Anton Margaritha
Encyclopedia
Anton Margaritha (born ca. 1500) was a sixteenth century Jewish Hebraist
and convert to Christianity. He was a possible source for some of Martin Luther
's conception of Judaism
.
in Ratisbon.http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=126&letter=R Anton converted in 1522, being baptized at Wasserburg
, and later became a Lutheran.http://clclutheran.org/library/jtheo_arch/jtmar1999.pdf He suffered imprisonment and then expulsion from Augsburg
, based on complaints from the Jewish community there and action by Charles V
.
He was a teacher of Hebrew at Augsburg, Meissen
, Zell
, Leipzig
, and from 1537 till his death at the University of Vienna
. He published the Psalms
and Matthew 1:1 through 3:6, in Hebrew, in Leipzig (1533).
He is best known for the 1530 book Der gantze Jüdisch Glaub (The Whole Jewish Belief). The 1906 Jewish Encyclopedia
commented:
He had a public debate in the same year with Josel of Rosheim
before Charles V
and his court at Augsburg
.http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=440&letter=J The disputation terminated in a decisive victory for Josel, who obtained Margaritha's expulsion from the realm.
Despite this legal decision, this work would be repeatedly reprinted and cited by anti-semites
over the coming centuries. Martin Luther
read Der Gantze Jüdische Glaube in 1539 http://clclutheran.org/library/jtheo_arch/jtdec1999.pdf before writing his own anti-semitic tract On the Jews and Their Lies in 1543. The book was reprinted in 1705 http://www.uwm.edu/~corre/buxdorf/notes.html and was cited in Synagoga Judaica (1603) by Johannes Buxtorf
.http://www.uwm.edu/~corre/buxdorf/chp20.html
Hebraist
A Hebraist is a specialist in Hebrew and Hebraic studies. Specifically, British and German scholars of the 18th and 19th centuries who were involved in the study of Hebrew language and literature were commonly known by this designation, at a time when Hebrew was little understood outside practicing...
and convert to Christianity. He was a possible source for some of Martin Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
's conception of Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
.
Biography
Margaritha's father Jacob Margolioth was a rabbiRabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
in Ratisbon.http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=126&letter=R Anton converted in 1522, being baptized at Wasserburg
Wasserburg
-Locations:* Krausnick-Groß Wasserburg, a municipality in the district of Dahme-Spreewald in Brandenburg* Wasserburg am Inn, Bavaria* Wasserburg am Inn , former district in Oberbayern* Wasserburg am Bodensee, Bavaria-Other:...
, and later became a Lutheran.http://clclutheran.org/library/jtheo_arch/jtmar1999.pdf He suffered imprisonment and then expulsion from Augsburg
Augsburg
Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
, based on complaints from the Jewish community there and action by Charles V
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
.
He was a teacher of Hebrew at Augsburg, Meissen
Meissen
Meissen is a town of approximately 30,000 about northwest of Dresden on both banks of the Elbe river in the Free State of Saxony, in eastern Germany. Meissen is the home of Meissen porcelain, the Albrechtsburg castle, the Gothic Meissen Cathedral and the Meissen Frauenkirche...
, Zell
Zell
-Austria:*Zell am See, in Salzburg state*Zell am Ziller, in Tyrol*Zell, Carinthia, in Carinthia*in Upper Austria:**Bad Zell**Zell am Moos**Zell an der Pram**Zell am Pettenfirst-Germany:...
, Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
, and from 1537 till his death at the University of Vienna
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
. He published the Psalms
Psalms
The Book of Psalms , commonly referred to simply as Psalms, is a book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible...
and Matthew 1:1 through 3:6, in Hebrew, in Leipzig (1533).
He is best known for the 1530 book Der gantze Jüdisch Glaub (The Whole Jewish Belief). The 1906 Jewish Encyclopedia
Jewish Encyclopedia
The Jewish Encyclopedia is an encyclopedia originally published in New York between 1901 and 1906 by Funk and Wagnalls. It contained over 15,000 articles in 12 volumes on the history and then-current state of Judaism and the Jews as of 1901...
commented:
- The author ridicules Jewish ceremonies, accuses the Jews of usury and of sentiments hostile to Christians and Christianity, and argues against their Messianic hopes. He denounces the 'Alenu prayer as anti-Christian in tendency. Declaiming against the usury and idleness of the Jews, he appeals to the magistrates to remedy the evil and to force the Jews to perform manual labor. He charges the Jewish physicians with ignorance and greediness, and asserts that, despite their minuteness in ritual, the Jews are neither pious nor charitable, and that, notwithstanding their apparent aversion to proselytism, they are eager to gain adherents to their faith. This libelous book had a great influence upon Martin LutherMartin LutherMartin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
, who made use of it in writing his On the Jews and Their Lies ("Von den Juden und Ihren Lügen"). It was praised by Hoornbeck, B. Lutberus, and Joseph Müller; but WagenseilJohann Christoph WagenseilJohann Christoph Wagenseil was a German Christian Hebraist.In 1667 he was made professor of history at Altdorf, and was professor of Oriental languages at the same university from 1674 to 1697, after which he occupied the chair of ecclesiastical law until his death...
speaks of it less favorably.
He had a public debate in the same year with Josel of Rosheim
Josel of Rosheim
Josel of Rosheim Josel of Rosheim Josel of Rosheim (alternatively: Joselin, Joselmann, Yoselmann, , Joseph ben Gershon mi-Rosheim, or Joseph ben Gershon Loanz; c...
before Charles V
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
and his court at Augsburg
Augsburg
Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
.http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=440&letter=J The disputation terminated in a decisive victory for Josel, who obtained Margaritha's expulsion from the realm.
Despite this legal decision, this work would be repeatedly reprinted and cited by anti-semites
Anti-Semitism
Antisemitism is suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. According to a 2005 U.S...
over the coming centuries. Martin Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
read Der Gantze Jüdische Glaube in 1539 http://clclutheran.org/library/jtheo_arch/jtdec1999.pdf before writing his own anti-semitic tract On the Jews and Their Lies in 1543. The book was reprinted in 1705 http://www.uwm.edu/~corre/buxdorf/notes.html and was cited in Synagoga Judaica (1603) by Johannes Buxtorf
Johannes Buxtorf
Johannes Buxtorf was a celebrated Hebraist, member of a family of Orientalists; professor of Hebrew for thirty-nine years at Basel and was known by the title, "Master of the Rabbis". His massive tome, De Synagoga Judaica Johannes Buxtorf (December 25, 1564 – September 13, 1629) was a...
.http://www.uwm.edu/~corre/buxdorf/chp20.html
Further reading
- De le Roi, Die Evangelische Christenheit und die Juden, i. 221, Leipsic, 1884;
- A. Fürst, Christen und Juden, p. 191, Strasburg, 1892
- Julius FürstJulius FürstJulius Fürst , was a Jewish German orientalist.Fürst was a distinguished scholar of Semitic languages and literature...
, Bibl. Jud. ii. 330 - Abraham GeigerAbraham GeigerAbraham Geiger was a German rabbi and scholar who led the founding of Reform Judaism...
, Gesch. der Juden in Deutschland, ii. 324-325, v. 310-312 - Heinrich GraetzHeinrich GraetzHeinrich Graetz was amongst the first historians to write a comprehensive history of the Jewish people from a Jewish perspective....
, Gesch. ix. 190-191, 303-304, 314, note - Moritz SteinschneiderMoritz SteinschneiderMoritz Steinschneider was a Bohemian bibliographer and Orientalist. He received his early instruction in Hebrew from his father, Jacob Steinschneider , who was not only an expert Talmudist, but was also well versed in secular science...
, Cat. Bodl. No. 6263 - Johann Christoph WolfJohann Christoph WolfJohann Christoph Wolf was a German Christian Hebraist, polyhistor, and collector of books....
, Bibliotheca Hebræa i., No. 335 - G. Wolf, Studien zur Jubelfeier der Wiener Universität, pp. 28–29, Vienna, 1865