Joel Löwe
Encyclopedia
Joel Löwe was a German-Jewish Biblical commentator. He signed his name in Hebrew writings as Joel Bril, Bril being an acronym for "son of R. Judah Löb".
At the age of twenty he went to Berlin, where he received instruction from Isaac Satanow
, who was a follower of Moses Mendelssohn
. In Berlin Löwe met Mendelssohn, his acquaintance with whom soon ripened into friendship. Mendelssohn's influence was doubtless instrumental in securing for Löwe the position of tutor in the house of the influential David Friedländer
. Löwe became a most intimate friend of another prominent Mendelssohnian, Isaac Abraham Euchel
, whose first work, a Hebrew biography of Mendelssohn, contains a dedicatory letter addressed to Löwe. At the close of his life Löwe was principal of the Wilhelms-Schule in Breslau.
Löwe was an excellent Hebraist, grammarian, and exegete, and, like most Mendelssohnians, was also a "Schöngeist" (bel esprit). Jointly with Aaron Wolfsohn he edited "Ha-Meassef," in which periodical he published a large number of poems and essays.
He belonged to the bi'urists who assisted Mendelssohn in his commentaries on the Bible. His own main work was a critical Hebrew commentary and an excellent introduction to the Psalms
(1788), which latter forms a history of Biblical poetry; and he published, also, Mendelssohn's German translation of the Psalms in Hebrew letters.
In company with Aaron Wolfsohn, Löwe published Mendelssohn's German translation of the Song of Solomon
with a Hebrew commentary. He was the first to translate the "Haggadah shel Pesaḥ" into German (1785). Of his "'Ammude ha-Lashon," on the elements of the Hebrew language, only the first part was published (1794).
He wrote also on chronology
, and was a contributor to Eichhorn
's "Allgemeine Bibliothek der Biblischen Literatur." His plan to publish a Hebrew grammar on a large scale did not materialize.
At the age of twenty he went to Berlin, where he received instruction from Isaac Satanow
Isaac Satanow
Isaac Satanow was a Polish Jewish scholar and poet.-Life:In early manhood he left his native country and went to Berlin in search of learning. There he became the protégé of Isaac Daniel and David Friedländer, who found him employment as a teacher in some prominent families.Satanow represents a...
, who was a follower of Moses Mendelssohn
Moses Mendelssohn
Moses Mendelssohn was a German Jewish philosopher to whose ideas the renaissance of European Jews, Haskalah is indebted...
. In Berlin Löwe met Mendelssohn, his acquaintance with whom soon ripened into friendship. Mendelssohn's influence was doubtless instrumental in securing for Löwe the position of tutor in the house of the influential David Friedländer
David Friedländer
David Friedländer, sometimes spelled Friedlander was a German Jewish banker, writer and communal leader.- Life :Friedländer settled in Berlin in 1771...
. Löwe became a most intimate friend of another prominent Mendelssohnian, Isaac Abraham Euchel
Isaac Abraham Euchel
Isaac Abraham Euchel was a Hebrew author and founder of the "Haskalah-movement".He was born in Copenhagen on October 17, 1756. After his bar mitzvah he was sent, as a young prodigy, to Berlin, where he studied the Talmud with his uncle, Rabbi Masos Rintel, from 1769-73...
, whose first work, a Hebrew biography of Mendelssohn, contains a dedicatory letter addressed to Löwe. At the close of his life Löwe was principal of the Wilhelms-Schule in Breslau.
Löwe was an excellent Hebraist, grammarian, and exegete, and, like most Mendelssohnians, was also a "Schöngeist" (bel esprit). Jointly with Aaron Wolfsohn he edited "Ha-Meassef," in which periodical he published a large number of poems and essays.
He belonged to the bi'urists who assisted Mendelssohn in his commentaries on the Bible. His own main work was a critical Hebrew commentary and an excellent introduction to the Psalms
Psalms
The Book of Psalms , commonly referred to simply as Psalms, is a book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible...
(1788), which latter forms a history of Biblical poetry; and he published, also, Mendelssohn's German translation of the Psalms in Hebrew letters.
In company with Aaron Wolfsohn, Löwe published Mendelssohn's German translation of the Song of Solomon
Song of Solomon
The Song of Songs of Solomon, commonly referred to as Song of Songs or Song of Solomon, is a book of the Hebrew Bible—one of the megillot —found in the last section of the Tanakh, known as the Ketuvim...
with a Hebrew commentary. He was the first to translate the "Haggadah shel Pesaḥ" into German (1785). Of his "'Ammude ha-Lashon," on the elements of the Hebrew language, only the first part was published (1794).
He wrote also on chronology
Chronology
Chronology is the science of arranging events in their order of occurrence in time, such as the use of a timeline or sequence of events. It is also "the determination of the actual temporal sequence of past events".Chronology is part of periodization...
, and was a contributor to Eichhorn
Eichhorn
Eichhorn or Eichhörnchen is German for "squirrel"; "die Eiche" means "Oak" and "Eichhorn" is the creature that inhabits the oak.It is the surname of:* Albert Eichhorn, historian of religion* Christoph Eichhorn...
's "Allgemeine Bibliothek der Biblischen Literatur." His plan to publish a Hebrew grammar on a large scale did not materialize.