Don Isaac ben Judah or Yitzchak ben Yehuda Abravanel (Hebrew: יצחק בן יהודה אברבנאל) was a Jewish statesman, philosopher, Bible commentator, and financier. He was a scion of the Abravanel family. In many works he is referred to solely by his last name, which is variously spelled as Abravanel, Abarbanel, and Abrabanel. Many Torah and Talmud scholars today, simply refer to him as "The Abarbanel". D. (usually preceded in English by the) is the abbreviation for the Spanish and the Portuguese honorific Don, a mark of high esteem for a distinguished Christian hidalgo or nobleman. ... Hebrew (עִבְרִית ‘Ivrit) is a Semitic language of the Afro-Asiatic language family spoken by more than seven million people in Israel and Jewish communities around the world. ... Jews (Hebrew: יהודים, Yehudim) are followers of Judaism or, more generally, members of the Jewish people (also known as the Jewish nation, or the Children of Israel), an ethno-religious group descended from the ancient Israelites and converts who joined their religion. ... The term statesman is a respectful term used to refer to diplomats, politicians, and other notable figures of state. ... Philosopher in Meditation (detail), by Rembrandt. ... Meforshim is a Hebrew word meaning commentators (or roughly meaning exegetes), and is used as a substitute for the correct word perushim which means commentaries. In Judaism this term refers to commentaries by the commentators on the Torah (five books of Moses), Hebrew Bible, the Mishnah, the Talmud, responsa, even... The Abravanel family (also Abarbanel or Abrabanel) is one of the oldest and most distinguished Jewish Iberian families; they trace their origin from the biblical King David. ...

He was born in Lisbon, Portugal, in 1437. He died in Venice in 1508 and was buried in Padua. District or region Lisbon Mayor   - Party Carmona Rodrigues PSD Area 84. ... // Events foundation of All Souls College, University of Oxford. ... 1508 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Location within Italy Tronco Maestro Riviera: a pedestrian walk along a section of the inland waterway or naviglio interno of Padua The city of Padua (Lat. ...

The Abravanel family (also Abarbanel and Abrabanel) is one of the oldest and most distinguished Jewish Iberian families; they trace their origin from the biblical King David. Members of this family lived at Seville, where dwelt its oldest representative, Don Judah Abravanel. The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination of these attributes. ... The Iberian Peninsula, or Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe. ... This page is about the Biblical king David. ...

Biography

Abravanel was a pupil of Joseph Hayyim, rabbi of Lisbon. Well versed in rabbinic literature and in the learning of his time, he devoted his early years to the study of Jewish philosophy. When only twenty years old he wrote on the original form of the natural elements, on religious questions, on prophecy, etc. His political abilities also attracted attention while he was still young. He entered the service of King Alfonso V of Portugal as treasurer, and soon won the confidence of his master. Jewish philosophy is not a universally agreed-upon term, but it does exist as a field of scholarship. ... Afonso V of Portugal, the African, thirteenth king of Portugal was born in Sintra in January 15, 1432 and died in the same city in August 28, 1481. ...

Notwithstanding his high position and the great wealth he had inherited from his father, his love for his afflicted brethren was unabated. When Arzilla, in Morocco, was taken by the Moors, and the Jewish captives were sold as slaves, he contributed largely to the funds needed to manumit them, and personally arranged for collections throughout Portugal. He also wrote to his learned and wealthy friend Jehiel, of Pisa, in behalf of the captives.

After the death of Alfonso he was obliged to relinquish his office, having been accused by King John II of connivance with the Duke of Braganza, who had been executed on the charge of conspiracy. Abravanel, warned in time, saved himself by a hasty flight to Castile (1483). His large fortune was confiscated by royal decree. John II of Portugal João II of Portugal (Portuguese pron. ... 24th Duke of Braganza The title Duke of Braganza in the House of Braganza is one of the most important titles in the peerage of Portugal, as the ancient Duchy of Braganza (Bragança), is one of the oldest and most important Dukedoms of Portugal. ... Events The São Tomé settlement is founded. ...

At Toledo, his new home, he occupied himself at first with Biblical studies, and in the course of six months produced an extensive commentary on the books of Joshua, Judges, and Samuel. But shortly afterward he entered the service of the house of Castile. Together with his friend, the influential Don Abraham Senior, of Segovia, he undertook to farm the revenues and to supply provisions for the royal army, contracts that he carried out to the entire satisfaction of Queen Isabella. Isabella of Castile Isabella of Castile (April 22, 1451 – November 26, 1504) was queen of Castile and Aragon. ...

During the Moorish war Abravanel advanced considerable sums of money to the government. When the banishment of the Jews from Spain was ordered with the Alhambra decree, he left nothing undone to induce the king to revoke the edict. In vain did he offer him 30,000 ducats ($68,400, nominal value). With his brethren in faith he left Spain and went to Naples, where, soon after, he entered the service of the king. For a short time he lived in peace undisturbed; but when the city was taken by the French, bereft of all his possessions, he followed the young king, Ferdinand, in 1495, to Messina; then went to Corfu; and in 1496 settled in Monopoli, and lastly (1503) in Venice, where his services were employed in negotiating a commercial treaty between Portugal and the Venetian republic. Alhambra Decree was issued in 1492 by the Catholic monarchs, (Isabella of Castile married to Ferdinand II of Aragon in 1469), of Spain, following the final triumph over the Moors after the fall of Granada. ... Monopoli is a town in Italy, in the province of Bari, region of Apulia. ...

Several times during the mid to late 1400's, he personally spent large amounts of his personal fortunes to bribe the Spanish Monarchy to permit the Jews to remain in Spain. It is claimed that Abrabanel payment offered them 600,000 crowns for the revocation of the edict. It is said also that Ferdinand hesitated, but was prevented from accepting the offer by Torquemada, the grand inquisitor, who dashed into the royal presence and, throwing a crucifix down before the king and queen, asked whether, like Judas, they would betray their Lord for money. In the end, he managed only to get the date for the expulsion to be extended by two days.

After his departure from Spain, he moved first to Genoa, then to Corfu, and finally to Venice. His riches exhausted, he died, in what he himself described as "exile", in 1508, in Venice, Italy. Location within Italy Genoa (Italian Genova, Genoese (dialect of Ligurian) Zena, French Gênes, German Genua, Spanish Génova, Galician Xénova) is a city and a seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria. ... Pontikonisi Island in the background with the Vlaheraina Monastery in the foreground. ... Venice (Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venexia) , the city of canals, is the capital of the region of Veneto and of the province of Venice in Italy. ... 1508 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Venice (Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venexia) , the city of canals, is the capital of the region of Veneto and of the province of Venice in Italy. ...

Works

His works may be divided into three classes, referring to:

• exegesis, such as his commentary upon the entire Bible with the exception of the Hagiographa;
• philosophy, dealing with philosophy in general and particularly with that of the Jewish religion;
• apologetics, in defense of the Jewish doctrine of the Messiah.

Philosophy

Many of Abravanel's Jewish predecessors in the realm of philosophy were the subject of his criticisms. Men like Albalag, Palquera, Gersonides, Narboni, and others, were criticised by Abravanel as infidels and misleading guides, for venturing to assume a comparatively liberal standpoint in religio-philosophical questions. Levi ben Gershon (Levi son of Gerson), better known as Gersonides or the Ralbag (1288-1344), was a famous rabbi, philosopher, mathematician and Talmudic commentator. ...

Although he was the last Jewish Aristotelian, Abravanel was essentially an opponent of philosophy. His conception of Judaism, opposed to that of Maimonides and his school, was rooted in a firm conviction of God's revelation in history, and particularly in the history of the Jews as a chosen people. It has been noted by some that some of his ideas were in accord with the views of Maimonides, while other views of his were strongly in disagreement. Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people with around 15 million followers as of 2006 [1]. It is one of the first recorded monotheistic faiths and one of the oldest religious traditions still practiced today. ... Commonly used image indicating one artists conception of Maimonidess appearance Moshe ben Maimon (March 30, 1135–December 13, 1204) was a Jewish rabbi, physician, and philosopher. ... Michelangelos depiction of God in the painting Creation of the Sun and Moon in the Sistine Chapel Krishna, the eighth incarnation of Vishnu, one of the manifestations of the ultimate reality or God in Hinduism This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ... In Judaism, chosenness is the belief that the Jews are a chosen people: chosen to be in a covenant with God. ...

A characteristic instance of his vacillation is afforded by his most important religious work, the "Rosh Amanah" (The Pinnacle of Faith), based on Cant. iv. 8. This work, devoted to the championship of the Maimonidean thirteen articles of belief against the attacks of Crescas and Albo, ends with the statement that Maimonides compiled these articles merely in accordance with the fashion of other nations, which set up axioms or fundamental principles for their science. However, he holds that Judaism has nothing in common with human science; that the teachings of the Torah are revelations from God, and therefore are all of equal value; that among them are neither principles nor corollaries from principles. Torah () is a Hebrew word meaning teaching, instruction, or law. It is the central and most important document of Judaism revered by Jews through the ages. ...

Abravanel agrees and supports some of Maimonides ideas; however he assails Maimonides' conception that the prophetic visions were the creations of imagination. Abravanel will not hear of this explanation, even for the bat kol of the Talmud, which, according to him, was a veritable voice made audible by God — a miracle, in fact (commentary on Gen. xvi.). The Talmud (תלמוד) is a record of rabbinic discussions of Jewish law, ethics, customs, legends, and stories, which Jewish tradition considers authoritative. ...

In like manner Abravanel exceeded all his predecessors in combating Maimonides' theory of the "Heavenly Chariot" in Ezekiel, and commentary on the Guide for the Perplexed, part III:71-74. The Guide for the Perplexed (Hebrew: Moreh Nevuchim, Arabic: dalalat al hairin دلالة الحائرين) is one of the major works of Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, better known as Maimonides, or the Rambam. ...

Apologetics

Abravanel felt deeply the hopelessness and despair which possessed his brethren in the years following their expulsion from Spain, and set himself, therefore, to champion the Messianic belief and to strengthen it among his desponding brethren. With this aim he wrote the following three works: "Ma'yene ha-Yeshu'ah" (Sources of Salvation), completed Dec. 6, 1496; "Yeshu'ot Meshikho" (The Salvation of His Anointed), completed Dec. 20, 1497; and "Mashmia' Yeshu'ah" (Proclaiming Salvation), completed Feb. 26, 1498. All of these were about the Jewish messiah. The Jewish Messiah, (משיח) or Mashiah, Mashiach or Moshiach, has traditionally referred to a future Jewish king from the Davidic line who will be anointed (in Hebrew, mashiach -- משיח (messiah) means anointed with holy anointing oil) and inducted to rule the Jewish people. ...

The first-named of these is in the form of a commentary upon Daniel, in which he controverts both the Christian exposition and the Jewish rationalism of this book. Curiously enough, in opposition to the Talmud and all later rabbinical tradition, he counts Daniel among the prophets, coinciding therein—but therein only—with the current Christian interpretation. He is impelled to this by the fact that Daniel furnishes the foundation for his Messianic theory. The remainder of his commentary is devoted to an exhaustive and caustic criticism of the Christian exposition.

The second work is probably unique in being an exposition of the doctrine concerning the Messiah according to the traditional testimony of Talmud and Midrash. His third apologetic work contains a collection of Messianic passages of the Bible and their interpretations, in the course of which latter Abravanel criticises the Christian interpretation of these passages.

Others

Other works are:

• "The Crown of the Ancients"
• "The Pinnacle of Faith"
• "The Sources of Salvation", in the form of a commentary on Daniel,
• "The Salvation of His Anointed"
• "The Herald of Salvation", in which are collected and explained all the Messianic texts.
• "Inheritance of the Fathers"
• "The Forms of the Elements"
• "New Heavens"
• "Deeds of God"

See also

• Abrabanel's response to the Alhambra Decree

Abrabanels response to the Alhambra Decree is an important document in Jewish and Spanish history. ...

External links

• Short biography of Isaac Abravanel
• Abrabanel