Jacob Abendana | |
|---|---|
| Title | Hakham ofLondon |
| Personal life | |
| Born | 1630 |
| Died | September 12, 1685(1685-09-12) (aged 54–55) |
| Parent |
|
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Judaism |
| Synagogue | Bevis Marks Synagogue |
| Began | 1680 |
| Ended | 1685 |
Jacob Abendana (1630 – 12 September 1685) washakham ofLondon from 1680 until his death.
Abendana was the eldest son ofJoseph Abendana and brother toIsaac Abendana.[1] Though his family originally lived inHamburg, Jacob and his brother were both born inSpain. At some point in time, his family moved toAmsterdam where he studied at theDe los Pintosrabbinical academy inRotterdam. In 1655, he was appointedhakham of that city. On 3 May 1655 Abendana delivered a famous memorial sermon on theCordovan martyrsMarranos Nunez andAlmeyda Bernal who had been burned at the stake.
Several years later, with his brother, Isaac, Jacob published the Bible commentaryMiklal Yofi bySolomon ben Melekh which included his own commentary,Lekket Shikchah (Gleanings), on thePentateuch, theBook of Joshua, and part of theBook of Judges. This was published by subscription in Amsterdam in 1660 with a second edition in 1685.
Having gone toLeiden seeking subscribers, Jacob metAntonius Hulsius whom he helped in his studies. Hulsius tried to convert Abendana toChristianity which began a lifelong correspondence between the two. The Abendana brothers similarly impressed other Christian scholars, such asJohannes Buxtorf (Basel),Johann Coccejus (Leyden), andJacob Golius (Leyden).
With Hulsius, Abendana entered into a polemical discussion of Biblical verse Haggai 2:9,[2] which Hulsius attempted to prove was a reference to theChurch. The debate lasted via correspondence from 24 September 1659 to 16 June 1660. Abendana responded with aSpanish translation of RabbiJudah Halevi'sKuzari[3]in 1663. Hulsius eventually published the correspondence between the two in 1669.
In 1675, Abendana addressed the community at the dedication of the new synagogue in Amsterdam. Five years later, in 1680, he was brought to London to succeed Joshua da Silva ashakham of London where he served for 15 years as the hakham of theBevis Marks Synagogue in London. Over the following years, he completed a Spanish-language translation of theMishnah, along with the commentaries ofMaimonides andObadiah of Bertinoro. The work was frequently cited by Christian theologians, though it was never published. Jacob Abendana died in London in 1685 and was buried in the Portuguese cemetery at Mile End.
