants, who were very celebrated for their literary works, such as Jehuda son of Benjamin, and his two brothers Zedkia and Jekuthiel, Benjamin and Zedkia, sons of Abraham the physician.

The first is named in the Sefer Hilchoth, of Alfesi, which he

* BOCCAGE, Genealogia Deorum, let. xiv. chap. 9. Benvenate da Imola. Comment in Dant. Antiq. Itat. t. v. p. 1035.

† Ancien fonds, No. 444.

wrote in 1247, to the Rabbi Solomon ben Elia,* Jehuda Iaaleh, son of Benjamin ha-Anav, a name by which he is also designated by the author of the book Sibulé ha-Lekat, as has been already sufficiently explained.† He was an excellent interpreter, and has left us commentaries on the said Sefer Hilchoth, which are found in MSS. in the Royal Library of Paris, with other books of his composition. The second, Zedkiah, a younger brother of Jehuda, is mentioned in terms of eulogy, by his namesake and cousin german, the author of Sibulé ha Lekat.§ The third Jékuthiel, has the merit of having given being and education to a great moralist, the pious Jéchiel, author of the excellent work Mealoth ha-Middoth.|| The fourth, Benjamin, son of Abraham Rofé, left many works to posterity. One of these, entitled the Fourteen Doors, is found in MSS. in the Royal Library of Paris.¶ The fifth, Zedkiah, younger brother of the preceding and pupil of Jehuda Iaaleh, is the author of the book Sibulé ha-Lekat, already mentioned. It contains an exposition of every thing referring to the religious rites and ceremonies of the Jews. This book is unpublished, but a very good abridgement of it has been printed.

A descendant of this learned family, the pious Menachem Rofé Anav, lived at Rome, where he died in the odour of sanctity.** This is probably the same doctor, with Menachem Zemach ben Abraham Rofé, ben Benjamin, ben Jechiel, who transcribed in 1322 and 23, many manuscripts quoted by doct. Zuuz of Berlin.††

$ LX.

LOWER EMPIRE.

The view which medicine in general presents, during the continuance of the Lower Empire, deserves a little attention. We

* MSS. de la Bibliotheque royale de Paris, fonds Sorbonne, No. 222.

† See Koré ha-Doroth, p. 24.

Fonds Sorbonne, No. 199.

§ MSS. de la Bibliotheque Royale, fonds Sorbonne, No. 59, 29, 71, 90, 113, 158, &c. || MSS. Heb. de la Bibliotheque Royale de Paris, fonds Sorbonne, No. 217.

1 Ibid. No. 246.

** EMMANUEL, Macheberoth, xxviii.

tt GEICER, Wissensch. Zeitschr fur Jud. theolog. tom. iv. pag. 192.

will find perhaps during this period some observations, collected in the hospitals, which were established about that time at Constantinople, and in many other of the cities of Greece, and of Europe and Asia;* but there were only scattered reports, with which we are not occupied at the present time. The Karaites were perhaps the best physicians of this empire, for we always find them occupied with this art, and as we have seen it in their hands at the end of the thirteenth century, we find it still there at the beginning of the fourteenth. Ahron ben Eliá was born at this period at Nicomedia, the ancient capital of Bithynia. This celebrated man was distinguished both as a philosopher and physician. He professed his art at Constantinople, where he died in the month of September, 1369. Ahron ben Eliá is next to Ahron ben Josef, the most highly esteemed writer among the Karaites. The following is a catalogue of his works.

1st. Ez Chaim, the Tree of Life. This work was finished in 1366, is a philosophical and theological treatise, almost of the same class, as the Moré Nebouchim of Maimonides. Mardocheus ben Nissim† eulogises greatly this work, and which in truth is deserving of being read.

2d. Sefer Mizvoth, book of Precepts, a work divided into twenty-five treatises, almost in the class of the Mischna Torah of Maimonides, the author finished it 1354.

3d. Kether Torah, the Crown of the Law, a literal commentary on the Pentateuch, composed as the author has himself informed us, in the beginning of his work in 1362. The first of these works bears also the title of Nozer Emunim, as has been well established by the learned doctor Delitzsch in his Aperçu on this book.

* CABANIS, Revol. de la médecine, page 116. † Dod. Mardochaï, chap. xi. p. 14.

See Serapeum, year 1840, Nos. 11 and 12.

N. B.-The European Exchange, the Bulletin Medical de Belge, from whose pages we have translated the articles on the history of the Jewish Physicians, not having been received for some time, we fear it has been discontinued; we regret this, as we should have been gratified at being able to lay the work in full before our readers; but we must of necessity suspend the record thus abruptly. If it should be received at a future time, the series of articles may be completed in a different form, but time must determine that matter.